Although there are plenty of coding languages used in custom web development, HTML and CSS sit at the core of any website.
HTML is the code that controls the content of a web page. It handles the text, image, and video content that is displayed on a website.
CSS is responsible for the content layout and certain design elements like display fonts, colors, etc.
You might wonder what these have to do with digital marketing. Knowing the basics of HTML and CSS can get you a long way in your marketing career. Let’s see how.
1. It Improves SEO
Search Engine Optimization is a big part of digital marketing as organic search is the main source of new customer leads for most companies.
To optimize a website’s content for visibility, marketers need to read through a website’s structure. Meta descriptions, alt tags, title tags, and keywords; all require basic HTML knowledge.
2. It Speeds Up the Development Process
By making the changes we mentioned earlier, you will no longer have to wait for the development team to get the job done. This can save a lot of time which will ultimately save your company a lot of money.
3. It improves communication with the development team
Furthermore, a common problem between marketers and developers is that of communication. By not knowing what’s possible to code and what’s not, marketers may often ask developers to do something that’s not feasible.
However, by knowing the basics of coding, you will understand the scope of the technical side of things better, allowing you to hand out more realistic deadlines and tasks to your developers.
Not only that but when it comes to searching for new tech partners, being able to gauge the effort and time it takes for a project to be completed will also give the ability to negotiate better rates.
4. It Helps You Craft Better Emails
While there are plenty of email marketing services that provide you with attractive templates, giving them your personal touch is still something that needs to be done.
A personal touch will make your email stand out and possibly perform better.
To do that, you’ll need to customize these templates, which will require a bit of programming knowledge.
5. It’s Good for A/B Testing
A/B testing is the process of putting one version of a website against another to see which one performs better in terms of effectiveness and conversions.
You can do A/B testing by making small changes to your website, like changing the color or placement of a button, for example. In most cases, this task is handed over to the development team.
However, letting marketers do A/B testing might be a better idea. That’s because they understand the visitors’ behavior better and know how to attract their attention by writing a compelling CTA copy or changing a button’s placement, for example.
To do A/B testing, you’ll need to know a thing or two about HTML and CSS. Otherwise, you might end up accidentally creating bugs, which might break the entire website.
6. You Can Use Marketing Tools More Effectively
Most marketing tools will require a bit of programming language to be used effectively.
Take Google AdWords, for example. You can automate common procedures, like the purchase and placement of the advertisements or interacting with external data using AdWords Scripts.
To be able to use AdWords Scripts, you will need to have a basic understanding of JavaScript.
7. It Makes a Good First Impression
There are a lot of websites on the internet. Some have a messy design, while others do not. Naturally, websites with a clean and attractive design are the ones that will make a good first impression on their visitors.
Experts from internet marketing agencies around the globe are familiar with something called the 15 Second Rule. Studies have shown that 15 seconds is how long it takes for users to decide whether to remain or leave your site. Also, it’s how long you have to capture their attention. However, as marketers are often responsible for blogs or any other content changes, knowing how to layout the page properly can make a significant difference.
You don’t have to be an expert in web design to create an attractive web page. You just need to know a bit of HTML and CSS. This will allow you to quickly embed images, audio, and videos, assign headers, change colors, fonts, or themes and even add certain elements like social sharing buttons.
8. It Impresses Employers
Employers will always appreciate someone who takes the initiative and does a little more than they’re supposed to. That’s another reason why you should learn HTML and CSS as a digital marketer. It makes you a more valuable employee.
Not only that, but as we previously said, by having a basic understanding of programming, you’ll get to save the time that you would otherwise spend on waiting for the development team to fulfill your request.
As a result, you’ll already be working on the next project while your marketing coworkers are still waiting on them, which will most likely get you a raise in the long run.
9. It Helps You Come Up with Better Ideas
And finally, creativity has always been a must-have trait for a marketer.
By being up-to-date in the latest advancements in technology and understanding how coding works, you will be able to generate new innovative ideas rather than imitating other people.
What’s more, you could even implement some of these ideas all by yourself. Take chatbots, for example. Although you don’t need any coding knowledge for integrating basic chatbots, a little HTML will get you far ahead of the curve.
This will help you create something more functional and customized, making your chatbot stand out.
Final Words
All in all, by knowing the basics of HTML and CSS, you will get to be a much better marketer. It’s not actually that hard to get into coding. There are plenty of free online courses that will get you on the right path in no time.