Can Small Business Website Builders and DIY Site Builders Coexist?
A website is now a critical component for any small business. Developing and maintaining an online presence is vital to attract and convert visitors to paying customers. There are two ways to go about creating your site for your company. One is to use the services of professional web developers, and the other is to use a DIY site builder. Understand the definition and benefits of both choices to see if these options can coexist.
What is a Small Business Website Builder?
A site builder is a tool used to create websites. Many online services provide DIY solutions for people who wish to develop and maintain an online presence. People without any coding or design experience may use these DIY solutions.
However, small businesses may opt to use professional services to help create their website. Experts in the web development industry can help businesses of all sizes in establishing and sustaining a site. Small businesses may be better off with a site builder using professional services if the budget allows.
Professional web developers may have years of experience in the industry. Use this experience to your advantage to create noteworthy-looking websites.
Benefits of Using a Small Business Website Builder
Many advantages await small businesses who wish to take advantage of professional services in establishing and maintaining a website. These benefits include:
-
strong>Faster Uptime - Small businesses may not have the workforce or resources to create a website. The more time you might spend without an online presence, the more opportunities go to your competitors. It's essential to get a site up and running as soon as possible. Hiring professional services is a great way to develop your website fast. Individual site-developing companies may require you to choose a web host first. GoDaddy is fine in that regard.
-
Full Customization Possibilities - Professional web development services may have access to a significant number of resources to customize your website. Choose from different elements like custom banners, fonts, and images. Work closely with the website-developing firm to install plug-ins to create unique visitor experiences.
-
Personalized Support - Many web development companies have customer and technical support representatives. You may ask these representatives regarding various website concerns. Specific firms in this industry might even offer 24-hour customer support services.
What is a DIY Site Builder?
A DIY site builder lets users create websites using drag-and-drop functionality. For example, if you want to place an image on your website, drag the element from the template list to your site's draft. Click on the "Publish" button when you're satisfied with the results.
DIY site builders don't require professional assistance. Small businesses may choose this path in creating their online presence to help save costs.
Benefits of Using a DIY Site Builder
Like hiring professional services, different advantages exist for people who wish to use DIY site builders. A few of these benefits include:
-
Low Overhead Costs - Startup companies without a significant room to work with their budget may use DIY site builders. Many free online site builders exist. You may opt for paid subscription plans to unlock additional features. Still, these paid packages may be cheaper in comparison with expert web development services.
-
Beginner-Friendly Interface - Various DIY site builders use a drag-and-drop interface to cater to many beginner web designers. There's no need to learn programming languages like CSS or HTML. Albeit you'll have more significant customization opportunities if you know these languages.
-
A Broad Range of Free Themes - DIY website builders can provide a wide array of themes and templates you can use for your small business' site. Using these preset elements helps you save effort and time in creating the website. An entire site layout may be a few clicks away.
Can Small Business and DIY Site Builders Work Together?
The services of a web development company and DIY site builders may work together. However, the numbers of possibilities may be few.
Many web development firms have specific processes for creating websites. Technicians use particular tools and techniques to satisfy the needs of their clientele. On the other hand, DIY site builders, especially those that use drag-and-drop interfaces may clash with procedures of the professional web developer.
However, small businesses who wish to employ both services may find common ground for these options. For example, you may start with creating a draft website template with a DIY website builder. Once built, you can show the draft to your preferred web design and development company for the experts to fine-tune the model to your liking.
Remember, many DIY website builders have many limitations which may prevent you from achieving the functionalities you desire. The right features may even help boost click-through-rate (CTR) and visitor conversions. Professional web developers can get the programming code from your draft site and use it as a base for your upcoming e-commerce website.
Furthermore, a web development company can help eliminate specific drawbacks found in DIY site builders. For instance, using a DIY website builder means you have to deal with the limitations brought by a shared hosting server. Therefore, you can't fully enjoy your website since you don't have complete freedom for the content you want to put on the site.
Also, the DIY site builder may not have a backup feature for its users. If this DIY service breaks down or malfunctions, your business may go back to square one as every second lost from losing your website means losing potential customers. On the other hand, placing your trust in a web development company can give you backup options for your website. Therefore, you can quickly recover lost information in case of data loss.
Know your options when you're planning to use a website builder for small businesses. If you're a small business owner, you can take advantage of both DIY and professional website builders. Still, set your expectations properly to know the benefits and limitations for either option. Nonetheless, no matter what your selection may be, your business is going to step into a world with farther reach and better possibilities.