UX Design vs Digital Marketing: Which One Works Best for You?

As companies are trying to incorporate technology into their products and digitalize their services, digital marketing and UX design are in-demand areas of expertise. Both paths are good options with lots of opportunities to grow. However, which one works best for you?

Digital Marketing as a Career Focus 

“What exactly is Digital Marketing?”. Mailchimp, the leading marketing automation platform, defines it as “any marketing that uses electronic devices to convey promotional messaging and measure its impact.” As you can tell from the definition, Digital Marketing is a broad field. Still, the ultimate goal of all digital marketing efforts is to increase your revenue and conversion rate, meaning how many viewers you can convert into customers. An excellent digital marketer knows how to combine the tools of marketing and technology with principles from business and design to utilize the online space to achieve business goals. 
 
As a career choice, Digital Marketing is an umbrella term that covers different career choices such as content creators, copywriters, or SEO (Search Engine Optimization) specialists. The jobs can be technical, data-oriented, wordsmithery, or visual-focused. As a newbie in this field, you should reflect on what you like and do best. For example, if you are good with designing, video editing, becoming a graphic designer might be a good option. If you enjoy writing and can write about any topic, trying out as a copywriter is a good start. If you are good with numbers, try becoming an SEO specialist. If you are interested in this field but not sure where to start, taking a digital marketing course is a good choice. Ashton College’s Digital Marketing Certificate is the perfect program for beginners and people who have some practical experience but are looking to add formal education to their resume. The program walks you through different marketing models and marketplace approaches and learns how to increase engagement to maximize results to achieve business growth.

UX Design as a Career Focus 

The name says it all – User Experience Design. As a UX Designer, you will build products that create the most intuitive, convenient, and smooth experience possible. UX Design work is research-oriented, concerning all visual, physical, and technical aspects of a product. A good product is an easy-to-use product, which is made possible by UX Designers. Their day-to-day tasks include testing, experimenting, and lots of learning. 

As a UX Designer, you do not have to master web design, video editing, or coding. However, you should have a solid technical skill set to build high-impact user experiences and easy-to-navigate websites. Taking a UX Design course would be absolutely beneficial. You will learn how to start with user research, move towards an efficient project strategy, and develop visually-driven sitemaps. 

UX Design vs Digital Marketing: Which One is for You? 

Without a doubt, both career paths are good options. It truly depends on your personal choices and interests. Think about what attracts you and how your ideal job looks like. If you are good at listening, observing, and designing, a career in UX Design might suit you better. Meanwhile, if you are good at content writing, graphic designing, and data analyzing, a job in digital marketing is for you. 

No matter what you choose, earning your certification from a reputable educational institution is always a good idea. For UX courses, check out Ashton College’s Certificate in UX Design. For the digital marketing course, take a look at this Certificate in Digital Marketing.

Written by: Lily Pham