When you start interviewing creative teams to design a new website for your small business, you’ll undoubtedly run across the terms “web design” and “web development.” This sometimes causes entrepreneurs and executives a bit of confusion. Is there a difference between the two? And if so, does it matter to someone who just wants a good website that will help their business grow?
The short answer is that web design and web development are slightly different, but you’ll often hear the terms used interchangeably. Beyond that, here are a few more detailed answers that might help…
What is Web Design?
Generally speaking, web design refers to the artistic and visual aspects of building a website. So, when a designer sits down to put together layouts, range fonts, place pictures on your pages, and so on, that’s all web design.
This is the part of the process that business people tend to be most familiar with, and it’s a relatively common skill. In other words, almost any graphic designer, digital agency, or even freelance professional is going to have some kind of web design background.
However, modern websites aren’t just visual. Most have integrated tools and apps that help them to be more useful to customers and the companies they serve. That’s where the more technical skill of web development comes into play.
What is Web Development?
Web development has to do with back end programming. It’s all about taking tools, apps, and software and making them work. For example, many e-commerce solutions fall firmly into the realm of web development, as do online databases, automated formulas, and other advanced features.
As a rule of thumb, the more complex a website is, the more important web development becomes. Development also matters when there is a need for page and performance testing, cybersecurity, and other tasks like mobile support. In essence, anything that involves website functions rather than visuals could be considered the job of the development team.
What’s Important About Web Design and Development?
In a lot of cases, the difference between web design and development just comes down to semantics. Most firms you work with can handle the basics of either, provided that your website isn’t overly complex. Still, it’s worth asking questions about, particularly since some web designers will outsource developmental tasks or leave them unfinished.
Ultimately, you want to work with a web design team who understands what you’re trying to accomplish in your business and can deploy all the tools necessary to get the job done in a cost-effective way. Or, to put things more simply, you need to make sure that any vendor you hire can handle the kind of web development tasks your new site calls for.
Get Expert-Level Web Design, Development, and Marketing Services
No matter how simple or complex your next website might be, it’s important that you have a strategy for using the finished product to attract customers and make a strong marketing effort. That’s where experts like the team at Biondo Creative in Philadelphia come in. Call us today so we can walk you through the process of turning your ideas into a fully functional lead generation plan.