Online marketing in South Africa seems to have fallen in the cracks somewhere between insanely profitable, and overly technical.

As South Africans we are by nature a little geeky, we love the recite acronyms and generally inflate our own egos with by displaying our superior knowledge of all things technical.

More often than not, the way most South Africans do business is by relying on the fact that we know just a little more than the guy next to us.

This approach to business seems to have manifested itself in online marketing just as much, the effects of which are yet to be felt.

The one concept which I can never reason with is why companies continue to place the future of their online business in the hands of web developers, which are not qualified to direct online campaigns.

Having been to more creative and web development strategy meetings than I care to remember. The difference between companies making money online and those who simply like the look and feel of a pretty website, lies in the fact that some companies have realized there is a fundamental difference between the technical process of development, and actually marketing online.

Development and creative aspects are by no means unimportant; they are after all the foundations of any online campaign, but just as you would never place you accountant in charge of marketing, so too should you never place your web developer in the role of online marketing manager.

The fact remains that you can have the most aesthetically pleasing website, if you don't get visitors to that website, and you don't convert those visitors into money, then quite simply your online business is nothing but an expensive waste of time.

If you want to make money online, then there us a simple rule… “less technicalities and more marketing”.

Simplify, Simplify and then Simplify some more.