There are as many urban myths about web design as there are old wives' tales about treating hiccups. Many of these myths can either harm your site or simply don't add value. So, if you're a client, keep an eye out for the following - whether you hear it from your own team or the company you're about to hire.
1) Website developers and designers do the same job
Lots of designers have development skills. And plenty of developers have design skills. But, design and development are different beasts.
Developers usually possess the technical skills to make things work. That could range from ecommerce shopping carts to consistent page layout. It's essential to engage a developer if you're building anything other than a basic site. Designers on the other hand understand how to present your website in the best possible way - tying in branding and user experience.
If you work with a website design company, make sure they have both developers and designers on hand.
2) Use lots of images, little text
Images can liven up a website design. However, an image rarely sells a product, explains to a user where to go next, or offers much useful content. Text can help inform, direct or persuade a prospective customer. The point is to use both images and text in the right ways - often to complement each other.
3) Flash makes a website look more dynamic
Flash has its uses. However, a big splash animation on your homepage is usually not one of them. For starters, most Flash doesn't work on Apple products. Would you be comfortable excluding all iPhone and iPad users from much of your site? Flash also sometimes presents a poor user experience, forcing people to watch an animation to get the crucial information. Finally, Flash isn't great for search engine optimisation.
It's not that Flash is all bad. It's just that it's not the only way to make a site look more active.
4) Compliant code doesn't matter
If your code doesn't comply with W3C web standards you're not suddenly going to receive a written warning from on-high. However, non-compliant code could be setting you up for a heap of problems further down the line. Clean code usually means that your site will work in a range of browsers - and future-proof you for many browser upgrades. It also means you're probably creating an accessible site.
And when it comes to accessibility, if your site isn't usable for people with sensory disabilities, then you really could receive a serious penalty based on the Disabilities and Discrimination Act.
5) Usability is just a trendy slogan
Some designers like to say that usability is just a meaningless buzzword. "All designers know how to create usable sites," they say. However, experience proves that both designers and developers quickly lose sight of a fundamental principle of website design: that sites are there to be used, not just seen.
Good usability makes it easier for your visitors to complete a task. And when you make things easier, the result tends to be greater conversions or user engagement. So when website designers suggest that usability testing is a wise idea, they're probably right.
6) Users won't scroll
Early web users might have been reluctant to scroll. Several usability studies appeared to back this up. However, as the web evolves, so does user behaviour. People are more than willing to scroll - provided you give them a reason to do so. Of course, you should still try to keep your most compelling information near the top of the page, but have faith that your content will encourage people to venture further south.