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Visual Appeal or Performance: Which Matters More for Your Website?

If you had to choose, which would win your preference—a website that dazzles visually or one that performs impeccably, drawing in visitors and supporting your business goals? Ideally, of course, you want both: a site that’s as functional as it is beautiful, designed to captivate users while delivering results. The truth is, a powerful website requires both visual appeal and technical depth, and that’s often where the difference in cost arises between professional agencies and other service providers.

Why Good Looks Alone Aren’t Enough

Think of your website as an iceberg: the visible design is just the tip. Beneath that, a host of unseen yet crucial structures are responsible for its performance, discoverability, and user experience. Without these, even the most stunning website could go unnoticed—like the Mona Lisa hidden in a basement. This is why professional agencies with dedicated UX, UI, and SEO experts tend to charge more: they don’t just focus on looks; they engineer the whole experience to deliver measurable value.

The Backbone of Visibility: SEO Essentials

Search engine optimisation (SEO) is one of the core factors separating a professional website from a simple online presence. To ensure your website is visible and effective, here are some of the key SEO steps involved in a professional build:

1. On-page SEO: Crafting precise metadata, titles, and descriptions that represent your business and help search engines understand your content.
2. Sitemap Submission: Registering your sitemaps with Google’s search console to guide search engines through your website’s structure.
3. Site Speed Optimisation: Enhancing loading speeds through methods like code minification and image compression, keeping users engaged and supporting higher search rankings.
4. Analytics Implementation: Setting up analytics tools to track performance metrics, user behaviour, and improvement areas over time.
5. URL Redirects: Redirecting traffic from old URLs to new ones, preserving SEO value and ensuring a seamless user experience.

Each of these elements contributes to a website that not only attracts users but also supports ongoing growth. Together, they lay the foundation for a robust SEO strategy, significantly influencing the pricing disparity you’ll see when comparing quotes.

Why Choose an Agency?

At We Do Digital, we balance artistry with precision. With Bianka, our “Design Genius,” and Christo, our “Chief Geek,” collaborating on every project, we ensure that your website doesn’t just look fantastic—it performs at its peak. By blending design excellence with technical strength, we deliver a site that works as hard as it looks.

Ready to discuss how we can create a website that’s both captivating and effective? Reach out; we’d love to help you achieve a powerful online presence that truly stands out.

Written by Christo Brand, Chief Geek at We Do Digital

Catch My Eye – The Power Of Visual Marketing

All advertising is subjective!

Perhaps even more so when it comes to visual advertising. “A picture paints a thousand words”, as the saying goes. Reading takes time and effort – especially for younger generations – visuals have a much quicker impact.

Our brains – young and old – process visual information faster. Our hearts and souls do the same. Images connect to our memories, emotions, and beliefs. Images are also remembered better and leave a longer-lasting impression.

So, what you see has both a faster and a more memorable impact than what you read, which brings me back to subjectivity. When you work with visuals to convey your marketing message, you must consider that your choice will have a much more visceral impact! You have to tread carefully and consider what you are communicating and how you are doing it.

Visual marketing is nothing new! Magazine and newspaper ads, posters, billboards and flyers have been around since the dawn of advertising. TV ads enabled products to communicate the message with moving images and live testimonials. Then came social media marketing. I don’t have to tell you that almost every platform relies on visuals – sometimes hand-in-hand with copy, sometimes solo.

Here’s what you should consider when choosing, filming or photographing visuals for your marketing campaign:

EMOTIONAL APPEAL AND STORYTELLING:

Nothing captures a heart like a story can! (Apologies to ABBA)

With the power of emotional appeal and storytelling, your ad moves from simple visuals to resonating narratives. You want to tap into your audience’s emotions and speak to their hearts – you want to do more than just show them what your product looks like; you want them to imagine how it will make them feel!

When your audience feels something, they’re more likely to remember and respond to your message. Now, you’re not selling; you’re engaging. When people connect with your brand’s story, they are more likely to be brand-loyal and be moved to action!

Advertising campaigns based primarily on emotional content are nearly twice as effective as those focusing only on rational content. 

BRAND CONSISTENCY:

This is all about trust and recognition.

