Will the future of web designers and developers be dim? To be frank, with the rise of website builders like Squarespace and Weebly, companies wouldn’t want to hire a web designer when they can save cost and just create their website using one of the available website builders. Let’s dive into the basics of website building and web development.
The Definition of A Website Builder
So, what really is a website builder? In simpler terms, there is no coding involved. You don’t have to know how to code in order to use a website builder. It involves a whole lot of dragging and dropping. These website builders are made with some predetermined functions built inside ready-made templates. A website builder was born to help those with little to no coding and designing knowledge.
Pros of A Website Builder
Considering the fact that all you need to do is drag and drop items to create a website, it is pretty much easy to use and very beginner-friendly. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out how to use a website builder. With plenty of themes available from theme marketplaces like the Festinger Vault, ThemeForest and Big Cat Creative, setting up a website using a website builder is a much more affordable option.
Cons of A Website Builder
Unfortunately, all good things come with a cost. One of the biggest drawbacks of website builders is their limitations when it comes to editing the website such as performing your own customizations. Some of the features are not available to free users as well. In order to gain access to these additional features for your website, you’d have to pay and upgrade your account. This is why website builders are only great when you are just starting out with a low budget. If you are a big-time e-commerce website, obviously a website builder will do you no good. Furthermore, ready-made templates are used all around the world which would make your website no different than others. Even worse, some website builders limit the number of pages you can create, which is bad if you want to scale your business such as adding a new service.
The Definition of A Web Developer
Clearly, a web developer never uses a website builder. They code every single thing from scratch. Web developers write codes with specific functionality and it gets uploaded onto the website after it’s completed. The website will go through several rounds of testing and most importantly, it meets the client’s expectations by including all the necessary functions and requirements needed.
Pros of Hiring A Web Developer
The quality of a website built by a web developer would without a doubt be of better quality than what a website builder could ever offer. You won’t have to worry about anything malfunctioning as the web developer will make sure that everything works fine. Your business could also stand out from your competition by having a unique website specially designed just for you. It will definitely be unique since the idea of hiring a web developer is to get a one-of-a-kind design that not everyone is able to gain access to, unlike website builders where everyone is able to use the same design. Plus, you also get to have some technical support whenever something happens to your website. Most web developers offer this service after they are done building your website.
Cons Of Hiring A Web Developer
Web developers would often charge you way higher due to the fact that they write all the codes from scratch, tailored to your needs and requirements. The amount of time taken to come up with the best solution for your business could really add up to the final cost of a website design. Plus, it could take a much longer time to set up your website since there will be a lot of back and forth planning involved at the start. With the web developer building everything from scratch, it would naturally take up more time compared to a website builder.
The Final Verdict
So, have website builders taken over the roles of a website designer or developer? The real answer to this is: yes and no. Why? Because small-time business owners with a lower budget could easily use a website builder to kickstart their business, especially when their capital is low as well. Hence, back then when there were no website builders, these small business owners had no choice but to hire someone to do it for them. However, there are still many business owners that prefer to get someone to do it entirely because they would rather not work on the technical side of things. Thus, there will always be a demand for website designers or developers, even with the birth of website builders.
