> answers/ownership
Do I need a web developer, a web designer, or an agency?
UPDATED OCTOBER 30, 2026
A web designer decides how the site looks and reads; a web developer builds it so it works, loads fast and can be found; an agency employs both and adds account management on top. For a small-business website you need both skills in one place, and you do not need the overhead. A small studio that designs and builds at a fixed price gives you the designer and the developer, and you talk to the people doing the work.
What each one does
- Designer: layout, type, colour, imagery, the feel. Often no code.
- Developer: code, speed, structure, integrations, search readiness. Often no eye for design.
- Agency: both, plus project managers, plus a margin for all of it.
- Studio: both, without the layers.
When you do not need any of them
If the site is a placeholder, nobody will search for you, and you are comfortable in a site builder, build it yourself. The moment the site is how customers choose you, the words and the structure are the product, and that is a professional's job.
> faq
Related questions
- Can one person be both designer and developer?
- Yes, and for small sites it is often the best outcome, because there is no hand-off where the design intent gets lost in the build.
> open_channel.exe
Tell us what you need. Any budget.
Say what you have in mind and what you can spend. You get back what we would build for it, how long it takes and a fixed price, usually within one business day.
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