Looks great, but does it work?

In the same way that you might have an architect AND a builder, you might also have (1) a web designer, and (2) a web developer. The designer makes a picture of the web site (kind of like a blueprint), and the developer builds it and makes it work.

And just as there are different types of home builders, web developers come with different preferences, different approaches, and different tools.

Of course, there are also designer/developers who do both the design AND development. By working with a designer/developer, you can reduce lag time and eliminate miscommunication between designer and developer — usually resulting in a lower cost overall.

Q: Are you a designer/developer.
A: Why yes, I am!

Some developers work with programs like Dreamweaver, that write the code out for them — an upsetting number of them don't know how to write HTML code by themselves. I like to write the code myself because it gives me the greatest possible control over how the page is displayed. Usually writing HTML "by hand" leads to cleaner, less cumbersome code that is easier to maintain.

I also try to separate the content from the styling as much as possible. Doing so makes it easy to change the whole look of a web site just by editing a few lines (or even just a few characters) of code. When the time comes to put a new face on your web site, it can be accomplished with relative ease.