The quality of an artists’ craft depends on the tools he uses. And when it comes to the web design and development process, no matter how skilled you are, you’d still need modern web design tools to deliver exceptional work in a little time.
You can’t be against the tools and plugins that simplify a designer’s and developer’s job. In the current era, when businesses need a website, have different budgets, and expect a quick turnaround, a website builder can be a lifesaver.
So yes, web design and development agency do use website builders. And if you’re someone who’s new to web design and development, you must learn to use the best ones.
Some agencies expect you to be proficient in one of the tools or else you won’t be considered qualified enough for the role.
If you don’t know what a website builder is, why agencies use it, and what are the features to look for in any website builder, then stay with us. By the end of reading this article, you will have learned everything about it.
What’s a Website Builder?
A website builder is a tool that lets you create design and even a complete website without writing lengthy codes. Even if you’re not a developer, or someone really techy, you can create a website by simple drag and drop.
A website builder comes with a vast range of templates. You can customize them as per your needs, or simply apply the existing templates to your website.
Small customization acts such as changing the background, font color, or family, and the layout look can be modified by making small tweaks in the HTML and CSS.
What’s the Difference Between Manual Coding vs Using a Website Builder?
Well, both have pros and cons. When you are using a website builder, your core objective is to get the job done fast without burning any such resources. As said before, when your client has a small budget, you may resort to a website builder.
Web developers don’t create designs and functionalities from scratch when they are using a website builder. They get built-in functionalities and occasionally they have to make small tweaks in them to customize the website according to the client’s needs.
On the other hand, when you aim to create everything from scratch, you will have to write every single line of code by yourself.
Say you are developing a corporate website with lots of advanced functionalities. Here, you will prefer to write code from scratch because designing complex functionalities in an existing template will take even more time.
Likewise, a template-based website is not SEO-friendly, can’t be exported to another platform if it is hosted on your website builder server, and may present load time delays.
Is Using a Website Builder Unethical?
No, using a website is perfectly fine. An electrician can’t fix a fan without his tools, a carpenter can’t do woodwork without a hammer, in the same way, a web developer may occasionally have to use a website builder.
More often than not, clients are not concerned about the technology you use but the final product. If their website is fascinating and meets their objectives, they won’t bother about the technology used to create it.
And as mentioned above, if they are on a low budget, their first choice is a template-based WordPress website that doesn’t cost as much as the one created from scratch.
As long as you have informed your client that their website will be created using a website builder, it’s fine. The only time it gets unethical is when you present a template-based website as a site developed from scratch.
How to Choose the Best Website Builder – What Features to Look for?
Now that you know what a website builder does and why it’s OK to use it, it’s time to walk you through what to look into when you are choosing one.
1. Ease of Use
Since you are either not a developer or looking to cut down the total development time, it’s important to consider the usability of a tool. Most website builders offer a drag and drop interface with powerful editing tools that let you make changes on the go.
2. Features
And then comes the most important bit about these website builders: Features. Before you choose one, make sure it has all the features you need including bulk templates, customization options, and some bonus features like Google Analytics, third-party material tools, etc.
3. Portability
Portability is another important factor to consider when choosing a website builder. Some website builders don’t let you make a switch from a hosting platform, and your website’s performance continues to suffer. In the end, you will have to create another website from scratch or bear up with the current one.
Conclusion
Using a website builder or creating every website from scratch is your choice. As far as web design agencies are concerned, they do use website builders. And it’s ethical to use one if you have educated your clients regarding the pros and cons of a website built using a builder.
