The Difference Between Web Design and Development
08/25/2006
Although the terms 'web design' and 'web development' sound very similar, they can actually mean two very different things. When looking around for someone to create your website, it’s important to know the difference so that you know what to ask for, and consequently find someone that is truly capable of doing the job.
Web design is the art of making attractive websites with good usability. Web designers are trained in HTML and the use of tools that create HTML. Most good designers will be able to hand code HTML and possibly some JavaScript. With a good web designer you’ll get a good looking website that users will be able to find their way around quite easily.
Web development is the art of making websites that DO things. Websites that require a login, offer useful tools for the users, provide e-commerce capabilities such as a shopping cart or online payments, online forums and more. Virtually anything you can imagine on the web can be created by a true professional web developer. With a good web developer, you’ll get a nice looking site that provides a truly unique experience that puts you above your competition in the eyes of potential customers.
Starting around the mid-90’s, most legitimate companies realized the value of having a website. Actually, most didn’t realize the value, but they believed it was necessary so they hired a web designer to create their site. As time has passed and the internet has evolved, more and more companies are realizing that their website is stale, boring and little more than a brochure for the company. The websites that are succeeding in 2006 and beyond are the websites that are not about the company, but about the customer. More specifically, they are about the customer and helping them to solve a problem (a problem that’s at least related to the products the company offers, of course!).
Over the last year, a major shift has begun among all the businesses that jumped on the website bandwagon early. They want new sites that do great things. They want a website that solves a problem. Rather than spending a ton of money on web marketing and pay-per-click for one-time visitors, companies are spending the same or less money on making a useful website that visitors WANT to visit, bookmark, and tell their friends and co-workers about.
If you do happen to approach a web designer to do a web development job, some will tell you that they aren’t able to do it while others will subcontract the work. Still others will use commercial or open source software to provide you basic functionality such as accepting online payment or a shopping cart. Third party packages are not always bad, but you will be limited by how flexible the software is – you won’t be able to request many custom modifications.
When planning your website, think about what you want that site to do. Check out the websites that rank highly on the search engines in your industry. These are the sites that have already switched to websites that provide real value and do useful things for their potential customers. To compete now and in the future, you’ll probably need a site that does the same. If you plan to provide that value purely through static content on a nice looking website, a web designer may be for you. But if you want to make a site that gets people noticing and talking about your website (and consequently your company and products), then I invite you to consider finding a professional web developer to make your vision a reality.
Bitwise Logic is a professional web developer that excels at helping companies to create great tools and custom web applications that create buzz in their industry. For a free no-obligation quote or consultation about how you can increase website traffic, contact us