Many people seem confused about the differences between a web designer, a webmaster, and a web marketer. So, to help out, I thought I'd go over the basic duties of each function and try to clear up the confusion Web Designer:
A web designer (also called a web developer) is responsible for the programming and technical implementation of a website. Although they are usually computer science oriented rather than marketing oriented, they do participate in page layout and the look and feel of the website.
The most important part of a web designer's job is to launch a functional and properly architectured website. This would include the following:
**All the links work
**Content that was given to them can be viewed
**All forms, email, and shopping carts functions work.
**The look and feel of the site is how you specified (graphics, colors, etc.)
**All other technical tools are functioning
Web designers are often asked to maintain a site, making updates and such, and honestly, I don't know too many that prefer to do that. Some do it, but they don't usually like it, so you may find that a web designer may not be as responsive as someone more appropriate to the maintenance tasks. It's just not challenging or as satisfying as creating a great website out of cyber-nothingness. I'd look instead to a web master for maintenance services.
Web Master:
A web master (or mistress) is responsible for the ongoing maintenance and upkeep of a website. So what do they do?
**They often work closely with the designer to set up the website from the start to be easy to maintain.
**They will coordinate the creation of new pages as your website grows.
**They will track your website's traffic and conversion statistics.
**They update your contact info and content as needed
**They maintain the functional parts of your site, such as links.
**They often act as a liason between you and the developer.
**They occasionally do some web marketing/search optimizing
Web masters can be web designers also and that's great in one way and not so great in another.
It's great that you can communicate to one person and know that there will be no degradation of the meaning, like that silly "telephone" game you played as a kid.
It's not so great when the size of the job ends up overwhelming one person. Also, creative and technical thinking are two different mindsets and very few people are really excellent at both. Just shop wisely and ask questions. Establish up front what the expectations for service are and you will be fine.
Web Marketer:
A web marketer helps you promote your website. So what do they do?
**They are responsible to search engine optimize your website
**They develop content
**They create advertising campaigns to drive traffic to your website
**They work with your web developer and web master to satisfy you and your financial targets.
**They recommend design modifications that will help convert your visitors to more sales
Most web marketers aren't that good at designing and implementing websites like a developer. Also, they don't usually maintain sites. Their primary focus is to make you more money. But they do have the obligation to work closely with your team and help make your vision a reality.
The ideal situation is for you to incorporate great design, ease of maintenance, and good marketing/search engine principles into your website from the beginning.
It's never too soon to incorporate all of these professionals into the mix. My main advice is to ask questions and if you don't like them, don't use them. Credentials don't mean squat if your personalities don't mix well.
When in doubt, check it out. If it doesn't work out, you can find someone else. It should be all about you, not about them. If they don't know that, move on. You can get what you need without sacrificing your preferences.
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Contributor's Note
These tips are designed to help the Internet newbie. I hope you enjoy them!
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