The internet has been taking giant leaps over the past few years but has your business progressed with it?
It's vital to have a business website now more than ever just so that you're able to hold up against other aggressive competitors which have already realized the huge potential the internet holds.

Web Page Design – What is it really?

A true web designer generally has the knowledge of the following types of individuals discussed below but it is important to understand that there is a huge difference between a web developer and a graphics designer.

A web developer is an individual that is proficient in coding and assembling (or developing) the back-end code of a program or web page – designing websites would not be possible without such a person as it is no easy task and takes extensive learning. This individual might have a limited graphic design background.

A graphics designer on the other hand may be seen as the artist of the project and has the important job of designing the visual asthetics of a website. Their core competency revolves around graphics design and presentation - they should also be able to design logos, poster, flyers, business cards and other visual materials. Graphic designers that offer website design services would generally outsource such work to a rounded design company since they're not completely proficient in coding and aren't complete web designers.

Web development would be the process of utilizing both of the above individuals as well as possibly a marketer in designing websites fully capable of representing a business online. Web designers are usually individuals that have the knowledge of a web developer, graphics designer and marketer – they should be capable of implementing the entire site design process.

Unfortunately, there aren't many great web designers out there and those that claim to be, generally only know the basics and use software to make web pages – yes, they may be able to make amateur sites but they lack the knowlege to fix key issues or customize a website further by adding extra functionality. The above underlined terms generally refer to the same thing (individuals offering web services) and can be confused but one should know a 'developer' in gereral knows different coding languages and how to make software, games, etc. while a graphics designer does visual designs instead of code.

A site with only text and no graphics would not be able to draw a potential client's attention. A web page designed with only graphics and no back-end web developer would not work properly and is prone to errors (coding standards are now a requirement by search engines like Google for websites to rank higher and be placed on the first few pages of search results).

Thus, using a proper web designer would ensure the development project is done right the first time while making and saving you money in the long run since you don't keep paying for something that was done wrong initially!

Is It Vital To Have A Website Designed For My South African Business?

Lets elaborate on how clients, who've never heard of your business before, evaluate your business. The answer is not a simple yes or no response even though other developers may make you think otherwise.

In all honesty, if you're a very small business owner and your business caters to a limited number of customers in the low level income group, then having a business web presence may not be worth your investment (an example would be a sweet and snacks retailer catering to local customers).

However, if your business is growing and you have clients across many income levels then getting an online presence is vital. Designing a business website will be your professional online storefront showcasing your expertise and services while educating users on how you excell in what you do!

By not having a professional website, what you're doing is turning away online clients to competitors – and getting a professional website doesn't mean using the cheapest web designer that you can find. There is design software out there and some designers will use it but a true artist needs to know how to sort out problems when things go wrong and not give you a half-finished site that stops working. You'll end up paying more to fix all your problems! So get a website but make sure it's done properly the first time.