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Web designers vs Web Developers

You may have heard the terms 'web designer' and 'web developer' and wondered what the difference is, if there's a difference at all. Web design and web development are two different disciplines: A web designer will typically deal with the 'front end', which includes the visual aspect of a website, the HTML and the user experience, or UX.

The web developer will be responsible for the 'back-end' which means they will write server-side scripts that result in any functionality the wbsite might have. There is overlap though, and often a designer will be capable of developing and the developer will be happy designing.

Why should my business have a presence on the world wide web?

In the UK, around 87% of adults are frequent users of the web, which includes over 99% of young adults from the ages of 16 to 24, who, as time progresses, will eventually replace the older generations who are traditionally more reluctant to get online.

The ease-of-use, accessibility, cost, flexibility and versatility of the web has resulted in the web being the first port of call for people considering any number of recreational and admin activities such as online banking, entertainment, shopping, socialising, dating and gaming.

It's this exposure that the web is able to afford your business that is so valuable. You simply won't get the opportunity for your business to be put in front of such a wide audience irrepsective of their geographical location, all of whom are potential customers. Additionally, should you prefer not to make your message that far-reaching, you can restrict the promotion of your website (via the use of tailored keywords and online marketing tools) to just potential customers in your area. The nature of search engines, and their ranking criteria ensures that when a customer arrives at your site, they have a fair idea of what you're all about and what they're going to get when they arrive. It's your job to ensure they're wowed when they arrive!

With the increasing popularity of mobile devices, what are responsive websites and how is web design affected?

Two out of every three minutes spent online in the UK are users browsing on either a smartphone or a tablet. 13% of adults in the UK browse the internet exclusively using their smartphone, 2% more than browse exclusively on their desktop computer.

In the last two years tablet internet use grew by almost a third, and in the same two year period smartphone use grew by 78%, while desktop internet use has decreased.

The way people use smartphones to access the internet has revolutionized the way websites are built. Long gone are the days that companies were happy to have customers browse their full, desktop version of their site on their smartphone, causing users to zoom in and out of areas of the page that interested them, struggling to click on the tiny text links to navigate. If you're building a website for the modern internet user, the likelihood is that if they don't view your site exclusively on their mobile device, they'll at least check you out via their iPhone or Android phone before sitting down later at their computer to have a more in-depth look.

This is why most clients want a 'mobile-first' approach to their website, whereby you ensure that everything looks and behaves beautifully on a mobile device before considering a desktop version, and if something has to compromise, it certainly won't be the mobile site.

A 'responsive' website is one that adapts to the device it's being viewed on, whether that is a desktop computer, a mobile phone or a tablet. The content is then displayed in a way that is optimized for said device, improving user experience.

How long might my web design project take and when will you be able to fit it in?

Just like estimating the cost of a website it's almost impossible to give an idea of how long a website might take to design and build without more specific infomration about what the web design project might entail. Once we've had an initial chat, we can give you a rough guide as to how long it might take, and then once you've given us a brief we can give you an idea of exactly how long it will take and when we can accommodate the request. We prode ourselves on being able to meet any (reasonable) deadline, and we can generally accommodate most jobs within two week period once the scope of work has been agreed - obviously the signoff date will vary on the complexity of the project.

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