A website builder is nothing more than an online platform that allows you to modularly create websites based on ready-made templates and interface elements. All options on such a platform are visualized, so the navigation is simplified – however, the user has no insight into the code of the site, so possibilities of personalization are limited.
WordPress, interactive agency, or website builder?
There are many different ways to create a website. Choosing the right one depends on two basic factors: the budget and the time we can devote to the project.
If we have a lot of resources, high requirements, and little time, it is worth investing in the services of a professional interactive agency. The cost of creating a unique website ranges from a few to several hundred thousands of dollars, but all the work is done for us.
If we’re short on money but have enough time and basic IT knowledge, we can build the site by ourselves. The most popular CMS (Content Management System) is WordPress. 75 million websites have already been created on this open-source software. WordPress is free of charge (you pay only for hosting and a web domain) and can be integrated with thousands of add-ons that extend its functionality. For example, WooCommerce integration will turn a WordPress website into an online store, and the Yoast plug-in will help you take care of SEO. However, it should be noted that to create a website on WordPress you need programming skills. Fortunately, there is no shortage of tutorials prepared by the WordPress community.
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Building a website without coding
For anyone with a moderate amount of time and resources, we recommend choosing a website builder. In such a builder, we do everything on our own, but we use a friendly interface, which even an inexperienced person can handle. The user can freely adjust the appearance of the template but has a limited influence on its functionality. The best website wizards give users a large number of templates (made with different industries and areas of activity in mind) and many options for their personalization.
Advantages of using a website builder
- They are usually very easy to use thanks to the ready-made modules.
- We can observe the effects of the work in real-time and adjust the appearance of the page.
- They offer technical support in case of any issues.
- Often it is an all-in-one service – we can have a domain, server, and builder in one subscription.
Disadvantages of using a website builder
- Less control over search engine optimization (SEO).
- No personalized solutions.
- If we use a free plan, we often have to deal with the fact that our website will be branded with a wizard’s logo and there will be ads of external companies on it.
- Limited space for files and multimedia.
Landing Page Builder – what is it?
If you already have a website, but you want to build an additional landing page for your customers, you don’t need to use the site wizard. All you need to do is use the services of the landing page builder, which has options specially tailored to the needs of narrowly specialized websites.
Landing pages can be used as:
- A landing page of a marketing campaign for a specific product or service.
- Registration for an offline event or webinar.
- A landing that presents a special offer.
- Registration for an online competition.
- Generation of leads, i.e. contact details of people interested in our activity.
The FOTC marketing team has been using the Landingi.com landing pages builder for years, so we can sincerely recommend it to anyone. In this builder we created, among others, these landings:
How to choose a website builder?
There are many differences between website builders, so when comparing offers, it is worth taking into account not only the price but also:
- Specialization – there are universal web wizards that can be used for building any website. However, if you have special requirements, look for a website builder created specifically for your industry. For example, not every platform can meet all the expectations of people running an online store. For such purposes, it is better to look for a website builder specializing in eCommerce.
- Backend – the appearance of the website from the customer’s perspective (frontend) is very important, but do not forget about the comfort of maintenance. Choose a website builder that provides a convenient way to operate the site from the inside (i.e. the backend). It’s best to test various wizards (most of them offer a free trial period) or rely on the opinions of people who already run a website similar to ours.
- Integration – the number of available add-ons and plugins should be one of the criteria for choosing a wizard. If you plan to use business office software, such as G Suite, or other applications, the integrations will make it much easier for you to manage your content on the site.
The most popular website builders
Wix.com – it’s one of the most frequently chosen websites offering a platform for website creation, hosting, and domain reservation.
Google Sites – a fully free website builder. If you need a very simple business page, in this app you can create it in a few minutes. Google Sites application is available for users of free Gmail, and it is also part of G Suite service.
Weebly.com is another popular wizard that offers all-in-one services and a free plan for personal use.
Shopify.com – this platform specializes in eCommerce. If you’re planning to create an online store, consider using Shopify. It offers a huge marketplace with integrations tailored to the needs of eCommerce owners.
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