A website builder is defined as a platform that you can use to construct your very own website. You do this by choosing from a wide variety of website templates offered by the builder.
Once you settle on a template, you can move on to the more design-orientated parts of website building – text, content, social media buttons, images, videos, to name a few.
With the growth of technology came convenience. Hungry? Order food online. Need groceries? Order food online. Owe somebody money? Send it to them online. In the strangest of ways, our world moved entirely to the Internet. From the way we communicate to the way we live, everything has a touch of easy online solutions.
This stands true to the business industry as well. Gone are the days when companies needed to send out flyers to let people know they were in the game. The old marketing techniques went through an elaborate makeover, and so far, it has been full of advantages.
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Advantages of using Website Builders
More and more businesses are taking to the Internet to establish an online presence for their work. Artists share their portfolios, and businesses host their services online. All of this is possible through websites.
Website building can seem tricky if you’re a relatively new online business. A bad online presence can affect business. In such cases, people look to web professionals for help. However, there’s no need for hiring a professional web designer anymore.
There are services online where you can build your website without being well-versed in technology. These are called Website Builders. If you have a website builder, then you don’t need to be tech-savvy or have a technical understanding of how websites work.
How do Website Builders Work?
Website buildings are an effective solution for people who don’t have a working knowledge of web designing, but would still like to reap the benefits of an online presence for their business. Most online website builders charge a nominal fee for providing their services.
Some website builders are free to work with, but you won’t get the same quality of services as you would for a paid builder. For example, an unpaid website builder won’t have a wide variety of templates to choose from. Whereas with a paid website builder, you have the freedom to be more creative with your designs.
Let’s have a look at some of the most popular online website builders.
1. WordPress
WordPress is the most widely used platform by small businesses for website building. People from different disciplines go on WordPress to start their journey online. However, it’s important to note that there are two different versions of WordPress – WordPress.org and WordPress.com.
While they’re both website builders and their premise rests on the same foundation, some key differences between them can’t be ignored. WordPress.org is a free and open-sourced website builder. It’s self-hosted, and most of its services are free.
The only charges are the domain name and web hosting services. These services help your website go live. It costs $7.99 per month, or you can choose to pay upfront for the whole year, which is $14.99.
WordPress.com, on the other hand, provides paid services. WordPress is hosted by Automatic, and they have various payment plans for people who would like to use it. While WordPress.com has a free plan as well, the services between paid and free plans differ vastly.
With WordPress.org, you have to keep track of plugin updates, create your own backups, WordPress updates, etc. This can be a bit nerve-wracking if you don’t know much about web designing. WordPress.com, however, takes care of these things for you.
If your thinking of going down the WordPress route, why not read our best hosting plan for a WordPress websites.
2. Shopify
Shopify is an eCommerce website builder created explicitly for online stores. With Shopify, you can create an eCommerce store in just a few steps. This involves a drag and drop interface that allows you to choose your website design without any coding.
Shopify offers a basic plan for $29 per month, which can be upgraded for $79 per month. They have an Advanced Shopify plan that costs $299 per month. Furthermore, they offer a Lite plan for $9 per month, which simply allows you to add a buy button to your website.
Shopify is currently offering a 14 day free trial which we highly recommend you try.
Other popular website builders are Wix, Domain.com, SquareSpace, DreamHost and GoDaddy.
Still not sure about how website builders work? Let’s take a look at some pros and cons so you can decide whether it’s right for you.
Pros and Cons of Website Builders
When it comes to online tools, they all have certain advantages and disadvantages. The same goes for website builders.
Pros:
1. No Coding
Website building doesn’t require you to have extensive knowledge of coding or technical expertise in web design. You can easily build your website with the help of user-friendly templates, photos, text and content. All you need to do is click, and voila!
2. Low Maintenance and Affordable
Here’s the thing about website builders – you can use them anywhere if you have an internet connection. They don’t require you to constantly update them, except for fresh content. Website builders have an exceptionally simple user interface, and your website will be ready with just a few clicks.
The best part about website builders is that they are affordable. You don’t have to pay hefty prices to get a simple site off the ground or be waiting endless days to hear back from the web designer. With website builders, you can focus on the practical parts of the business while they take care of the online aspect of it.
3. Graphic Design
Much like coding, you don’t need to know anything about graphic design to work with a website builder. Website builder platforms have tons of layouts you can choose from. Furthermore, you can customize these designs to suit your business needs.
Website builders are incredibly convenient to use. However, this doesn’t mean that they are foolproof.
Cons:
1. Limited Control
While website builders allow you to build a website with ease, they don’t let the users have unlimited control. For example, if you do have some experience with the technicalities of building a website and would like to personalize your site, you won’t be able to do that with website builders.
Furthermore, you can’t govern the fundamental aspects of web designing, like coding, sitemaps, etc.
2. Limited Functionality
Website building platforms typically offer pre-designed plans for their users. This limits the structure of your site to the boundaries established by the program. It monitors several factors of website building like the number of pages it can have, eCommerce options, third-party integration, etc.
Conclusion. website builders are a steal, but they have their own limitations. However, they can be just what a small online business needs. Not only do they offer a hassle-free construction of websites, but they also do most of the work for you.
Now that you understand how website builders work, we hope that you can make an informed decision for your online business.