When people feel that they “know” you, they will be loyal to you. Defining who you are through your visuals, aesthetics, and values is important. Social media posts, billboards, digital banners and visual language; consistency across the board is key!

This consistency counts when it comes to colour palette, logo application and typography.

MESSAGE CLARITY:

Keep it clear!

This element aligns with the concept of consistency, reinforcing your brand and its personality. Succinct messaging makes the message more memorable, which is a good thing.

Here’s more good news: Clarity makes advertising more cost-effective! The better you get your message across the first time around, the fewer times you have to repeat it.

Clear visual content is also more persuasive. Infographics, with their clear and engaging visual representation, are used by 41.5% of marketers as their primary platform for media campaigns.

EFFECTIVE USE OF COLOUR:

Let your true colours shine through!

The psychology of colour studies the way colours influence people. Researchers have established that colours can change our mood, affect our behaviour, and create emotions.

Remember the point about subjectivity? Colours don’t mean the same thing for different social and cultural groups. For some people, black is the colour of mourning, while for rock culture, it’s super-cool!

Here’s what to keep in mind:

• Choose colours that resonate with your demographic.
• Make sure the colours align with your brand identity to build recognition and trust.
• Use colours that evoke the emotional response you’re looking for. For example, red = excitement, blue = tranquillity and green = trust, in general.
• Be aware of what certain colours mean to different cultures to avoid misinterpretations and maximise global appeal.

THE BASICS OF GOOD PHOTOGRAPHY:

Composition and Visual Path:

• Composition is how images, text, colours, and other graphical elements are arranged. 
• An effective visual path is the route the viewer’s eyes take as they move across the advertisement to communicate your message. 

Focal Points and Typography:

• This is about placing your product in a “position of power” within your composition.
• This means placing the product and its most important features in a central and memorable space.
• By making your focal point the largest element, you can catch the viewer’s eye first.
• Less can be more. Placing an object alone or in an open space can make it a more effective focal point.
• Make sure you choose typefaces that are easy to read.

VIDEO CONTENT:

I like to move it, move it!

A still image can be very effective, but a moving image is an extremely powerful and memorable tool when it comes to engagement. According to research, 70% of users say they bought a product or service after viewing a video about it on social media – how is that for a conversion rate?

What is important is ensuring that your video content is relevant to your brand, tells your story and speaks the correct language. A random clip simply isn’t going to cut it!

CONCLUSION:

To “catch my eye” in today’s ad-saturated world, you’ve got to stand out and be memorable. It’s important to embrace colour psychology, tell compelling stories, maintain brand consistency, and keep your messages clear. Above all, stay creative and don’t be afraid to push the envelope!

Written by Nana, our WordWhizz.

Digital & Traditional Marketing – Chicken Or Beef

You have a great product.

You offer a service that people need.

Now you need to tell the world…

Next step: Advertising!

This is not news to anyone, but there are two kinds of advertising:

Traditional: TV, Radio and Print

Digital: Website, Internet & Social Media

Not that long ago, digital marketing was pretty limited. A website was about as far as anyone went. And traditional media was more or less the playground of the big businesses with lots of spare cash to spend. As a small or medium business, you were limited to the odd flyer and perhaps a small ad in your local rag.

Again, I’m not telling you anything new.

The growth and availability of digital platforms opened up a whole new world for those with a limited budget! Everyone and anyone with a keyboard or a smart phone could jump right in and do their thing.

Now, here’s the thing:

As social media evolved, things became a lot more sophisticated and definitely more complicated. The clutter can be overwhelming! Especially for prospective clients…

How do you stand out when there is so much going on?

At the same time, traditional media has shown a decline over the last few years. Broadcast and print giants are suffering and viewership has fallen. Yet, there are still a great many people who watch TV, listen to the radio and read magazines and newspapers – even if it happens online.

So, what are we saying?

1. You need to know who you are talking to. Your audience determines what you choose. In general, traditional marketing is still consumed by an older target market. Driving to work means listening to the radio and noticing billboard and street pole advertising. Relaxing at night still involves watching TV. The younger generation have playlists in their cars and tend to use streaming services.
2. You need to know what you want the advertising to achieve. Yes, you want people to know that you exist; that’s a given. But there’s more to it! Instant sales gratification is not that difficult in the short term for a business that is new to the market. Long-term sales goals take longer, and a brand marketing approach is needed to build loyalty.
3. You need to know that you may not have to choose one over the other!

