Laura Topalli
G
Rated 5 out of 5
Paul really is the real deal and knows what he is talking about. If you need someone to help your online presence, I wouldn't go to anyone else but Paul.
A web designer decides how a site looks, reads and guides visitors toward a call or form. A web developer writes the code that makes it load fast, stay secure and do things, such as estimates, bookings or logins. A typical service-business site needs both skills, ideally from one team.
We do both: Paul Weidner leads design and search, and Steven McVicker leads development.
| Question | Web designer | Web developer |
|---|---|---|
| Main job | Layout, typography, color and the path to a call | Code, performance, security and features |
| Typical tools | Figma-style mockups, image editing, brand guides | PHP, JavaScript, CSS, databases, servers |
| Delivers | Mockups and a visual system | A working, hosted website or application |
| You feel their work when | The site looks trustworthy and is easy to scan | The site is fast, never breaks and does more than display text |
| Hire alone when | You only need a refreshed look on a sound site | The design is settled and you need a feature built |
Most owners asking this question need a finished site rather than a single specialist.
Design is about decisions a visitor makes in the first few seconds. On a local-service site, that means leading with real job photos, keeping the phone number within reach of a thumb and making each service easy to find without reading paragraphs.
For Montesanti Construction in Brooksville, the design did the selling: a visual system with its own type and color, and a 15-photo gallery of finished kitchens and builds placed high on the homepage.
Development is everything underneath. A developer turns the design into clean templates, connects forms and tracking, tunes caching and image sizes, and writes custom features when an off-the-shelf plugin will not do.
For Riverview's Element Roofing Solutions, the goal was a rough roof price at any hour, so our developers coded an estimate tool directly into their WordPress site. That is development work a designer alone cannot deliver. Our website development team for Chicago businesses handles the same kind of build for Midwest clients.
Match your situation to the closest card.
Both. A designer without a developer produces mockups; a developer without a designer produces a site nobody trusts.
Mainly a designer, with a developer to apply the new templates without breaking anything.
A developer first. Speed, errors and security are code problems, not visual ones.
A developer, often as a small plugin that sits alongside the existing design.
Both, since it is a rebuild. With us, leaving the old platform is covered inside the rebuild quote.
A designer who understands conversion, plus light development for tracking and forms.
When design and development sit with different companies, each blames the other for missed deadlines, and details get lost between the mockup and the live page. A small team that does both keeps the decisions and the code in the same conversation.
It also matters after launch. The people who built the site are the ones who host and update it, so nothing waits in a stranger's ticket queue. For a full walkthrough of a project, see our web design company in Tampa.
Hiring the two roles separately can still make sense. A company with an in-house brand designer may only need a developer to turn approved layouts into templates, and a marketing team with a developer on staff may only need fresh design direction.
On a well-run project the two roles overlap at four points rather than meeting once at the end.
Designer and developer agree which pages and templates exist before anyone draws a layout, so the build has no surprises.
Layouts are drawn knowing what the platform can do quickly, which avoids pretty ideas that cost weeks of code.
Templates go live on a staging copy, and the designer checks spacing and type at real phone widths.
Speed, redirects, tracking and final visual polish are signed off together before the domain switches.
Paul really is the real deal and knows what he is talking about. If you need someone to help your online presence, I wouldn't go to anyone else but Paul.
Search Strength help me our when it came to my SEO. I knew nothing about SEO and had no idea how important it was to my business. 10/10
Paul is a very bright person. His knowledge about AI and SEO is impeccable. Look forward to working with him.
Want more people to find your business? Paul is your guy!
If you are looking for a highly qualified and effective marketing partner for your website and search engine optimization, look no further than Search Strength SEO. The team here is hard working and dedicated to you and your
business's success.
Search Strength SEO is the real deal. He’s an SEO guru who helped get our website ranking and has been great to work with throughout the process. What I appreciate most is how transparent he is—straightforward pricing, clear
communication, and no smoke and mirrors. If you’re looking to improve your Google rankings and actually understand what you’re paying for, I highly recommend Search Strength SEO.
The team at Search Strength SEO genuinely cares about their work and their clients. They take the time to understand your business and build a strategy around real results. It's clear they're hands-on and invested in helping
clients succeed.
I highly recommend this company for anyone looking to improve their website and SEO. They took the time to understand my business and provided tailored, effective solutions that are already making a noticeable difference. Paul's
customer service is exceptional. He listens carefully, communicates clearly, and consistently follows up with valuable updates and practical advice. Their professionalism, expertise, and commitment to their clients make them a true asset. I look forward to continuing to see the results and would not hesitate to recommend them.
