Is web design in Cape Town better than web design in Johannesburg?

Of course, these are all just stereotypes.

For instance, it's entirely possible to live in Joeys and not hit the gym for an hour of cardio each morning before work, drink the bar out of Klippies 'n Cola every weekend or have a garage full of biltong made from the last Kudu you shot. Similarly, you might very well meet a born-and-bred Capetonian who likes nothing more than a fist fight on a Friday evening, couldn't care less if Table Mountain was cleared to make way for a shopping mall and likes their steak extra bloody.

Most stereotypes are absolute hogwash. Some, however, are borne from some small seed of truth

The stereotypes I've mentioned above are mostly of the hogwash variety. However, Johannesburg is the financial and economic hub of South Africa. As such, it's a city that is much bigger and considerably more fast-paced than its coastal counterpart. It's no stretch of the truth to say that in the City of Gold, business is big.

Just as Joburg is widely recognised as the heart of business in South Africa, Cape Town is often punted as the more creative city. After all, Cape Town is the 2014 World Design Capital. If the Mother City really is the country's creative wellspring, surely it would make sense to choose web design in Cape Town rather than Joburg?

The idea that web design in Cape Town is better than it is in Joburg is a myth

In reality, Cape Town isn't more creative than Joburg. Both cities are home to an ever-growing crop of highly creative and innovative artists, designers and techies. When it comes to web design, the same is true: web design in Cape Town and Joburg alike is of an incredibly high standard.

Today's advanced technology means that working with a web designer based in a different city is a piece of cake

Not too long ago, we wrote a blog Why developed countries should do their website design in South Africa about why businesses based in the United Kingdom, United States and Europe should consider outsourcing their web design to South Africa. We spoke about the favourable exchange rate and the excellent skill level of South African web design. The advent of technologies like email, Skype and Google Docs has meant that it's become incredibly easy to do business across borders.

The same applies locally: just because your company is based in Cape Town, it doesn't mean that you have to do your web design in Cape Town. You could just as easily use a Joburg-based web designer whose work you particularly admire instead.

That said, there's still value in having the option of face-to-face meetings, and it's often for this reason alone that businesses opt to hire local web designers.

Wherever you decide to do your web design, don't do it in isolation

Whether your web design is done in Cape Town or Joburg, it's vitally important to ensure that it is fully integrated with your wider digital strategy.

Your web design should operate in unison with your content, conversion, SEO and email strategies, as well as your AdWords campaigns, to create a website that functions as a conversion-driven digital sales machine.