LET’S HAVE A LOOK AT BOTH OPTIONS:

DIGITAL MARKETING:

• Targeting: You can pick your audience and focus on potential online customers without wasting resources.
• Tracking: It’s easy to track your reach and audience involvement. It’s also simple to gather information about the people who interact with your brand or service.
• Reach: You can reach a global audience.
• Flexibility: You can easily amend your copy and artwork – even once the advertising is already up.
• Cost: After initial design and brand identity development, the advertising itself is relatively inexpensive. Effective digital advertising can be a bit more expensive – websites need to managed, photographs taken and updated and copy needs to be well-written, relevant and topical.
• Longevity: It’s easy for your audience to skip between advertisements or ignore them completely. Online ads remain on a timeline for quite a short time.

TRADITIONAL MARKETING:

• Targeting: When you are aiming locally in a city, town or even a suburb, traditional ads can effectively target your audience. Flyers, billboards and radio can be particularly effective.
• Tracking: Tracking is complicated without additional research and very sophisticated technology that still provides questionable results.
• Reach: Your reach is more localised.
• Flexibility: It is difficult, if not impossible, to amend a print or radio ad – not to mention expensive!
• Cost: With design, print and airtime costs, this is a much more expensive option. TV ads are still the realm of big business, and your high-impact billboards cost a fortune to advertise on.
• Longevity: It’s harder to skip or ignore traditional ads. These ads can be a constant and repetitive reminder of your brand and message. 

CHICKEN OR BEEF?

Why not a combination of both? The most effective campaigns are the ones that combine digital and traditional forms of marketing, cherry-picking the pros of each and using those to your benefit.

The important thing to keep in mind is to make sure that your messaging is constant across the board. Your look & feel, colour palette and brand voice must be consistent. Consider your target audience and their habits and preferences – whether they are old or young, digital or analogue!

Written by Nana, our WordWhizz.

You And AI – Intention Matters

Welcome back to our latest release on AI and SEO! For our new readers, please feel free to follow the link below and catch up on what we’ve discussed in the last 2 articles. In our previous article, we discussed the impact that artificial intelligence will have on the role of SEO and how we will need to adjust our sights. The reality is that we’re already seeing AI in work, and it isn’t a bad thing!

You And AI | Significance Of AI-First Search Engines

Today, we’ll be looking at the importance of user intent in AI-driven search engines and what it means for SEO. To understand the thought processes, we’ll look at what user intent is and how search engines interpret it.

What is User Intent?

User intent, often referred to as search intent, is the reason behind a user’s search query. It’s the goal they hope to achieve when they enter a search term into the engine.

Remember when we spoke about searching for a solution to a problem and being provided with products and solutions rather than an answer to the question? One can argue that the true user intention was not adhered to by Google, but then we also need to remember that Google is dependent on ad revenue.

In AI-driven search engines, the ability to correctly interpret and deliver results based on user intent has become increasingly sophisticated. Understanding these intent signals is critical for modern SEO.

How AI-Driven Search Engines Interpret User Intent

Traditional search engines relied heavily on keyword matching, where results were pulled based on how well the search query matched the words found on a page. While effective, this method often ignored the broader context of what the user was actually seeking.

With the growth of AI, particularly machine learning and natural language processing, search engines can now analyse and understand user intent on a deeper level. Google’s introduction of RankBrain and BERT are prime examples of how AI enhances search engine performance. To summarise how these tools are interpreting intent:

• Understanding Context: AI-powered algorithms don’t just match keywords—they analyse the context and relationships between words in a query. For example, a search for “Apple” can refer to the company or the fruit, and AI engines use context clues from the rest of the query to determine the right result.
• Personalisation: AI-driven search engines factor in personalised data like search history, location, and behaviour to better understand the user’s current needs. (To all the conspiracy theorists, you were right – we ARE being tracked!)
• Conversational Search: With AI, search engines have become better at interpreting conversational queries. Users now ask questions in natural language, similar to how they would speak with another person. AI understands this language and responds with relevant results, considering the underlying intent, not just the literal words.

