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- Choosing the best web-building tool for your new website
On this article, we talk about the difference between the many types of webbuilding tools, pros and cons and how you can choose the best website building tool for your business.
What is a web building tool?
Web-building tools or website building tools, are web-based platforms that allow individuals or businesses to create and manage their own websites without needing advanced technical skills or coding knowledge. Website builders typically provide a user-friendly interface to customize the appearance and layout of their website using pre-designed templates, drag-and-drop elements, and various design tools.
There are different types of website builders available on the market including drag and drop, template based and code based.
- Drag and drop builders are user-friendly and allow users to simply create a website by dragging and dropping elements.
- Template-based builders provide pre-designed templates that can be customized with content and images with certain limitations.
- Code-based builders require coding knowledge and allow for more advanced customization.
What are drag and drop website builders?
Drag and drop website builders are web based services that allow users to easily create and customize their own website by dragging and dropping elements. These builders usually have a user-friendly interface and do not require coding knowledge.
When using this website builder users can choose from pre-designed templates and design elements to create their website. They can use these templates and elements to create a professional looking website which is unique to their business or personal brand.
Drag and drop builders are a popular choice for small businesses and individuals who want to create a website without advanced technical skills.
Below are popular drag and drop website builders:
- Wix: A popular website builder that offers a range of templates and design elements that can be easily customized using drag and drop functionality.
- Weebly: Another popular drag and drop builder that offers a variety of templates and design options for users to choose from.
- Squarespace: A website builder that offers a range of templates and design options that can be easily customized using drag and drop functionality.
- GoDaddy Website Builder: A user-friendly drag and drop builder that is ideal for small businesses and individuals who want to create a professional looking website quickly and easily.
What are template based website builders?
Template-based website builders are platforms that allow users to create websites using pre-designed templates. Templates usually come with design elements like colors, fonts, and images.
Users can customize the template by adding custom content like text, media and adjusting the design elements to fit their specific needs and preferences. This means users can create a website that meets their goals and branding without having to start from scratch or have advanced design skills.
Template-based website builders are often easier to use than platforms that require users to design their own website from scratch as they provide a starting point and a basic structure to work with. Some template-based website builders additionally offer a range of customization options such as the ability to add and arrange elements on the page or change the colors and fonts.
Template based website builders can be a good option for users to create a professional website quickly and easily without specialized design or coding skills.
Below are popular Template-based website builders:
- WordPress: Not a template based website builder in the traditional sense as it does not offer a range of pre-designed templates for users to choose from. However it does offer a wide variety of themes which are essentially templates that users can apply to their websites to change its appearance and layout.
- Shopify : It is a template based website builder. User can choose from a range of pre-designed templates and customize them with distinctive branding and content. Shopify is a popular choice for small and medium sized businesses looking to set up an online store.
What are code based website builders?
Code-based website builders are platforms that allow users to create and customize websites using coding languages such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. These website builders are rather advanced and call for higher coding skills. However, the users have more flexibility and control over the website’s design and functionality.
Below are popular code-based website builders:
- Adobe Dreamweaver: A code-based website builder that allows users to design and code websites using a range of coding languages.
- Sublime Text: A code editor that is popular with developers and allows users to write and edit code for websites and other applications.
- Atom: A open-source code editor that offers a range of features and tools for coding websites and other applications.
- NetBeans: A code editor and integrated development environment (IDE) that allows users to write and edit code for a variety of applications, including websites.
Why do you need a Website Builder?
Using a website builder software instead of hiring a professional web designer to create a business or personal website can be a highly beneficial idea for many reasons.
- Lower cost: Using a website builder can be a more cost effective and easier method when compared to the cost and difficulty of hiring a professional to build a website from square one.
- High convenience: Website builders contain all the tools and resources users need to build their own website making it easy to get started and create a website on your own.
- Great flexibility: With a website builder users have complete control over the design and functionality of the website allowing users to make changes and updates as needed.
- Saves time: Building one’s own website with a website builder can save a great deal of time since there is no need to wait for the professional to complete the work according to their particular time schedule.
Working with a website builder can be a fun and rewarding way to learn about web design and development. It offers a real world opportunity to experiment with different tools and techniques and helps individuals understand the process of creating a website from start to finish. By building a website with a website builder tool, you can improve your web design skills and abilities over time.
Overall, using a website builder can be a valuable and enjoyable way to enhance knowledge and skills in web development.
Is WordPress a good option to build a website?
What is WordPress?
WordPress is a content management system (CMS) as well as a website builder which enables users to build and manage various types of websites and online content. It is open-source and free to install thereby making it popular for creating various types of websites including blogs, e-commerce stores and business websites.
WordPress has plenty of features and tools that make it a breeze for website owners to create and customize their websites. These include thousands of templates, several drag and drop tools and the ability to add custom plugins and themes. It also has tons of e-commerce plugins that allow users to sell products and services online. WordPress is known for its ease of use and flexibility, making it a popular choice for building websites.
What are the main features of WordPress?
