How can you avoid making common web development mistakes?

Finding a business that doesn't have an online presence is like the proverbial needle in a haystack. With more and more people online, the bulky yellow phone book has become a relic. But not all types of web design are created equal; some make common web development mistakes that can cost you money.

The biggest mistake that any site owner can make when it comes to developing their own web site is either allowing or letting the designer talk them into using a boilerplate template. Just as bad is copying the look of your competitors. Your web site should be as individual as you and or your business is. To gain an advantage over your competition, you need to set yourself apart in some way. And how you go about building your site is the perfect opportunity to establish yourself and your brand.

Complicated site design is another all too common mistake. In an attempt to seem "unique", too many features, bells, and whistles are put into a home page. Not only does this slow down the load time of the page (a major turn off for web users), but when it does load, the user feels over loaded. Or, they feel lost and can't find the answers to their buying questions or objections. In any instance, they will click off the site and you lose money.

A huge mistake that far too many sites make is the content on the pages themselves. "But I need to have X number of words so a search engine will index my site," they complain. Well, there's no changing the rules of how search engines index and rank sites (including word counts), but make sure that the content is informative and relevant to what you offer. It's human eyes that will be looking your site over, not search engine spiders. Truthfully, if a page is 100% optimized, it will actually come across as garbled and non-sense to a person. Better to go with content that makes sense and results in sales than to stuff key words.

Finally, just because you now have a web site doesn't mean that the world will flock there with money in hand. You need to get the word out of what you offer, just like any other kind of business marketing. Yes, the internet has made it easier for the small guy to compete with the Big Boys, but you still can't sit back and wait. The need to hustle and promote will always be a constant in business so seriously consider SEO, pay per click, social media, networking, and even plastering yourself over sites like Craigslist.

By keeping these tips in mind, you can better work with your web designer and avoid these common web development mistakes. Granted, a good designer will steer you away from these, but if you insist, they will follow your directions. Your web developer is your partner in business; if you make it, you keep using them, so they have a vested interest in your success.