What Is A Website Builder?
A website builder is a DIY tool that allows you to construct a website without any design or coding experience. Using a variety of pre-designed templates, you will be able to change the colours, add your own text and insert images. You might have heard mixed reviews on some of the most popular website builders available today, such as Squarespace, Wix and Weebly.
What Is A Custom-Built Website?
A custom-built website is created when a web designer and web developer work together to create you a unique website completely from scratch. Unlike a DIY website builder where you are restricted to working within the parameters of the template, a custom-built website gives you as much freedom as you want, to craft your website exactly as you want it.
DIY Builder vs Custom-Built
Cost vs Time
A website builder can knock up a website in a few hours for a very cheap cost, whereas a custom-built website is likely to take a much longer period of time at a higher cost. The most important thing to consider in this context is the value of the website. As much as a cheap website sounds great, deep down we all know that it will be unlikely to provide the same kind of value as its custom-built counterpart. Therefore, you need to consider what you are really looking for. If you are just searching for a means to an end, and are not interested in brand identity, maximising conversions and providing a robust customer journey, you could get away with a website builder. However, if you want to draw in more customers, grow your business and make more sales with a future-proof website, you will need to invest in a custom build.
Design
If you’re looking to maintain a consistent brand identity, hiring a web designer is probably the best way to go. Whilst you can maintain your branding with a website builder, it might be slightly harder due to constraints within the templates. A qualified designer will pay attention to even the smallest details that you might consider with a website builder. For example, responsive versions of your logo, brand fonts, Pantone colours and so much more. If you have a keen eye for design, then a DIY builder might work for you, but if you want something that looks truly professional, you’ll need to hire a designer!
SEO
Unfortunately, a custom-built website is not an immediate guarantee of an increase in search visibility. There are lots of different factors which play into your SEO rankings, some which you will be able to influence regardless of whether you go for a custom website or a DIY builder. The most important factor is your content – as long as you are writing highly relevant copy (centred around your keyword landscape) and aiming to write over 500 words per page, Google should rank you well. The only advantage of a custom-built site is that your developer will be able to guarantee that they have specifically optimised the website for technical SEO. This means having clean/light code, a good load speed, avoiding layout shift and ensuring your mobile responsive experience is optimal.
Future-proofing
A website created using a DIY builder will obviously have its limitations. If you aren’t looking to expand in the future or create new features on your website, then this is absolutely fine. However, if you want to expand your website, push the limits and respond to the latest design trends, you are better off speaking with a web design agency.
Support
Websites are very volatile. Things can chop and change all the time. For example, your website could be hacked, or there could be a major Google algorithm update which blows you out of the water. This is why it is great to have a relationship with an agency who know your website back to front… They will be able to offer support and fix any issues that arise. When you build a website online by yourself, you won’t have this same kind of support network.
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If you would like to discuss your website design requirements, please get in touch! We are an Oxfordshire based web design agency, working with clients all over the country to deliver high impact website design services at a range of costs. Please email [email protected] or call 01993 835 117. We would be happy to discuss your needs.
