Web design versus web marketing.  Aren't these things the same?       By John Bolduan RealWebMarketing.com

I had a conversation with a guy I used to know and we got talking about what each other was doing these days. I told him my main business and also about some web marketing that I've been doing for the last ten years. One of his statements was, "So you do web design then?". I didn't correct him and nodded that yes, I was doing some web design. The reason I didn't correct him is that it can be hard to explain that I didn't do web design as much as I do web marketing. But the perception he has is the same as many people do. They see web design as something that encompasses web marketing. Nothing could be further from the truth. These are really two different disciplines within website development, although some people are able to do both at the same time.

Web design has become a very simple process but you should be aware that just because someone designs a website for you, it doesn't mean that it's going to end up highly ranked in the search engines. In fact, you can find website templates online that look great and all you have to do is basically add content. I'm not talking about automated ones from an ISP, but the type you can download for a small fee, usually under $50. They're customizable and look better than what most web designers can put together from scratch. That's what I mean by web design, the actual layout of the website and it's functionality. It may or may not get listed well in search engine rankings because that all depends if that webmaster has experience in web marketing. Many times this is not the case and you should contact a reputable web marketer who can help shape where it's going after the web design is done. The optimal situation is that you get this going before you dive into web design, but there is always room for change even on an existing site.

Web marketing is that deeper side of the website. It's the place where you make the website attractive for visitors and optimized so that people can find you online. It contains all the aspects of salesmanship, information and targeted solutions that will make people come back again and again. Without this way of looking at your website, you will have a good looking site but fewer visitors, less activity and less sales. It is more than just putting a site up and waiting for visitors, it's a plan to draw the right people who might want your product or services. 

When looking for a new web design or starting a new website, take a look at your web marketing strategy first, then how the site will be built. The design might be primitive but could still do well if the web marketing makes sense to visitors. If you're starting a redesign of a site, be sure that you check out your current listings in the search engines first. If you don't, you will very possibly lose your ranking if the new site doesn't have some of the aspects of the old site that works. I'm talking about copywriting, tags and other items on the page that helped it become high ranking along with the specific page itself. 

Good web marketing goes beyond web design and making sure you have a plan in place is very important. It will not only bring in more customers, but will actually save you money by not chasing every quickie scheme to get you higher website rankings. These two different aspects of developing your website should go together, but many times do not. Make sure you get a good web marketer who knows how to create more online sales activity, not just a good website design. And more sales is what you really want, isn't it?