As a business
owner, you’ll already understand the importance of which your website has in
terms of your success. Any customers or clients who are interested in your
business and working with you will visit your website, so whether you’re a
brick and mortar company or an online retailer or service, getting your website
right should be a top priority.
However, when it actually comes to how to build a website from scratch, you’ll soon notice there are two approaches you can choose between; using a website builder vs web developer. The question is, which one is right for you?
In today’s guide, we’re going to explore everything you need to know when it comes to figuring out the winner of the website builder vs web developer fight, and which you should choose for your business.
Who Actually Needs a Website?
Just so we’re on
the same page, everyone in the modern age who wants to succeed will need to
have their own website. Think about your own life and how you approach using
new businesses, companies, or services.
Do you dive
straight in and make a purchase, or go into town and look around? The chances
are, like many people, you probably don’t. Instead, you’ll take to Google,
you’ll have a little look around, you’ll get some ideas of what you’re looking
for, where to go, and then you’ll make your decision and spend your money.
This is what the
vast majority of people will do, and if they access your website during the
research stage and it’s not ticking the boxes of what they’re looking for,
they’ll go elsewhere.
It doesn’t
matter whether you’re an online store, a retail business, a service website, a
freelancer, a restaurant, a sports gear shop, or even a charity organisation,
there’s no denying that getting your website right is essential.
Building Your Website
All websites
need to be built, and once they’re built, they need to stay updated, fresh, and
looking their best. Just like your business itself, having a website is all about
giving your customers the very best experience you possibly can.
The two
approaches we’ve mentioned above is the classic website builder vs web
developer. One approach is where you can build the website yourself, whereas
the other is hiring a professional to do the job for you.
Both have their
advantages and disadvantages, and it’s important to ensure you’re taking your
time as a business to make sure you’re spending your money, time, and other
resources in the right places, so let’s dive into both.
What is a
Website Builder?
A website
builder, also commonly referred to as a CMS (Content Management System), is a
platform that aims to take the stress out of building websites yourself.
Whereas in the past you would have had to code your website from scratch using
HTML coding, something that would take years to learn properly, you can now
just drop your content into the boxes however you like, rearrange your boxes
based on themes and templates (or create your own), making it easier than ever
for anybody, even people with limited technology skills, to create great
looking websites.
Typically, using
a CMS platform will take you three to five days to create a website from
scratch, and you’ll simply need to follow the process it provides you. You’ll
be creating a homepage, several sales pages, a contact page, and then you’ll
usually have a space to upload things like store items you want to sell, or for
writing your own blog posts.
Of course, while
this may seem basic, you’ll always have the opportunity to take things as far
and as advanced as you would like. This
includes investing in more advanced templates that add more functionality to
your website, adding an online store where you can make sales or make bookings,
or just create sales pages as you please.
What makes using
a website builder so special is the fact that the entire website creation and
launching processes are handled, and you’ve taken step by step from start to
finish. All you need to do is fill in
the boxes, add your own content, optimise your website, so it ranks highly in
the search engines, and then launch.
The Dos and Donts of Using a Website Builder
When it comes to
creating and launching websites, generally speaking, using a website builder is
the most affordable approach. Since you’ll be doing most of the work yourself
and you’re simply using the resources and assets that the website builder
provides, the cost is minimal.
In fact, the
only things you’ll really need to pay for is the hosting for the website, in
which prices can start around the $3.50 per month mark, and then the price of
the assets you use. Some assets are free, whereas others can cost several
hundred dollars, depending on how professional and how many features these
templates offer you.
The truth is
that you can always start with a free template and then build it up and invest
more and more as you grow over time, which is another advantage since the cost
of your website can be spread out over time, and you can invest as you grow
steadily, rather than paying one risky lump sum.
Of course, there
are some downsides to be aware, the most obvious of these being that you need
to do everything yourself. From setting up the accounts and hosting to writing
your website content and filling out all the space, you need to have the patience
and time to carry out these tasks.
It can easily
take a week to get everything how you want it, especially if you have a large
website and you want to make edits and perfect your content, and if you don’t
really know what you’re doing, this can take much longer. What’s more, if
you’re trying to run a business at the same time, you may not have a ton of
time to invest, which may make it take even longer.
What is a Web Developer?
A web developer
is a professional person or company who has the ability to create your website
from scratch. Typically, web developers will be fluent in programming
languages, such as HTML, and will have the experience to know what works with a
website and what doesn’t.
