Just like any profession, web professionals can shape their work around what excites them most. But when it comes to building a website, there are a few must-have roles that every team needs to cover. In this post, we’ll break down the key players you’ll need to bring your website to life and what to expect from each one.
Graphic Designer
Graphic designers are the rockstars at bringing your brand to life. With colors, fonts, and imagery as their tools, they strategically craft designs that build trust, showcase your brand's personality, and create practical designs that just make sense. Whether it's a logo, tradeshow booth, or social media template, their expertise is sure to give your business a boost. Graphic designers often develop expertise in specific niches, and in the website world, they'll shape visual identities into cohesive, impactful designs that make your site stand out.
Not ready for a dedicated graphic designer yet? No problem. Consider hiring one to create a customized brand guide. This essential document outlines rules for consistently representing your brand across platforms, giving you a cohesive, polished visual identity that’s ready to grow with your business.
Website Designer
For people to have a good experience on your site, it needs to be easy for them to find what they need. This is where website designers step in. They create a natural flow, crafting layouts, navigation, and interactive elements that guide visitors effortlessly.
They even anticipate what different users are looking for when they land on your site. This is a quick check that you can even do on your own to see how your site is doing: pretend to be a user with one specific goal in mind, and then go onto your website and see how easy it is to complete that goal. How long did it take to accomplish the task? How many clicks did you have to make along the way? A common practice for a website designer when finalizing a design is to do this several times, practicing with several different goals in mind (think: booking a session, shopping for different types of products, submitting an inquiry). The most well-designed sites make it a breeze to accomplish a variety of tasks.
It's very common for website designers to have developed adjacent skills. Depending on their skillset and the platform you're set up on, can even help you launch a website from start to finish! Some will co-specialize with graphic design. Think of them as part artist, part strategist, blending creativity, technical knowledge, and intuition to turn your website into a powerful tool for your business.
Website Developer & Software Engineer
So far we've discussed essentially the design aspect of a marketing team: establishing the what, where, and how of your brand and website. In order to turn these plans into a functional and beautiful website, we need website developers and software engineers. They write the code that brings these plans to life: tackling everything from building custom features, integrating complex apps and tools, and making sure your site loading time is snappy. As well, their advice is essential: they will tell you what customizations are worth the work, and provide alternatives when its not.
With expertise in advanced functions like databases, APIs, or even AI tools, setting up a tricky e-commerce setup or complex custom feature is well within capabilities. The right developer’s skill set is will take your website from standard to standout.
As well, they can also help you scale! If you need to adapt your system to serve 10 to 1000 to 100,000 people, the right developer will ensure deliverability and flow. Rely on them to break down the problem and thoroughly account for all the use-cases, so none of your customers get lost in the process. Just as with graphic designers and web designers, they often have a complimentary skill, allowing them to design websites and plan a logical user flow.
Not every website needs a full-time developer, though. If you’re just starting out, you might bring in a developer for specific tasks—like adding custom integrations or troubleshooting tricky bugs. When your site’s needs outgrow the basics, their technical know-how becomes invaluable.
SEO Manager
Amazing! By this point, you now have a functional site. Now, how do we make sure people discover it? A Search Engine Optimization manager is going to make sure your site gets found by the right people.
They will provide direction on where you need more content, and have ideas for what that content should be about. Their specialty is getting more organic (unpaid) visitors.
Again, depending on the scale of your business, you might not need a dedicated SEO manager, but could still really benefit from their insight. Reach out to one for a checklist of things to do before you launch a new page, blog article, or even upload an image. They can give you a list of keywords to use throughout your site to ensure that people can find you when they search. The right help will set you up with a solid foundation for basic optimization. As your business grows, work with your SEO manager to continue refine your strategy, keep up with algorithm changes, and stay ahead of the competition.
Ads/PPC Manager
Ads/PPC managers are your go-to experts for getting instant eyes on your brand. While SEO builds organic traffic over time, these pros are all about pay-to-play strategies that deliver quick, measurable results. They develop, implement and track your digital ad spend. They'll use social media platforms, like Meta's Facebook and Instagram, Google Ads, Youtube, and more, all while carefully managing data. Their skillset allows them to fine-tune marketing campaigns for maximum ROI. If you want to capture people and are willing to pay for each person on your site — they’re who you’re looking for!
These people often will also do SEO. When they do both together, they’re called SEM Managers (search engine marketers).
Copywriter & Editor
We've now built a functional site and directed people to land here! But what are we going to say to them?
Copywriters jump in to save the day! They are the storytellers of your brand. They will populate your site with engaging, persuasive, and on-brand content. Their goal is to communicate your message clearly while inspiring your audience to take action—whether that's making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or booking a consultation. Great copywriting will also subtly influence how users perceive your brand, building trust and connection with just the right words. You'll find their work in blog posts, general website content, and even social media.
My favorite people are copy writers. They are gold! Trust me, you don’t want me writing your sales pitch, I thrive best in my emphasis with web development.
The role of copywriter often goes hand-in-hand with editor: ensuring the copy is polished, error-free, and aligned with your brand voice. They refine grammar, spelling, and punctuation, and they check for clarity, consistency, and flow.
With their expertise to rely on, copywriters and editors will ensure the copy is optimized for its purpose, whether that's improving readability for web audiences or aligning with SEO strategies. If hiring a dedicated copywriter doesn't meet your current business needs, much like before with graphic designers, you can hire one to create a guide, giving you a tailored strategy for you to DIY expressing your brand across any channel.
Social Media Manager
Social Media Managers live and breathe social media. Instagram, TikTok, anything new — they can tell you what trends are happening, the right audio to use, and how you can participate, etc. They understand trends, algorithms, and audiences. They will track performance metrics and provide valuable insight on their data. With this combination of skills, social media managers are well-equipped to develop and implement strategy just for your business.
The role is much more involved than just posting content: the effective application of a strategy will foster community, amplify your brand's personality, and turn casual followers into dedicated fans. Whether it’s launching a viral campaign or responding to feedback, they’re there to make sure your brand shines in the digital spotlight. Sometimes, they are even the social media "face" of your company, as in the woman or man who’s face is the brand.
Conclusion
Every role on a marketing team provides essential contributions to create a cohesive, impactful online presence and a thriving business. From crafting stunning visuals and flawless functionality to driving traffic and engaging users, these roles combine to build websites that don’t just exist but thrive.
When it comes to building and managing your website, the size of your team isn’t what determines your success—it’s the strategy, effort, and creativity that go into it. While having dedicated specialists for every role can be a great asset and help to streamline processes and deliverables, it’s far from a requirement. Many businesses start with just one or two people wearing multiple hats, and end up with powerful results. Leveraging tools and resources can supplement gaps in staffing. In any case, whether you have a full team or a lean operation, focusing on collaboration and intentional decision-making will help you create an impactful online presence for your brand.