Meet Bob and Zakes, two lifelong friends from the Western Cape who recently started producing small-batch Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
It began with a few trees on Bob’s family farm, but after friends and local chefs couldn’t stop raving about the flavour, they realised they had something special.
Zakes, always one to spot an opportunity, noticed a growing demand for locally made, premium olive oil. The market had room for a fresh, proudly South African brand with a strong story. That’s when they decided to go all in and sell directly to customers online.
They knew they needed a website, not just a pretty one, but a website that could help them sell, scale and grow their brand. But as they started researching what it would take, a new question emerged.
“Wait, what’s the difference between web design and web development?”
This is their story, and how understanding that difference helped them make better decisions, plan their budget and avoid the biggest mistake most small business owners make when building an eCommerce site.
Let’s get into it.
The moment they realised a website would play a crucial role
After a long day bottling their latest batch, Bob and Zakes sat on the stoep with a notebook, a few glasses of wine and big ideas.
“We’ve got the product,” said Zakes. “But if we want to get into people’s kitchens, we need a proper online presence.”
Bob agreed. A website could be their shopfront, their brand ambassador, their sales rep all rolled into one. But not just any website. It had to do things. Accept orders. Handle payments. Track deliveries. Even calculate shipping costs based on location.
They started listing features:
- A shopping cart that works smoothly
- Secure payment gateways
- Delivery options with location-based pricing
- Order tracking for customers
- A blog to share recipes and olive oil tips
- An About page to tell their story
It quickly became clear that this wasn’t just about slapping a logo on a template. They needed something tailored. Something built with their business goals in mind.
Budget talk: The sticker shock of “proper” development
Zakes had a rough idea of how websites worked. Enough to know they weren’t cheap if you wanted them done properly.
“Let’s say we budget around R80 000,” he said, scribbling the figure in the margin.
Bob raised an eyebrow. “Eighty grand? I’ve seen some guys online offering eCommerce websites for R5 000 to R30 000. Where are you getting 80K from?”
That’s when Zakes explained what most people don’t realise, the difference between web design and web development.
Web Design vs Web Development: What’s the Difference?
The terms often get thrown around like they mean the same thing, but they don’t. Understanding the difference could save you time, money and stress when building your business website.
Web design is about how your site looks and feels
Web designers focus on the front-end, the part of the website users interact with. This includes:
- Layout and structure
- Colour schemes and fonts
- Images, icons and visual style
- User experience (UX) and how people navigate your site
Designers can customise themes or templates to match your brand.
If you’ve ever bought a pre-built theme and replaced the images and text, that’s design work. It’s valuable, but it’s only half the story.
Web development is about how your site works
Web developers handle the back-end, the functional logic that brings your site to life. This includes:
- Creating custom features like shipping calculators or variable pricing
- Integrating APIs for delivery or payment systems
- Making the website talk to databases and process orders securely
- Ensuring everything works smoothly across different devices and browsers
If your website needs to do more than just display information, you’re in web development territory. And that takes specialised skills, more time and usually a bigger budget.
Why Bob and Zakes couldn’t settle for a template-based ecommerce website
Those R5 000 to R30 000 website packages Bob saw? Most of them were template-based. Perfect for businesses that need a simple online presence. But for Bob and Zakes, who needed custom shipping logic, order tracking and location-based pricing, a basic template wasn’t going to cut it.
“We need a site built around how we actually operate,” said Zakes. “Not one where we force our business into someone else’s system.”
They were right. When your website is a key part of your product delivery and customer experience, cutting corners can cost more in the long run.
If you’re in a similar position, read this next: Don’t hire a designer for your small business website until you read this
What small business owners can learn from Bob and Zakes
If you’re a small business owner planning a new website, take a moment to ask yourself:
- Do I just need an online brochure, or does my site need to handle complex tasks?
- Can a template meet my business needs, or will I need something custom-built?
- Do I have a clear list of features my website needs to include?
- What happens if I outgrow a basic design in a few months?
Knowing the difference between web design vs web development, you’ll be in a better position to:
- Plan your budget more accurately
- Avoid overspending on features you don’t need
- Communicate clearly with designers and developers
- Choose the right partner for the job
Need help choosing the right team? Here’s a guide to web design companies in Johannesburg for small businesses
Where Bob and Zakes are now: Laying the foundation for growth
Armed with a clear understanding of what their website needs to do, Bob and Zakes are now speaking to a few local developers. They’ve shared their wishlist of features, discussed their goals and even created a rough sitemap based on how they expect people to shop on their site.
They’re not rushing. They want it done right the first time. Scalable, secure and aligned with their brand. And because they know what to expect in terms of cost, they’re having more productive conversations with potential partners.
For now, they’re still selling through local markets and word of mouth. But when their website goes live, it won’t just be a pretty page with a logo. It will be a business tool. A system that works.
Key Takeaways: Web Design vs Web Development in Plain English
- Web design focuses on how your website looks and how people use it
- Web development is what makes your website function behind the scenes
- Template-based sites are great for simple needs, but custom development is better for complex features
- Knowing the difference helps you budget wisely and build a website that actually supports your business
Thinking about a website for your business?
Before you hire a designer or sign up for a website package, take time to think like Bob and Zakes. What should your website actually do for your business?
If you need help turning your idea into a clear plan or figuring out whether you need a designer, a developer or both we’re here to guide you.
Schedule a Discovery Call and let’s build something that works.