Mythbuster Monday: Websites are designed by IT companies

Yes, some websites are designed by IT companies, but seldom are these websites created to the standard of a dedicated marketing or web development agency.

The problem with websites developed by IT companies is that while they may be technically correct, often they aren’t focused on your business goals. This is because IT companies are specialists in computer hardware and software, and don’t have the required understanding of marketing principles which help bring in traffic and sales. As with anything, there are exceptions to the rule, however this is true in the vast majority of cases. IT companies know computers, and web developers know websites.

Below are some of the common mistakes made when an IT company develops a website for your business:

• Not understanding the target audience: IT companies may not understand the importance of, and principles behind, identifying a target audience, and then designing the website to suit the needs of this audience.
• The website design is too busy: Just because it can be done, does not mean that it should be done. A website that is high-tech with all the bells and whistles may appear impressive in some ways, but the first priority of your website should be to engage your visitors and be easy to use. This is best achieved with a simple and clean design. (This applies to all types of design, not just websites, by the way.) Typically an IT company won’t have an in-house designer to handle this task, so it’s either outsourced overseas or left to someone without the necessary skills.
• No calls-to-action: You probably know that having a clear “call to action” on every page of your website is important to your success, but again an IT company probably won’t have the know-how to craft these calls to action and this will result in lost conversions and sales.
• Unengaging content: An IT company is unlikely to even pay lip service to the content of your website. Once they have completed the design, then it is up to you to populate your web pages with your own content. A web developer on the other hand, understands the benefit in populating your website with engaging and optimised content. Even if they don’t actually write or add the content to the site for you, good web developers will help you build a relationship with your target audience and increase conversions by making recommendations on content strategy.
• No SEO: A lack of search engine optimisation (SEO) will mean that the amount of organic traffic your website receives via the search engines, will be much lower than you could expect if your site was optimised correctly. IT companies are unlikely to include SEO in their website design and if they do, it is usually as an add-on and is outsourced.

Whoever you hire to create your website, make sure that they understand online marketing and how to optimise your site for both search engines and for people. You’ll thank yourself later.

For more information on SEO or website design, call us on (07) 3333 2932 or request a free quote online.