A good website is the foundation of your online marketing efforts and the virtual storefront to display your products or services to your target audience. Potential clients expect a company’s web design to be uncluttered, easy to navigate and quick to load, while being interesting enough to hold their interest.
With so many online website builders available, many business owners opt to build their own websites rather than paying for professional website design. While it may be the appropriate decision for some small businesses, there are pros and cons to online website builders.
The Pros
-Wide Selection – There are many online website builders out there, that come with a variety of pre-made templates. Choosing one depends on your budget and criteria.
-No Programming Required – You do not need to learn programming languages to build a website with online site builders. Adding text and images in these programs is as simple as clicking the appropriate function and following the instructions.
-Affordable – Packages usually include a basic website, web hosting and an email address.
-Easy to Integrate Features – You can usually drag-and-drop to add features such as shopping carts, forms and payment options.
While these pros may make online website builders seem like the optimal choice for building your website, it is important to consider the drawbacks.
The Cons
-Limited Design Features- Since you are working from templates, generally you cannot incorporate your own design. You run a great risk of your site looking generic, or very similar to others on the Internet.
-Costly Expansion- Once you have reached the maximum data allowed by your hosting package, it may be very costly to add additional features or purchase more space to expand your website as your business grows. These builders are not capable of handling large or complex websites.
-Unreliable- Your data is stored off site when you use an online website builder. If the builder you choose is not reliable, you run the risk of losing your entire website.
-Limited Hosting Availability- Not all online website builders are compatible with all web-hosting services. You may be limited to a web-hosting provider that experiences downtime during high traffic spikes, or limits bandwidth.
It is very important to carefully weigh the pros and cons of online website builders before launching the site that will represent your business.
Weighting You Options
We believe your website should represent who you are and what you do, intersecting great design with user accessibility. We strive to meet the needs of each client no matter how unique. Contact us today to schedule a meeting or just to talk.
