Nowadays anyone can create a web page and upload it to Google, even without having any programming knowledge. Gone are the years when creating a page required advanced knowledge of HTML and CSS, as well as everything that runs behind it. Today, in just a few minutes, anyone can have our own website uploaded to the network. And even anyone can dedicate themselves to the creation and sale of websites professionally. Of course, that we know how to create a website, and that it works, does not mean that we are good at it.
Either because of the ease with which we can do it, or because we want to get rid of them quickly, it is very common for us to make mistakes. And we are not the only ones. When creating a website there are a series of very common errors and failures that almost all professionals make, and that lower the quality and professionalism of the pages that are created.
Therefore, if we want to stand out from the rest, and give our projects a plus of professionalism, then we are going to explain what are the most common mistakes and what we must do to avoid them.
The problems of templates and content reuse
There are several ways to create a website. Today no one starts creating it from scratch by programming from the first line in HTML, instead they tend to bet on the use of templates available on the network, and already optimized, on which to shape the page that we want to create. The problem with resorting to the use of these templates is that all websites are the same, have similar structures and the same failures. If we resort to this practice, the result will not have anything that makes it stand out, and that makes us stand out as web programmers.
The ideal, in this type of situation, is to create our own template, and use it only in our projects. Even have several personal templates and give the client to choose the design he wants. In this way, our websites will have that unique “something” that will add value to our work.
The same happens to abusing free content on the network. It is difficult for a programmer to be a designer, and free resources are a good alternative to add images, buttons and other content to the page. But, since they are reused so much on the web, they are ugly. It is better to buy your own material from a designer, register it, and use it on our websites.
Do not pay (or pay too much) attention to SEO
When a client requests a web page, it is not only to show it to their clients, but they also want to have a presence on Google. SEO is something that the programmer has to take care of. Therefore, bypassing basic SEO guidelines It is another very common mistake that can leave the customer unhappy.
The same happens in the opposite case. There are programmers who they force SEO on their websites, something that is counterproductive since Google also sanctions that. Therefore, you have to find a balance and, most importantly, use common sense while doing things well. And, most importantly, keep the website updated.
Another very common error is ignore social media. As new websites have a difficult time positioning in the top positions of Google, social networks can be an alternative source of traffic that helps us reach those positions. If we have a lot of traffic, both direct and from these social networks, Google will begin to take our site more into account and, little by little, we will gain positions.
Use a portfolio with old projects
The best way to introduce ourselves to a client is to show them our projects. For this, most professionals have a portfolio where the webs that have been created for other clients are included. However, it is usual that, after taking care of this portfolio for a while, it finally falls into oblivion. And, for this reason, many have old, obsolete and outdated websites linking to it.
If we want to look professional, and have a better chance of getting the contract, it is necessary to keep this up to date as well.
