What is a website builder?
Don't have any programming skills but still want to start a website? The first thought that comes to mind is, "Maybe I should take an online course and learn some web design." Yes. An online course, in this regard, will help you gain some skills, but you will not be able to design a website from scratch in the shortest time.
Why not try a website builder?
But what exactly is a website builder? With this kind of software, you can create any kind of website even if you have no programming skills. Just choose the design and customize it to your needs.
You're probably wondering: How does a website work?
Simple: Get tools and templates that help you design a site that's professional, stylish, and usable across devices. In its typical version, it works through a drag-and-drop function. We will discuss this feature in detail.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of using website builders?
There are multiple advantages to using a website builder. These tools are especially beneficial for beginners who don't have the skills to develop a website from scratch.
Here are some of the top reasons to start using a website builder:
- It is easy to use. With a simple drag and drop feature, you will include everything you want the page to have. You can rearrange them to make the design more visually appealing.
- No coding required!
- You can use a pre-made template that already looks good. But if you don't want your site to look similar to one designed by that template, you can customize it.
- Using a website builder is the fastest way to get a website up and running in no time.
- This is the cheapest way to design a website if you have no coding skills. If you were to hire a professional developer, you should pay them at least 100 lei per hour depending on their requirements. According to information provided by Upwork , the full custom website design comes with a standard cost of 150 – 350 lei per hour.
Does this type of software have any disadvantages, compared to web development from scratch?
- It's hard to start you create a website and find the right software for creating websites with great customer support. In most cases, you will have to rely on online tutorials and forums to overcome certain difficulties.
- To access a full range of features, you'll need to invest in a premium plan. This is, however, more affordable than hiring a professional developer, but it won't be free.
- Even if you can customize a template, you still won't get a unique 100% design.
- If you want to present a serious business, you will need top quality design, professional features and SEO coding. A drag and drop site builder won't give you that.
If this is the online project started for your business, you will do the right thing by choosing a reliable software. But if you're more serious about your website, you won't get maximum results with a website builder.
How does Web Builder work?
We've already given you a definition of a website builder, but how exactly does the program work?
Most builders offer you a great selection of templates. You can customize them to a great extent, so you'll avoid designing one site that looks too similar to another. It's easy to replace the images and text in the template with your own content. Just click on the item you want to customize and make the changes.
When you choose the right template, building the site is a breeze. By dragging and dropping, you can rearrange the page elements to make it look unique.
If you want to improve the template, you can add widgets and other elements. If you're designing an e-commerce site, for example, you can add a "Buy Now" button that takes the user to the shopping cart. You can also add galleries, social media buttons, videos and more.
When you're happy with the look of the design, you can publish the site. It's that easy.
Types of website builders and reviews of the best
There are two main types of website builders:
Online website builders do not require you to download and install software on your computer. This is convenient because you can work on the site from different devices.
But offline site builders require computer installation. By definition, this variant is useful if you want to work on the design even if you are offline. Most users opt for online software as a more convenient option.
But what are the best website builders for 2019? We have a list for you:
This is a free website builder with amazing features. It is available in twelve languages. The templates look very professional.
The biggest advantage of this tool is that it provides you ready-to-use modules. You can add photo albums, FAQ page, blog, forum, site catalog, videos and more.
This is one of the easiest website builders on the market. It allows you to build a multilingual website. The free plan gives you a limited storage of 0.5GB, which should be enough if you just want to try the tool. If you're ready to move, you can choose the Premium plan for $6 (25 lei) per month or Premium Plus for $12 (50 lei) per month.
Customer support isn't impressive, but you do get plenty of tutorials that should answer your questions.
Again, you get great templates and an easy drag-and-drop feature that lets you design a site in no time. The Starter package costs $2.45 (10 lei) per month. It allows you to design up to 5 pages and get 25GB of storage. In addition, the website will have a SSL certificate and will answer the mobile.
If you want to upgrade to Premium ($3.72 or 15 lei per month), you'll get access to premium templates, backup and restore features, and free images. None of these plans allow you to build an online store.
This is great for designing an online store. You can try it for free, but you will only get the basic features. If you like what you see, you can choose one of four paid plans. The Unlimited plan costs $39 (160 lei) per month and gives you professional design analysis, unlimited space and VIP support.
Weebly is focused on small business owners as their target audience. It allows you to create a simple website with a mobile-responsive design. If you have some knowledge of CSS and HTML, you can perfectly adjust the themes as you like.
The business plan costs $25 (100 lei) per month.
Wix is one of the most popular website builders. According to information from statistically, it holds 22,61% of the market share. There's a free version, but you'll benefit the most with the VIP plan, which costs $24.50 per month.
How to Choose a Top Website Builder
To choose the software that suits your needs, you should first set a monthly budget. There are great programs out there that cost a lot of money, so you'll want to know your limitations first. Which builder gives you the biggest selection of features for the price you're willing to pay?
If after this initial assessment there are a few options, you should consider your needs. Do you need an online store? Maybe you want to create a forum or a blog? What is the easiest tool to use?
The best thing about website builders is that you can try most of them for free. If in doubt about the final choice, experiment with a few options. See what you like and it will be easier for you to decide on just one program.
Now, have I convinced you to try a few website builders? Try it and maybe, who knows, you will find the perfect solution to your problem.
Source: sitechecker.pro