This is such a good question and one that I took for granted in many ways, since I’ve seen how all these skills and roles overlap and connect within many client projects.

My first recommendation is that instead of thinking of them as people, think about them as unique skill sets. So you might have someone who is a Web Developer/Web Designer hybrid. Or a Web Developer who also has SEO skills.

There can definitely be cross over between each of these roles.

Also, you might have someone who is a super technical Web Developer, but they aren’t thinking about the overall strategy of how those changes on their website is going to help them reach their business goals strategic. Whoever you hire, make sure you are clear on the role they play in terms of them understanding your business and how you make money. 

If you have a specific technical job that you need, of course you can hire someone to just do that. Having a strategic mind on your team, can ensure you are focusing on the right things at the right time and in the right order.

Listen to this episode 145 here:

Here is a break down of what each of these roles does and what you should look for when hiring someone:

Web Developer

What skills does a Web Developer have?

• Create/read/change web based coding languages like HTML, CSS, and Javascript.

• Understand the structure of a website on WordPress, where files are uploaded, etc.

• Understand how domains, hosting services, and databases work

What can a Web Developer do?

• Build a website from scratch or change an existing site.

• Maintain the site security of your website, making sure all code is updated and hackers can’t get in (especially when it comes to WordPress).

• Migrate a site from one platform to another.

• Fix errors on your site around plugins, images, or other bigger structural problems (like redirects and 404 errors).

Web Designer

What skills does a Web Designer have?

• Understand colour theory, font theory, and foundational design principles.

• Understand UX (User Experience Design)) and UI (User Interface Design) for a website and mobile version.

• Use programs like Photoshop, Illustrator, and Canva to create graphics.

• Some Web Designers also have branding skills to pick the specific colours, images, textures that represent your brand.

What can a Web Designer do?

• Design/create/edit images and graphics on your site.

• Design an overall website wireframe, making sure all pages are correctly designed and look cohesive.

• Make sure your site is designed to convert visitors to leads and then to clients.

• Choose the right colours and fonts for your unique brands.

SEO (or Search Engine Optimization Expert)

What skills does a SEO expert?

• Use Google Analytics, Search Console and other data and search tools.

• Read data and get information from the data

• Create/read/change web based coding languages like HTML, CSS, and Javascript

• Understand UX (User Experience Design)) and UI (User Interface Design) for a website and mobile version.

What can a SEO expert do?

• Be able to research keywords and understand the appropriate keywords based on the traffic going to a site.

• Fix technical problems on a site, like broken links and improve site speed.

• Improve how a site is converting it’s visitors to sales.

• Generate quality backlinks to a site through guest posting and media features.

Of course, there are hybrids and different roles have different specialities. For example, you might have an SEO who specialized in backlinking, a Web Developer who has copywriting skills or Web Designers who dabbles in some code now and again.

Here are some Web Developer and Web Designers I’ve worked with and who I recommend:

• Sky Stover Web Design– Sky has a flexible monthly plan for entrepreneurs who are looking for month by month website support.

• Strong Roots Web Design : Sarah Gershone – Sarah is passionate about creating great web experience for therapist online and she understand the strategy portion that I mentioned in this blog post.

• Italicized Creative – WordPress Websites : Allyssa is my go to WP developer. She knows her stuff and is super fast to respond.

• Alexander Design Co. : Ecommerce Websites – I’ve known Erin Alexander for a couple months and I’ve already consulted her for some of my ecommerce clients! If you are a products business, I recommend working with someone who specialized in ecommerce sites.

• Empathy Sites – Websites for Therapists – Kat Love is my go-to person when it comes to creating websites for therapists. She also has Empathy Copy which is cool.

Let’s run through some different scenarios and who you’d hire in each case:

• I don’t have a website and I want to have one: Web Developer/Web Designer

• I want to redesign my website: Web Developer/Web Designer/SEO

• I want to integrate a blog into my website: SEO/Web Developer/Web Designer

• I’m want to intentionally work on my traffic attraction and make sure my website is serving my business : SEO

• I’m migrating to a new website platform: Web Developer/Web Designer/SEO

• I want to build new content for my site that attract my ideal client: SEO/Web Developer 

Other episode to complement this one:

• What is Technical SEO  / ep 137

• Types of SEO services / ep 141

• SEO for new sites (1 -3 years old) / ep 130

• SEO for old sites (3 – 5 years old) / ep 131

What is the next thing you’d like to invest when it comes to your website? Let me know in the comments below.