Can You Build a Website Just by Being “Good with Computers”

It is a common misconception that anyone who is “good with computers” will know how to design a great business website. Although this may seem like a logical conclusion because websites are built and consumed using computers, there is more to website design than just computer knowledge.

This article will tackle the skills, beyond technological knowledge, involved in making a successful business website.

Technological Knowledge Is Only a Tool

Yes, a strong understanding of website technology is important when building a great website. After all, you would need to understand servers, browsers, programming languages, and how they all work together. 

However, these are ultimately just tools needed for building a website. This is similar to how being able to use a pencil does not immediately make one an artist, architect, or engineer. This tool may be used by people differently depending on their skills.

What Skills Are Involved in Great Website Design?

Businesses develop websites to help the company grow by achieving different goals, such as:

• increasing sales through digital marketing
• Reducing costs through digital or automated customer support
• improving competitive position in the market through benchmarking

Given that these goals involve various skills, creating a great website that accomplishes these goals also involves a lot more than just technological skills. Some of these skills include:

Strategy

A website without strategic direction or purpose won’t deliver the results you are hoping for. Creating a successful website involves strategic planning to pinpoint what goals you want your website to accomplish and how you will accomplish these.

Marketing

As you are often working with a cold audience who does not know your company yet, you would need to create a marketing strategy for your website. You need to identify your target audience, how you will reach them, and how you will guide them to do what you are aiming for. 

Branding

Your website is part of the experience your customers will have with you and will affect their perception of your brand. You need to have intimate knowledge of your brand and how this translates into the digital space. 

Writing

A website involves a lot of written words, whether you’re trying to attract your audience’s attention, trying to communicate your services and promos, or trying to guide your audience into making a purchase. For this to be effective, you will need an effective writer.

Design

Although creativity and artistic ability are important, website design is more akin to architecture than painting. It requires strategic problem-solving skills and thinking like a customer navigating through the site you are building.

Usability and Accessibility

A website needs to be as easy to use and intuitive as possible. Your customer needs to be able to navigate your website and find the details they need easily. Otherwise, your cold audience may simply close their browsers and leave. 

For this, you may need to test your website for usability and cater to people with disabilities, such as vision impairments and trouble with motor skills.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Your SEO affects your website’s placement in search engines. You will need to build your website to support future marketing efforts and reach your target market when searching for your services online.

Conclusion

Hiring someone who is “good with computers” may not necessarily mean you are hiring someone who can build a credible website for your business. Building an effective website requires a wide range of skills very rarely found all in one person. Make sure you hire a credible website design team equipped with the skills needed to develop your business website. 

If you are looking for a web design team in Winnipeg, we at Hello Digital Marketing can help you create a dynamic, engaging, and user-friendly website. Our team is made of website design experts who can build solutions for your web design needs. Head on to our website to learn more!