When it comes to web design like most things there are as many opinions as there are web designers -- probably even more. Most business owners are focused on running their business, not on their website. For that reason they often times rely on the opinions and advice of outsiders.

In my experience much of the advice received comes from someone they view as being tech savvy or knowing how to build a website. But just because you think someone knows computers doesn't mean they're qualified to help you run your website or speak into the way you run your business. Today I'm going to dispel five of the most common web design myths.

1. Your website needs to look visually stunning to be successful. 

This is probably one of the biggest myths in web design. I think everyone wants their website to look good but since beauty is in the eye of the beholder what looks good is subjective. What's more important is that your website loads quickly and people can get the information they're after.

For example_ If I want to get a hold of a plumber in an emergency I probably don't care what his website looks like. I just want to know his phone number so I can know how soon he can be out to fix my problem.

2. You need a mobile version of your website. 

It's true, more people than ever are using our mobile devices to access the internet. What's not true is that we need a special mobile version. iPhone and Android devices are coming with higher resolution screens. This means they're perfectly capable of displaying the full version of your website. Back when Motorola Razr's were all the craze screen resolutions were low, bandwidth was slow. At that time it made sense to show only the most critical information to the person visiting the site from a mobile device.

Times have changed and so have the devices. There have been many times where I've gone to a website and gotten the mobile version only to get annoyed, not finding information I know is on the full version of the site. In those cases I find myself hunting for a link to display the full version of the site. And if mobile versions were the best experience for users why would there be so many websites with "switch to full version" links on them?

Furthermore at WebStarts we've had a specially formatted version of our homepage that would be displayed on mobile devices. After carefully tracking our results for several months we decided to remove that option. We now display the full version of the website to our desktop, laptop, and mobile users. Since we've removed the mobile version we've seen an uptick and sign ups and engagement.

3. Your website needs to have a lot of content. 

I frequently get email from clients who are stuck because they don't know what else to put on their site. I tell them when it comes to websites less is more. Let's face it, we live in a society that hates to read. Bogging down your website with tons of filler text isn't going to help your audience find what they're looking for. In fact, it's going to make it more difficult.

Studies show the average site visitor will actually be less likely to engage with a website crowed with text than one that gets straight to the point. Focus on providing a concise headline, in large text somewhere near the top of your page. Use bullets points and summarize the information. Make your text easier to read by using a dark font on a white background. Have a clear call to action that tells your visitors what to do next.

Overall don't worry if your website isn't perfect. What's most important is you get online and start engaging in the virtual marketplace. With WebStarts you'll always be able to make updates and changes to your website as you go without having to know code.