What to Consider When Building a New Website
Managing a website can be overwhelming. Do you attempt the project solo? Who designs the assets? How many pages do you really need?
Websites can be as simple or as vast as a business needs. But one thing is always certain: the design and development of a site should always walk hand in hand.
On this episode of the Marketing Roundtable, we bring you just that.
Fellow co-host and designer, Tatiana Knies-Smith, joins web developer, Andrew Okupinski, in the hot seat to discuss all things web development.
Tatiana pursued fine art at Temple University’s Tyler School of Art but always knew she wanted to lean into marketing. She applied to BrainDo right after graduation, and the rest is history! Tatiana’s been here ever since, using her background in art to create beautiful digital products.
When a teacher discovered that Andy knew HTML in the 90s, he was recruited to build his high school’s new website. Andy always knew he wanted to create webpages, but options were limited and still evolving. Luckily, Flash and JavaScript were beginning to be taught in higher education settings, and he was able to launch himself into a career in web development.
Tatiana and Andy are excellent examples of two marketing disciplines that come together to refine a singular product. But if you don’t have a designer or web developer at the ready, where do you begin?
Short answer: Yes! From Etsy shops to Squarespace templates, starting your own site has never been easier.
“There are lots of options out there.” Tatiana explains. “You can scale it to what works for you, what you need to do, and ultimately, what your goals are.”
Andy agrees and backs up Tatiana’s point by asking the listener to really consider their own skill set when approaching a site build.
“If you’re more willing and have more expectations, WordPress is a really easy method for putting content on the web.” Andy shares that “WordPress is better in almost every situation … if you’re willing to learn.”
Time, customization, and support are essential factors to consider as well. Luckily, we spent a pretty big chunk of time discussing the options!
There are countless pros and cons to the do-it-yourself and freelancer routes. Experimenting with code on your own can be a great learning experience… or it can break your site. You’re also responsible for ensuring all colors, fonts, and other design elements stay on brand.
Freelancers can deliver super customized products, but their availability is also subject to change. If your designer is available but the developer isn’t, you either need to (a) do without, (b) wait, or (c) go through the process of hiring someone new again.
Working with an agency represents a more significant investment, but you also gain a robust support system. Agencies like ours (Hi!) can offer a multi-disciplined approach, from copywriting to tactical SEO. And it’s easier to troubleshoot issues when a team is used to working together regularly, as the two touched on:
“I feel like there’s a story from when someone’s website crashed, and everyone hauled a** to get it together,” offered Tatiana. “Do you remember that?”
“It happens a lot. More than you would expect.” Andy confirmed. “It’s all hands on deck, and usually it’s fixed really quickly.”
Truthfully, there’s no right or wrong answer when it comes to building a website. Just make sure that design and development are always on the same page!
There’s still so much more covered in this episode. Hear dual developer and design perspectives on ADA compliance, A/B testing, and… ChatGPT writing code?!
Watch the full episode now on YouTube, or listen on any major podcast platform. You can get started now below, and we’ll see you next time at the Roundtable.
Interested in a custom-built website of your own? Wondering how our team of digital marketing experts can help elevate your strategies? Reach out to our team today!