"I Built It, Why Aren't They Coming?" (The Truth About Web Design)

There is a lie that has plagued the business world since the dawn of the internet. It comes from that old Kevin Costner movie: "If you build it, they will come."

It works for ghostly baseball players in cornfields. It does not work for your website.

We see it all the time. A client spends months (and Lakhs of Rupees) building a website. They obsess over the hero image. They argue about the exact shade of blue. They finally launch it with a celebratory LinkedIn post.

And then... silence. No leads. No sales. Just the sound of digital crickets.

Why? Because you built a piece of art, not a piece of machinery.

The Problem: Beautiful, But Confusing

We hate to break it to you, but your customers don't care how "pretty" your website is. They care about solving their problem.

If a user lands on your site and has to spend more than 3 seconds figuring out:

1. What you actually do...

2. How it helps them...

3. Where the "Buy" button is...

...they are gone.

We call this "The Van Gogh Syndrome." You’ve created a masterpiece, but no one knows how to interact with it. A website that wins design awards but generates zero revenue is not a business asset, it’s simply a vanity project.

The User Journey: "Make it Pop" is Bad Advice

The worst feedback a client can give is, "Can you make it pop?"

"Pop" usually translates to distracting animations, auto-playing videos, and sliders that move too fast.

"Make it Usable" is the Gold Standard.

Imagine walking into a supermarket. You want milk.

• Good Design: The signs are clear, the aisles are wide, and the milk is in the fridge at the back.

• "Make it Pop" Design: There are strobe lights, a clown juggling at the entrance, and the milk is hidden inside a puzzle box on the ceiling.

Your website is that supermarket. Stop trying to entertain people and start helping them find what they came for.

Mobile First: If It Sucks on a Phone, It Sucks. Period.

Look around you. On the train, in the cafe, even in the bathroom (we know you do it). Everyone is on their phone.

In India, the vast majority of web traffic is mobile. Yet, businesses still approve website designs on a giant 27-inch iMac in a conference room.

If your site looks stunning on a desktop but turns into a jumbled mess on a standard Android phone, you are actively telling 70% of your customers to go away.

• Are the buttons big enough for a thumb?

• Does the menu actually work?

• Does it load in under 3 seconds on a 4G connection?

If the answer is no, your shiny new website is broken.

The Rebel Take: It’s a Tool, Not an Art Gallery

Here is the harsh reality check: Your website is not an art gallery.

It is a tool. It is a machine designed to take a stranger and turn them into a customer.

• Every image should sell.

• Every headline should hook.

• Every button should lead to revenue.

If you are treating your website like a digital brochure, you are leaving money on the table. Stop worrying about whether the design "pops" and start worrying about whether it converts.

Is your website a pretty painting or a lead-gen machine? [Let's audit it].