By far the
biggest benefit of using a web developer is the fact you can have whatever you
want. Whereas with a website builder, you’re somewhat restricted to the
templates you have access too, especially if you have limited know-how on how
they work, a web developer can create whatever you ask for.
Whether that means
having a basic website with a few pages or a fully integrated online store
where you can manage everything from shipping and inventory to blogs and
marketing, a web developer can create it all.
Another benefit
a web developer has in the website builder vs web developer conversation is
that everything is handled on your behalf. This means that you don’t need to do
anything except telling the developer what you want and what you want things to
look like.
They’ll come
back to you time to time with a plan for you to approve, and asking you if
everything is okay, but this will just involve you looking over your project to
choose what you like and whether you’re happy with the final outcome.
This gives you
more time to focus on all the other aspects of your business, and the website
will take care of itself. Moreover, web developers tend to be much faster at
delivering you a fully operational website in a couple of days, making this
approach great if you’re in a rush for a website fast.
The Details
of Using a Web Developer
While beneficial
in many ways, this doesn’t mean that using a web developer doesn’t come without
its disadvantages. Perhaps the most important you’ll need to think about is how
much hiring a web developer is going to cost. Even for a basic website with
hosting, several pages, and perhaps some kind of custom functionality, such as
a manageable online store, this could end up costing thousands of dollars.
What’s more,
once the website is built, web developers tend to close the contracts stating the
job is complete. This means that if you want to update the website or make
changes in the future, you’ll need to pay to have it changed. However, more
commonly, you’ll still be able to edit website content, add blog content, and
change basic information yourself whenever you want, and a web developer should
tell you how to do this.
You’ll also need
to think about how you’re marketing your website and gaining traffic. There are
plenty of ways to do this. Still, while a CMS platform like MOTOCMS will help you
with certain techniques, if you use a web developer, this is all in your hands,
unless you hire a marketing company, which is easily going to cost you another
couple of thousand dollars.
When you
consider that using a website builder is probably going to cost you a maximum
of $400 for a pretty standard website with a lot of functionality opportunities
(a really basic website of just pages of content costing around $200), this is
definitely the most expensive approach.
Defining Your
Approach for the Future
It’s important
to think about your approach to your website. So far, we’ve focused on building
your website from scratch, from zero to a fully functional website. However, if
you’re not building from the ground up but rather updating your website, you’ll
need to think about what you’re doing and how you’re approaching this in the
context of website builder vs web developer.
If you’re
completely overhauling your website and you’ve used a web developer, you’ll
need to pay for a completely new website to be designed, which is going to be
very expensive. Of course, if you’re just updating certain aspects, such as
content and images used, you’ll be able to do this yourself or pay a small fee
for the edits.
However, if
you’ve used a website builder platform, completely overhauling your website to
get it a fresh new look has never been easier. Especially if all your content
is in set places, you can simply pay for and upload a new theme or design
template, and all the changes will be made automatically, with perhaps only a
few small edits needed to tidy things up.
When you’re
looking into the long-term for your website, this is such an important point to
consider, especially when you consider the fact this is something you’re going
to want to do at some point.
Website
Builder vs Web Developer; Which is Better?
All in all, the
approach you take in the website builder vs web developer comparison really
depends on what kind of website you’re after and how many resources you’re able
to invest.
If you’re ready
to invest thousands of dollars on a custom website, you know exactly what
you’re after, and you need the website delivered quickly, then go for a web
developer. This is ideal if you’re an established business looking to rebrand
or update their website, or you have the investment ready to go, and a website
is a core part of your business.
However, if
you’re a smaller business, a freelancer or you lack investment and want to grow
steadily over time, always use a website builder. Website builders like MOTOCMS
have come a long way over the last few years, and never before have they
offered so much variation and customisability in such an easy and affordable
way.
It doesn’t
matter what kind of business you have, or for what kind of purpose you’re
creating your website for, a website builder can help you achieve it. This is
also such a great approach because you can learn the process of what goes into
making a website and what people like and don’t like, which is an ideal
business skill to have when it comes to running businesses in the 21st Century.
Final
Thoughts
At the end of the day, narrowing down your website creation options to just the website builder vs web developer approach is the best way to move forward, but it’s important to take your time to see what works best for you. Choose what your priorities are and make the best decision that maximizes your investment and gets you the best result.
Molly Crockett is a marketing blogger for Ukwritings and Boomessays, who focuses on how businesses can protect themselves from industry, advancement and legal threats. She is always seeking ways to help develop writing and research skills in young people, and contributes to the Essayroo.
