Debunking the Myths: 7 Reasons Why Your Daughter’s Boyfriend’s Cousin Can’t Build Your Website

Introduction: An Overview of Website Development

In today’s digital age, having a robust online presence is vital for any business. While it might seem tempting to have your daughter’s boyfriend’s cousin build your website to save some bucks (we get it), there are several reasons why this actually might not be a good idea at all. You see, creating a highly functional, visually appealing, SEO-optimized, results-driven website requires expertise and experience that goes beyond basic drag-and-drop coding skills. In this Insight, I use the term daughter’s boyfriend’s cousin as a silly term, but it might be anyone. Sure, your cousin’s nephew or your son’s college roommate might be able to put something together, but the reality is, we’ve seen so many Texas-based businesses come to us after having a similar situation go south. They end up underwhelmed and frustrated, with a hardly functional website that practically insults their brand-image. I get it, every so often you do hear a success story from someone hiring rising talent from a kid in college, heck, even our team at Super Technologies have all been there before, developing websites for companies while we were still in college, but the reality is, those stories are so far and few in between. We thought we knew what we were doing in our undergrad days, but the truth is, we had a lot to learn back then, and there were plenty of things we let slide without even realizing it. Okay, enough of that, let’s debunk some common myths and explore why professional web development is crucial for your business success (and your sanity).

1. Lack of Strategic Call-to-Actions

Call to Actions (CTAs) are critical components of any website. They guide visitors towards taking desired actions such as signing up for newsletters, making purchases, or contacting the business. Your daughter’s boyfriend’s cousin might not understand the strategic placement of purposeful design maximize CTAs and conversions.

Example: For a dentist’s website, a strategically placed CTA might be a “Book Your Appointment Today” button prominently displayed on the homepage and service pages. This button should be in a contrasting color to stand out and placed in areas where users are likely to seek more information or are ready to take action. Professionals understand user behavior and design CTAs to guide users smoothly through the conversion funnel.

2. Inadequate Header and Tag Structure and Meta-Description Issues

Headers and meta descriptions play a crucial role in SEO and user experience. Properly structured headers (H1, H2, H3, etc.) help search engines understand the content hierarchy and improve readability for users. Your daughter’s boyfriend’s cousin might not be familiar with these nuances, leading to poor SEO performance and a confusing user experience.

Example: An H1 tag should be used for the main title of a page, H2 tags for major sections, and H3 tags for subsections. For instance, on a bakery’s website, the H1 could be “Welcome to Our Bakery,” H2 tags could be “Our Products” and “About Us,” and H3 tags could be “Breads,” “Cakes,” “Pastries” under “Our Products.” This structure helps Google crawlers understand the importance and relevance of each section.

Meta descriptions are the snippets of text that appear in search engine results. They need to be concise, relevant, and include keywords to attract clicks. Professionals know how to craft these descriptions to improve click-through rates (CTR).

Example: A meta description for a bakery’s website might read: “Discover our freshly baked bread, cakes, and pastries. Visit us today for a taste of homemade goodness!”

3. Understanding Highly Converting Website Design

The design of your website significantly impacts conversion rates. Colors and layouts play a vital role in influencing user behavior. A professional web developer understands the psychology behind colors and how different layouts can guide users toward making a purchase or signing up for a service.

Example: A cluttered design can overwhelm visitors, causing them to leave without taking any action. On the other hand, a clean and well-structured design can make navigation easy and encourage visitors to explore more pages. Professionals also know how to use white space effectively to highlight important elements and draw attention to CTAs. For an e-commerce site, placing featured products on the homepage with clear, high-quality images and a prominent “Add to Cart” button can increase sales.

4. Color, Structure, and Flow Understanding

A website’s color scheme, structure, and flow are crucial for user engagement and retention. Your daughter’s boyfriend’s cousin might choose colors based on personal preference rather than understanding color psychology and its impact on user behavior.

Example: For an eye care or eye doctor website, research (and common sense) might show that the target demographic prefers larger buttons, less animation, and brighter colors to ensure readability and ease of navigation. In contrast, a restaurant website might benefit from a simpler, colorful design with the menu always easily accessible to entice customers to explore dishes and make reservations. Professionals conduct thorough research to understand the preferences and needs of your target audience, ensuring that the website design appeals to them and enhances their user experience.

5. Expertise in Website Development

Building a professional website involves much more than just coding. It requires a comprehensive understanding of various web development technologies, frameworks, and best practices. Your daughter’s boyfriend’s cousin might know basic HTML and CSS, heck, they might even make something decent with a drag-and-drop builder, but professional web developers are skilled in advanced technologies such as JavaScript frameworks, responsive design techniques, and back-end development.

• What will happen when you request a specific design to be changed? Will they have the necessary knowledge to dig into the SFTP server, find the folder correlated to the file, and change the code to make the change?
• Do they know how to sanitize and validate the proper input fields to protect against SQL and XSS attacks from hackers?
• Would they know the basic starting points to connect the proper API to the backend database which is common with more complex projects?
• When you need fully integrated e-commerce platform that can handle thousands of transactions can you trust they will properly architect a scalable, PCI-compliant payment processing system that protects your customers’ sensitive financial information?
• Would they know how to put in the proper backend transactional emailing filtering that protects your business from being inundated with unwanted spam messages or, even worse, getting your domain flagged as a source of spam?

Example: Professionals are proficient in using JavaScript frameworks like React or Angular to create dynamic and interactive user interfaces. They also understand the importance of responsive design, ensuring that your website looks and functions well on all devices, from desktops to smartphones. This level of expertise ensures that your website is built using the most current and efficient technologies, providing a competitive edge in the digital landscape.

6. Ongoing Support and Maintenance

A website is not a one-time project; it requires continuous maintenance and updates to ensure optimal performance. Your daughter’s boyfriend’s cousin might not be available for ongoing support, leaving you to deal with technical issues on your own. They might have a falling out, in which case they get mad at each other and won’t talk to you. They might land their dream job across the country and forget to give you your domain credentials and hosting login. We have seen it happen! And let’s be honest, when that happens, it leaves you in a real bind. Suddenly you’re scrambling to try and gather up all the domain info, hosting logins, and other critical details just to maintain the site. A professional should document all these things for you and even (well we at Super Technologies do this at least for our clients) provide up reminders when domains, SSL certs, are upcoming for renewal.

Example: Professional web developers offer ongoing support and maintenance services, ensuring that your website remains secure, updated, and running smoothly. This includes regular updates, security patches, performance optimizations, and troubleshooting any issues that arise. Having a reliable support system in place gives you peace of mind and allows you to focus on growing your business.

7. Compliance with Legal and Accessibility Standards

Websites must comply with various legal and accessibility standards to ensure they are usable by everyone and avoid potential legal issues. Professional web developers are knowledgeable about these requirements and can ensure your website meets all necessary standards.

Example: For compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a professional might implement features such as alt text for images, keyboard navigability, and proper contrast ratios to make the website accessible for users with disabilities, which is required for clinics, dentists, and doctor websites. They also stay updated with privacy laws like GDPR, CCPA, or HIPAA to ensure your website’s data handling practices are compliant, protecting you from potential legal repercussions.

Conclusion: Summarizing the Key Points

In conclusion, while it might be tempting to have your daughter’s boyfriend’s cousin build your website (we get it), there are several reasons why this might not be the best idea. From understanding the importance of CTAs and proper header structures to designing for specific demographics and ensuring compliance with legal standards, a professional web development team such as Super Technologies, will bring a level of expertise and experience that is crucial for building a successful website. Investing in professional web development will ultimately save time, improve user experience, and enhance your business’s online brand image.

---

FAQs