Before website builders came along, building a new web page required technical expertise in programming languages such as HTML, CSS and JavaScript. This manual process was incredibly time consuming and offered no preview of how the finished product would look. Fortunately, website builder tools have changed all that. With an intuitive drag-and-drop interface, website builders give beginners the ability to easily create professional-looking websites without a single line of code.
The first step in website creation is identifying the purpose and desired functionality of your site. Once you have a clear understanding of what you want your site to do, it will be easier to plan the layout and content.
A good way to start the planning process is by creating a prototype or storyboard. This allows you to put more details into your concept and gives others a chance to offer input and critique. Having an extra set of eyes can be invaluable at this stage, especially if you’re too close to the project to see it clearly.
During this phase, you should also consider how your site will integrate with existing business systems and software. This can be done by incorporating APIs and plugins into your design. For example, if you have a CRM system, it may be easy to create website forms that incorporate the data from those leads into your sales and customer service processes. This will allow your visitors to quickly and easily contact you or book a service, and it will help to keep your business running smoothly and efficiently.
Another important aspect to consider is how your site will be built and hosted. This is particularly relevant if you are working with a developer. A custom-built site will typically take longer to create than a website that uses a CMS (content management system).
As you evaluate your options, be sure to look for a website builder that offers a variety of pre-designed templates to choose from. This can significantly speed up the website development process as you can use a template to guide your design and layout. In addition, many of these website builders will offer a range of customization options such as fonts and text styles.
The most popular website builders in the market are Squarespace and Wix, but you might want to check out some other options as well, such as WordPress or the in- house website creation tools of web hosts.
Some website builders are designed to work with specific types of sites, such as e-commerce or service websites. Others, like HubSpot’s CMS software, are a great choice for businesses that want to easily integrate their website with their CRM database and provide customers and prospects with personalized content.
Using a website builder to create your site will likely save you money in the long run. The cost of a website can add up fast, and using a tool that will allow you to quickly and easily create your site and update it as necessary will help keep costs down.
