What Is a Website Builder?
Builders designed to reduce the tiresome process of coding and create website without knowledge of code.
They provide easy graphical interfaces and numerous features to make your work easier.
Blocks are the main structure of website building tools.
You can use them to add text, pictures, videos, and so on. All you have to do is drag-and-drop them into position of your choice
Types of Website Builders
Here are the different types of site builder tools:
Offline Website Builder
An offline website builder can be downloaded and doesn’t require the internet to run. It depends on your device’s storage to save your website. Keep in mind this might lead to resource limitations.
Once complete, you’ll need to upload it to your hosting provider. Some examples include Adobe Dreamweaver, RapidWeaver, and CoffeeCup Software.
A good offline web development tool:
is suitable for professional designers
requires no internet connection
doesn’t depend on a web hosting service
allows you to transfer files
Offline website builders, however, have some serious downsides, limitations aside.
Pros:
✳They are fairly expensive
✳They have a steep learning curve require some technical skills
✳They need a hosting provider to publish online
Online Website Builder
The service mostly comes as an add-on from hosting providers. Content management systems (CMSs) such as WordPress have it as well.
You’ll need an active internet connection to use it. That gives you the advantage of working on the go.
Online builders are also more user-friendly. Apart from that, it enjoys a large support base of designers. You can use pre-built templates from third-party forums for free. Examples include Elementor, Ucraft, Thrive Architect, and others.
Pros:
✴they Require no software downloads
✳They are Accessible from any location
✴Great for collaboration
Here’s how a website builder software works:
Choose your website builder
First of all, choose the right tool. An offline website builder software is ideal for professionals. You get great design freedom. Those options often support the most popular coding languages.
On the other hand, online solutions are great for beginners. They come with handy tools for designing websites like a pro.
Most hosts offer the drag-and-drop feature as a free add-on. You can access it from cheaper shared hosting providers. You should, however, consider going for VPS tiers on Windows or Linux. These offer more computing power for a lag-free experience.
Choose the Right Template
All website designer tools come with a handful of templates. You can, however, get a wider variety with offline builders. A good example is Thrive Suite that offers 270+ options for free.
Of course, you can create one yourself. It’s what advanced users prefer.
Use the Editor
A good web page builder will allow customizations. You can add elements by using the content blocks. Widgets also help with that.
The styling options will make your website shine. You can optimize theme colors, change fonts, add background images, etc.
Preview
Website builder programs have an option for previewing your designs. It helps check the way your site appears to visitors. You can preview for both PCs and mobile devices. It’s an easy way to see what needs improvement.
Publish
Once satisfied, you can publish your site.
Pro tip: integrate Google Analytics. It will show you traffic volume, visitor location, keyword referrals, etc. The reports will help you optimize your marketing campaigns.
SEO
Search engine optimization (SEO) is essential for enhancing your site’s visibility. It helps improve your ranking on the likes of Google, Bing, Yahoo, and others. Most website builder tools offer basic SEO options.
Even though that works, it’s still not enough. You’ll need to use advanced tools for better results. Try SEMrush, SEOClerks, and SEO PowerSuite. These have superb auditing features to boost your rankings.
What Should You Look For in a Good Website Builder?
We discussed what a website builder is.
Now let me teach you how to find a good one.
Ease of Use
But how can you know a tool is user-friendly, without paying for it?
Examine the features it offers first. Read some reviews. Some website builder and hosting services even offer free trials. A good example is Wix that has a 14-day trial period. You can take advantage of it to test the waters.
Price
Most builders on the market are affordable. For example, Zyro’s pricing plans start from $1.89/month. You can use such a service to learn the ropes.
Premium options will come in handy if you have a bigger budget. Squarespace is a great option. It offers a long list of features for building ecommerce websites. You’ll, however, need to spare at least $12/month to enjoy the service.
Template Options
Templates are what make professional website builder tools stand out. Ensure that you settle for a solution with a wide variety of options. It will give you endless possibilities for creating unique websites. You should also confirm that your choice supports third-party designs. You’ll take advantage of this to use themes from other marketplaces.
Mobile Responsive
Over 80% of internet users surf the Web via mobile phones. You don’t want to lose visitors because of a badly optimized website. You should, therefore, look for a solution that creates responsive pages.
Customer Support
Sometimes things don’t work. And that’s okay. But you don’t want to get stuck with no help in sight. To avoid that, check the website building service level of support. You can easily find customer reviews from Trustpilot and others alike. Online forums also offer hundreds of user opinions.
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