Adjusting Your Strategy

Let’s pretend that we’re setting up a campaign for a company selling laptops. Their 3 main brands are Dell, Lenovo and HP. They offer AMD and Intel processors but AMD is only available in the Dell model. How would we set up their SEO campaign in order to ensure we get relevant clicks?

Assume we’re looking at the search term “Best laptops for students.” The chances are they are in the researching phase of making a purchase decision. If you’ve decided that you want to optimise for that specific search term, you should consider having that information available on your website. This can be done through a blog article, for example. If we’re not casting our nets that wide, a search term such as “AMD Dell laptops” might be a better term to optimise for.

Conclusion

By focusing on what we want the consumer’s intent to be, we can test and experiment with keywords that isolate consumers with that intent. As AI continues to grow, search engines are becoming far more adept at interpreting user intent, forcing a shift in SEO strategies. Optimising for user intent – rather than just keywords – is the new standard.

By focusing on intent, you can ensure your content remains relevant, ranks well, and ultimately meets the needs of today’s AI-powered search engines and their users.

Written by Christo Brand – Chief Geek at We Do Digital

Should Your Brand Be On TikTok?

TikTok is for Millennials and GenZ, right?

TikTok is for silly dance videos, right?

TikTok isn’t for serious businesses, right?

Maybe not…

TikTok is the fastest-growing social media platform, third only after Facebook and Instagram in size.

TikTok has over a billion active monthly users and they seem to spend money on the app.

Makes you think twice, doesn’t it?

I looked at the brands and small businesses on TikTok and how they are using it to try to figure it out so you don’t have to.

The app’s popularity shows no signs of shrinking – quite the opposite! Many small and medium-sized businesses have seen a positive return on investment using it. It seems to be growing into a very powerful business tool, provided you use it correctly!

Ask yourself the following questions:

Is my brand “fun”?

If your brand has elements of humour, joy or a tongue-in-cheek personality, it could work very well on TikTok.

Is my brand educational or informative?

If you already use tutorials, webinars, podcasts, or YouTube videos as part of your marketing strategy, TikTok videos aren’t that much of a stretch.

Is my brand involved in e-commerce?

If you are selling online, you already know that social media advertising works. TikTok affects so many buying decisions, that there’s even a hashtag for it: #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt

Is my brand attractive to a younger audience or do I want it to be?

Advertising on TikTok is a good idea if your brand has a young target audience or you want to grow brand awareness among younger people.

Yes, most TikTok users are younger, but its popularity is also growing among older users.

Does my product look good on camera?

If a picture paints a thousand words, how much is a video worth? If what you do or sell has visual appeal, it is probably a great fit for TikTok.

Hold on! You don’t have to have answered “yes” to all of the above. One or more is good enough.

The next thing to consider is the “HOW?”

Unfortunately, you can’t just fiddle around a bit with what you do on Facebook or Instagram!

Identify your audience:

This is true for any marketing, so it’s not exactly a great revelation. Nowhere is it truer than on TikTok. Whether you want to focus on existing customers or draw in new ones, you need to be very clear on who your ideal customer is. Build your strategy around this avatar—who they are, what they like, and which influencers they follow.

Do the research: 

Before you start creating and posting content, get familiar with the platform. Check out what your competitors are doing and what popular creators are doing in your field, and understand the language your audience is using.

Make it organic:

TikTok content feels authentic, human and personal. Traditional marketing techniques tend to fail because users avoid advertisements. You will have to come up with less invasive techniques to succeed – think out-of-the-box and tell stories.

Set your goals:

What do you want to achieve on TikTok? Do you want to boost sales, increase awareness or drive traffic to your website? Whatever it is, be clear and then work your strategy and content around that goal.

Call the professionals:

Of course, you can make a go of it by yourself, but it really saves a lot of time – not to mention trial-and-error – to work with someone who already knows what they are doing. Making an effective and impactful video is not as easy as it looks, either!

In conclusion, TikTok could very well be perfect for your business, as long as you understand the platform, its users, and what it takes to get the traction you want.