- Open source: WordPress is an open source software, which means the source code is available for anyone around the world to access, modify, and distribute without restrictions and permissions. Open source privileges allows developers to create custom solutions, fine tune for better performance and add new features to the platform.
- User-friendly interface: WordPress has a very straightforward and easy to understand user interface that makes it easy for anybody to create and publish content on their websites no matter how little or no coding experience they have.
- Customization options: WordPress allows users to customize the design and layout of their websites using themes and templates, as well as add features such as contact forms, e-commerce functionality, and social media integration using plugins.
- Large community: WordPress has a large community of users and developers who contribute to its development and offer support making it easy to find answers to questions or troubleshoot any issues that may arise.
- Responsive design: WordPress themes and templates are designed to be responsive which means they adjust to fit the screen size and resolution of different devices, such as smartphones and tablets.
- SEO friendly: WordPress is optimized for search engines making it easier for your website to rank well in search results.
- E-commerce capabilities: WordPress can be used to create online stores and support e-commerce transactions through the integration of e-commerce plugins.
- Regular updates: It is said WordPress is regularly updated with new features and security patches to keep millions of websites running smoothly.
- Security: WordPress is regularly updated to include security patches in order to protect users against cyber threats; there are also hundreds of security plugins available for users to use in order to make their sites even more secure in the event of cyber attacks.
- Lower cost: Compared to other CMS, WordPress can be a relatively inexpensive platform for building websites. You can download and use the WordPress software free of charge, as well as free themes and plugins. However, if you decide to build your own website, you may need to pay more or less depending on a variety of factors, including the hosting provider, theme, plugin, and custom development.
- Widely Available: WordPress is available for use in all countries around the world. It is open source and can be downloaded and used by anyone, regardless of their location. Additionally, the platform is supported in a variety of languages, so users can choose to use the platform in their preferred language.
Pros of using WordPress
- Free and open-source.
- Easy to use and has a user-friendly interface.
- A wide range of features and tools for creating and customizing websites.
- Highly customizable.
- A large community of developers and users.
- SEO-friendly.
- E-commerce plugins for selling products and services online.
- Regularly updated and maintained.
Cons of using WordPress
- Hosting and domain setup require additional cost.
- May require some technical knowledge to customize and maintain.
- Can be vulnerable to security issues if not properly maintained in a timely manner.
- May require additional plugins or themes to access certain features.
- May not be as user-friendly for more advanced website projects.
- May not be as flexible as some other website builders for creating custom designs.
- May require regular updates and maintenance to ensure optimal performance.
Cloud-based commercial website builders
What are commercial website builders?
Website builders are web based platforms that allow users to create and design websites without any coding knowledge. They have a user-friendly interface that allows users to drag and drop elements onto a page to create the layout.
Website builders often include features such as contact forms, e-commerce functionality and social media integration to help users create a fully functional website. They can be used to create personal or business websites such as personal blogs, portfolios and small business websites. They can be a good option for users who don’t have coding experience or resources to hire a web developer.
There are many commercial website builders available each with its own set of features and pricing plans.
- Wix: Cloud-based website builder with drag-and-drop interface and various templates and design options.
- Weebly: Website builder allowing users to create professional-looking websites without coding knowledge.
- SquareSpace: Website builder offering customizable templates and design options, as well as e-commerce functionality.
- GoDaddy Website Builder: Website builder with various templates and design options, SEO tools, and social media integrations.
- Shopify: Website builder specifically for e-commerce businesses with features such as inventory management and payment processing.
Pros of using commercial website builders
- Often offer a wider range of features and tools for constructing and customizing websites.
- Provide more advanced design capabilities, allowing for more professional and sophisticated websites.
- Offer more advanced e-commerce capabilities, including support for multiple languages and currencies.
- Having more customer support options, including phone, email, and chat support.
- Offer hosting and domain registration as part of their package, making it easier for users to get their website up and running.
- The availability of more secure and reliable hosting options.
- Offer more specialized templates and designs for specific industries or types of websites.
Cons of using commercial website builders
- May have higher costs, including monthly or annual subscription fees.
- May have more limitations on customization and design compared to open-source options.
- May have less flexibility in terms of adding custom features or plugins.
- May not offer as much control over the source code or hosting of the website.
- May have less support for users who want to create more advanced or custom websites.
- May not be as scalable or suitable for large or complex websites.
- May not offer as many resources or support for users who are new to website building.
Comparison and conclusion
Summary of the pros and cons of each platform
It is difficult to determine which website builder is the most beneficial when it comes to choosing the right website builder for your needs as it ultimately depends on your specific goals, requirement, and budget.
There are many key factors to consider. If you are looking for an easy to use platform with a wide range of features and a large community of developers WordPress may be a good choice. But you may need a person or a professional with some technical knowledge to complete the project with accuracy. However, if you are looking for a more basic platform with simplified use of templates and design capabilities without any coding and technical knowledge a cloud-based commercial website builder may be a better fit.
If you have questions, contact us and we’ll be able to help you decide.