Website Builders - What Are They? | Best Website Builders

Friday, March 21st

Website Builders - What Are They?

In this day and age, when electronic gadgets rule the world, failure to have a website for your business or service could result in loss of existing customers and failure to generate new ones.

The internet has become a major marketing tool over the last decade. It was invented in 1969 by ARPANET, and later followed by the World Wide Web in 1989. One year after the World Wide Web was invented, the first website was launched.

The World Wide Web contains over 15 billion pages. Free services such as Google Analytics allow individual website owners to track how many people have viewed their pages, clicked on links or responded in some way to what was posted there.

Knowing that having a website is a crucial marketing tool, and actually designing and launching one, are two very different things. Websites are pretty complicated. Those who know and use HTML code on a regular basis can pretty much use any website design tool to create a unique and functional website. But for those who have no prior experience - or for whom the use of technology does not come easy - using a website builder can be the best solution.

What is a website builder, and how can it make your life easier?

A website builder is a service which is designed to allow even those unfamiliar with HTML code or website design to create their own websites. With "drag and drop" features that allow anyone to choose how they want their page to look and then click on those tools to include them, virtually anyone can create a website these days without the help of a professional web designer.

There are more than a few of website building services available. Some of these offer free versions of their sites, as well as paid upgrades. Most offer a number of ready-made templates that you can use to create your website, or let you customize templates to better fit your goals. Some also provide e-commerce tools, such as stores with secure transaction processing where you can sell merchandise online.

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Website Builder FAQ

Are there any free website builders?

Yes, but free website builders should generally be avoided because they fall short of many features that paid website builders include. There are exceptions, such as WordPress, which is free (if you download and self-host your own copy) and is a very powerful and flexible website builder.

How long does it take to build a website with a website builder?

It all depends on how comfortable you are with the features of a particular website builder. Some are easier to use than others. For example, some will build your website for you after you fill in a form with your business details, resulting in a new website in just a few minutes. Others will require you to have a basic understanding of the common parts and pages of a typical website, which can take up hours of work on your part.

Do I need to buy a domain name first before I use a website builder?

It depends on the website builder you choose. There are several that offer a full package, including the ability to register your domain, build your site, and host it on your domain right within the same service. Others split up domain registration and hosting into separate concerns.

Is there anyone who should not use a website builder?

Anyone who is approaching the task of creating a website for the very first time, especially with little knowledge of how to make successful websites, should consider hiring someone who has that expertise. In spite of the ease of use promised by many website builder companies, websites can be quite complicated when it comes to things like user experience, proper calls to action, image rights, color coordination, search engine optimization, and accessibility for people with disabilities.

If I start building a website with a website builder, can I turn over the rest of the work to a professional?

Generally, professionals prefer to have creative input prior to any work being done on your website. If you've already done some design or content placement, you'll find it more difficult to find someone who is willing to finish what you've started. If you want a professional to do it, but still want to use a website builder for easy content maintenance, engage their services before you sign up for a website builder plan. Your professional may have some ideas of which one to use and how to make it easier to use your website builder.

Will using a website builder hurt my search ranking?

Using a website builder can definitely harm your search ranking if you are not careful. Be sure to follow all the guidance the builder may give you on search engine optimization. If the builder doesn't provide that information, or the capabilities necessary for better SEO, you should not choose that builder. Do your research into which builders provide better SEO than others.

What is the best reason to use WordPress?

The number one reason to use WordPress is content portability. Many website builders want to lock you into their services, so while they may make it easy to import your content from another builder, they sometimes make it difficult or impossible to export your content for importing to another service. If you start with WordPress, you'll have the most content portability.

Is there a reason not to use WordPress?

WordPress is very popular. It currently runs 35% of the websites across the entire Internet. Even though it's very easy to get a new website up and running with a default theme, free theme, or paid theme, it can sometimes become more complicated and frustrating as your content grows or your needs become more advanced.

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Website Builders - What Are They?