Written by Nana Stapelberg – Word Whizz at We Do Digital

You And AI

In our previous article, we explored AI-First search engines and the impact artificial intelligence could have on everyday internet browsing. If you missed it, don’t worry; internal linking is available: Read More

One thing is clear: AI is here to stay, whether with Google or other search engines like Perplexity AI. To paraphrase Darwin (I think), “It is not the strongest business that survives, but the one most adaptable to change.” So, how will this evolving landscape impact marketing efforts, and how should one adapt? Will we need to revert to distributing flyers at the robot that stays in the car until it’s due for a wash, or are we being unnecessarily anxious?

As a disclaimer, this is an opinion piece and should not be taken as gospel.

While everything is changing, some things remain constant. Advertising constitutes the majority of Google’s revenue, which reached a staggering 305 billion US dollars in 2023. While search engines like Perplexity AI are designed for a personalised search experience, they still need to generate revenue. This may be through a paywall (as they are currently implementing) or through ad revenue, similar to Google. Thus, your marketing efforts on any platform will remain relevant, but the approach will need to adjust.

Let me explain this practically. There are rumours that Apple is developing an exciting new replacement for Siri. My prediction is that this will be an AI that leads to a significant increase in “spoken” searches compared to traditional typed searches. We speak differently than we type, which impacts how we should set up our marketing campaigns. For instance, “Getting rid of grey hairs” might be typed into Google’s search bar, while a search with the new Siri might be: “Why am I getting more grey hairs?” If I am a salon running a campaign for hair dye, I want to appear for both types of searches and drive both to my website or phone for an appointment.

The real concern for marketers should be the content we are producing. Are you recycling the same content repeatedly? Are you following Verimark’s “That’s Not All!” approach? Are you posting ChatGPT content daily without substance? If your answer is “Yes” to any of these questions, you should be concerned about the changing landscape. With short attention spans and intense competition, there is a greater emphasis on the “What” rather than the “How.”

In conclusion, we will not be handing out flyers at the robot—it just stays in the car until the next wash. While the landscape is changing, we are not at risk; we simply need to refine our focus on content and ensure we are continually adding value rather than merely selling.

Written by Christo Brand – Chief Geek at We Do Digital

The myth of the one-person digital marketing team

Can one person handle all off a business’ Digital Marketing?

That is open for debate, but let me tell you this: As a life-long freelancer and small business owner, I often stood alone facing everything that had to be done. Look, I’m not an under-confident person. However, I soon figured out something crucial:

• There are a few things I do very well
• There are some things I do okay-ish…
• There are many things I absolutely suck at ☹

If I were an over-confident person, I would have done everything myself. Luckily, I’m not one of those either. I surrounded myself with experts at every opportunity and if I couldn’t afford to contract them, I either begged them for advice or asked my clients to hire them!

I recently tried to handle my own social media, but the less said about that, the better. These days, the world of digital marketing is vast and overwhelming! And it’s almost as if it’s a living breathing thing – the more it is fed, the more it grows…  Let’s just look at the basics, the must-haves:

• A website
• Facebook
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Google Business
• TokTok
• X (Twitter)
• YouTube
• PPC
• E-mail Marketing
• Sales Funnels

That’s already 11 things, so maybe it’s not so basic! How do you even decide on which platforms you need to have a presence? It takes research. And knowledge. An understanding of algorithms. (I just learned how to spell that, by the way) I forgot figuring out INSIGHT readings and audience targeting… See what I mean?

Let’s say you decide to go for a “spray-and-pray” approach, good for you! Even I can tell you that you can exist on every platform available, but it means nothing if you don’t GENERATE ENGAGEMENT. Don’t panic, there are people who know how to do that.

Somewhat linked to the above, there’s the question of SEO. (That’s Search Engine Optimisation, but I’m sure you know that, even if I didn’t) People need to find you fast and first, nobody wants to be at the bottom of the list! But apparently search engines have all kinds of RULES. Once again, you can slow your roll, people exist who understand how the game works.

Moving on. AI. A bit of a controversial topic, that one! Some people believe it’s better than sliced bread, others want to run away to knit their own muesli in the Knysna Forest… The point is, if you want the world to know about you, you need to make sure AI can find you! You guessed it: there are people for that.

We haven’t even talked about PPC Campaigns (pay-per-click), copywriting, website development or design… Do you think one person can do all that? Here’s what I think: Whether a myth, a myth-ter or a mytheth, nobody can do everything… well!

Written by Nana Stapelberg – Word Whizz at We Do Digital