I can't recommend Paul highly enough. Working with him has been an incredible experience, and he has exceeded my expectations in every way. From day one, he has gone above and beyond to help my business succeed, treating it as if
it were his own. His attention to detail is second to none, and nothing slips through the cracks. He's incredibly thorough, strategic, and always thinking several steps ahead. What really sets him apart is his genuine passion for what he does. He's constantly learning, adapting, and staying ahead of industry trends, especially when it comes to SEO, AI, and the latest technology. He doesn't settle for good enough—he's always looking for ways to improve and deliver even better results. Since working with him, my business has gained significantly more online visibility, and I know that's a direct result of his expertise, dedication, and hard work. He doesn't just focus on rankings; he focuses on building a strong online presence that creates long-term success. He's also one of the most responsive and reliable professionals I've ever worked with. No matter how busy he is, he always takes the time to answer questions, explain things clearly, and make sure I feel informed and confident. His communication is excellent, and I always know I can count on him. Beyond his technical expertise, he's simply a great person to work with. He's honest, trustworthy, patient, and genuinely invested in the success of his clients. It's rare to find someone who combines exceptional talent with such integrity and professionalism. If you're looking for someone who is knowledgeable, innovative, hardworking, and truly committed to helping your business grow, look no further. I feel incredibly fortunate to have him in my corner, and I recommend him without hesitation. He has made a real impact on my business, and I'm excited to continue working with him for years to come.
I had a great experience with Search Strength SEO, they help in growing and improving our customers. I would recommend them to anyone!
Great service and super fast!
Did a amazing job for an amazing price! Would totally recommend to other
Responds fast, works efficiently, and no one else ill use for these services
Awesome at what they do! Very responsive and top of things. 10/10!
Extremely professional and easy to work with. Handled my issues very quickly and I would recommend them to anyone!
We had such a great experience with the Search Strength SEO team! They made our website look better than ever and handled our Google Business Profile setup flawlessly. Everyone was kind, responsive, and extremely thorough.
Anytime we had a question or needed help, they were right there. We’re so grateful for everything they did for us!
Paul helped me get my website setup in less than 24 hours! Turned out amazing and would highly recommend using them. Thanks Paul and team!
Very good at what they do and super responsive. Paul is awesome. 10/10.
I’ve recently started working with the team at Search Strength SEO, and I couldn’t be more impressed. They bring a rare blend of deep professional expertise and down-to-earth customer service that’s truly refreshing. Not only do
they know their stuff when it comes to everything from local SEO to website builds, but they also genuinely care about making a difference in their clients’ businesses. They have good hearts and a real commitment to helping clients succeed. If you’re looking for a team that’s willing to go the extra mile, I’d highly recommend them.
The Search Strength team has been incredible to work with. They know exactly what they’re doing when it comes to optimizing a Google Business Profile. Our visibility and engagement here in Tampa have noticeably improved thanks to
their strategy, communication, and attention to detail. Highly recommend them to anyone looking to grow their online presence the right way.
Search Strength SEO helped us grow our online presence in Tampa with smart SEO strategies. They played a huge role in helping our business expand in the behavioral health field. Great communication and real results!
Working with Search Strength SEO has been a game-changer for our business. They took the time to understand our goals and built a customized SEO strategy that delivered real results. Our website traffic and lead volume have both
increased significantly. The team is professional, responsive, and truly knows what they’re doing. As a small family company in Waterford, WI we truly are grateful for the impact they have made for our company and business! Highly recommend them to anyone looking to grow their online presence or in need of web development!
So happy I found Search strength SEO! Their team is so easy to work with and they pay great attention to detail. Would recommend them to anyone!!
I’m so glad I found search strength SEO. Their team is so knowledgeable and efficient. They made sure to guide me in the right direction and to answer any questions I had. They truly had my best interest at heart and set me up
for success. I can’t recommend them enough for all of your SEO needs
After trying and failing with many other marketing companies for my business, I finally success with searchstrength seo! Paul and his team’s attention to detail and responsiveness is incredible. Our new website is looking
amazing, and the consistent updates of the website means the ranking is consistently improving. This has meant more calls, more appts, and more revenue. The value I have gotten for how much I pay is far more than any company I’ve hired. They are constantly finding ways to improve your visibility online and bring people in the door. They are quick to troubleshoot, and things get done quickly. Not having to worry about my website performance and visibility or finding leads has gave me great peace of mind. This is a newer business, but the owner has been doing this professionally for a long time and will always deliver. 11/10 recommend!
Working with this team has been an absolute pleasure. Their communication is top-notch — always quick to respond, clear, and proactive. They truly understand SEO and deliver high-quality work that drives results. From technical
audits to content optimization, everything was handled with professionalism and attention to detail. Highly recommend for anyone looking to level up their SEO game!
Hourly rates vary more by experience than by title. What changes the budget is scope: custom features add development time, and a new brand adds design time.
Yes, and many small-business sites are built that way. The risk is depth: the best results usually come from a small team where each skill has an owner.
For a basic site built from a theme, not always. Once you need speed tuning, custom schema, integrations or a custom plugin, you do.
Web design is the planning and visual side of a site; web development is the coding and technical side that makes the design work in a browser.
Both touch it: designers shape headings and page structure, developers handle speed, markup and redirects. A dedicated SEO lead ties it together.
Both of us join the first call, so nothing gets relayed.
Our technical lead and co-owner, Steven McVicker, wrote this comparison; he builds the templates, plugins and hosting our clients run on. Paul Weidner, founder and owner, contributed the design and search sections. At Search Strength SEO, a Tampa, FL team of two, design and code are never split across separate firms.
You can find our team, reviews and New Tampa location through our profile on Google Maps.
Tell us what frustrates you about the current site and which jobs it should handle. We will tell you which skills the fix really needs.