In the digital world of today, owning a website is no longer a need or a luxury but a necessity. Having a compelling website is the top priority of any successful marketing campaign for a business. A badly designed website is enough to drive away visitors and potential clients after one glance. Anyone today with little or no coding knowledge can create a decent-looking website using a website builder for free. Nonetheless, many opt to go the extra mile and spend the extra dollars to avail themselves of the services of a professional website designer from a custom website design company. So, how do you decide whether to use the website builder tool or the services of a website designer to build your website? This article dives deep into the differences between, pros and cons of both approaches to help you make an informed decision.
Website Builder vs. Web Designer? Points to ponder before you choose
There are advantages and disadvantages to both options, but the choice boils down to the nature of your business, your goals, and business revenue. If you are a new business without a proven track record, choosing an affordable website builder will be your best bet. On the other hand, if you are an established business making significant revenue, going for the services of a professional website designer will be the better option, and opting for a website builder may do more damage than good for your business.
The other factors that may influence your decision to choose between a website builder or a website designer are the costs, time to create the website, and functionality required. Once you determine your business needs clearly, you can analyze and weigh in on the options to create your website.
Different Options to Create a Website
What is a website builder?
A website builder is a “Do it yourself” toolkit that allows the user to build a website by using ready-made templates without requiring them to design it or write the code for it. The website builder offers a variety of templates for the user to choose from. You can find one that suits your needs, to begin with, and from there, you can customize your template by adding design elements and widgets to your website. There are many website builders in the market and each one of them have their unique offerings and a set of unique templates to choose from.
Offline and online website builders are both available; an offline builder allows you to create your website on a platform that you download to your computer. After you finish constructing the design elements, you can upload the files to a web host for publishing online.
Online website builders empower you to create your website entirely online with just a browser and an internet connection. Some website builders also offer a hybrid solution that combines the features of both online and offline platforms to offer a customized solution to businesses beyond the capabilities of the templates.
Pros of website builder
There are several good reasons to choose the website builder and it is probably the quickest, cheapest, and easiest way to get your site up and running. Here are the top benefits if you choose to go the builder route:
Cost
The most obvious perk of choosing the website builder is the cost. Website builders such as Squarespace or Wix can provide you a state-of-the-art, neat, ad-free website for a much lower price than if you were to choose a custom website design or a custom web design company. If you are a startup struggling to get a foothold in the market, the low numbers of website builders are hard to beat.
DIY Aspect
With a website builder, you can complete the entire process of website building yourself in just a few hours. You see your website come up in front of you without any coding and just a bit of time and effort for setup. You can make your website look the way you want it to with a little bit of trial and error.
No Design Experience needed
Thanks to pre-designed templates, you do not need prior experience to use a website builder. You can create a visually appealing website without any design skills. Although your website may not be very unique, you will have the option to customize certain elements such as colors, images, logos, and so on.
Built-in support
Website builders are efficient platforms designed to make things as simple as possible. If you run into any issue, the tool offers support that can walk you through the problem and resolve it. If you have any problems with your website, the support team is reachable any time via phone, chat, or email.
Ease of use
Website builders are designed for novice users to build simple websites. They provide the user with an easy-to-use interface, without requiring the expertise to build a website from scratch. The user can learn on the job and can master all the features in some time.
Cons of website builder
Mediocre Design
A website created through the templates of website builders may look reasonably good but the UX design may not be effective enough to win sales leads or conversions. It is challenging to achieve the most optimal design through builders to get the visitors to go where you want them to.
No uniqueness
Website builders have become very popular and several businesses are using similar templates. This may lead to your website design not being a stand-out or unique one. The generic design may diminish your chances of projecting your business apart from your competitors.
Not the best for SEO
Most websites built using website builders may not perform as well as those designed by professional website designers. This means that they stand a lesser chance of showing up in Google searches, making it tough to attract potential customers.
Resources usage
Although they are easy to use, website creation using a website takes time and valuable organizational resources. Key employees may need to take time out of their other important tasks to work on the website creation.
What is a web designer?
A web designer is a professional and qualified graphic designer from a custom web design company who can design your website entirely from scratch. While a website builder lets you work only within the parameters of the available templates, a web designer can craft the complete website from scratch on a blank canvas. You have the option of hiring a freelance web designer or a team of designers, developers, and marketers from a company that takes care of everything from conceptualization to the completed website.
Pros of hiring a website designer
Working with a website designer means working with a human being rather than a tool. You will be getting the perks of human input, attention to detail, and customized solutions. Let us explore some benefits of availing the services of a website designer.
Maintain consistent brand identity
A website designer helps your business to maintain a consistent brand identity by designing unique logos, images, and colours. You will get a custom website design that will pitch the uniqueness of your product or service.
Gain a competitive edge
A unique, one-of-a-kind website attracts your target audience to your business and helps you stand out from the competition. You can get your website to look however you want to through a website designer.
Attention to detail
A designer will have a keen eye towards nuances in website design. Be it custom illustrations, icons, images, or element arrangement, a designer can make several tweaks to deliver the website of your dreams.
Collaboration
Once you build a strong working relationship and trust with the website designer, he will form a deep understanding of your brand and can adjust the design as your business changes or scales.
Limitless possibilities
Unlike a website builder, a designer will be able to push past all design limitations and build an expansive and tailor-made website. Even if you have a complex and unconventional business, the designer can find you the best solutions for your unique needs through multiple visualizations and graphics.
Cons of hiring a website designer
Cost
The upfront costs of hiring the services of a professional web designer are quite high and difficult to manage for a new business.
Launch Time
Due to the detailing and customization involved, a professional website created by a website designer will take a significant amount of time to complete and launch.
Research needed
Just like any other service, you will need to do elaborate research before you choose a website designer via reviews, portfolios, and testimonials to ensure optimal results.
The Bottomline
Different situations call for different options for creating your website. The age, size, and the audience base of your business will influence factors such as risk vs. reward, cost vs. income, and time vs. functionality that can determine your decision between Website builder vs. Professional Web Designer for your website design.
References:
- Website builder vs. web designer: what’s the best way to get a website? – 99designs
- DIY Website Builder vs Professional Web Design – AWEBCO
FAQs Related to Custom Web Design:
Q. What is Custom Web Design?
A. Custom web design involves creating a website from scratch, tailored specifically to a business’s unique needs and brand identity, unlike using pre-designed templates.
Q. Why Choose Custom Web Design Over Template-Based Design?
A. Custom web design offers unique, brand-centric designs, better SEO capabilities, and tailored functionalities that align closely with your business goals and customer needs.
Q. How Much Does Custom Web Design Cost?
A. Costs vary widely based on project complexity, designer expertise, and additional services like SEO or content creation. Prices can range from a few thousand to tens of thousands of dollars.
Q. How Long Does It Take to Build a Custom Website?
A. The timeline can vary from a few weeks to several months, depending on the project’s complexity, the design process, and the revisions required.
Q. Can Custom Web Design Improve SEO?
A. Yes, custom web design can significantly improve SEO by optimizing the website structure, loading speed, and creating unique, keyword-rich content, enhancing your site’s visibility on search engines.
Q. Is Custom Web Design Suitable for Small Businesses?
A. While more costly, custom web design can be a valuable investment for small businesses looking to stand out in the market and offer a unique user experience.
Q. What Are the Key Elements of Custom Web Design?
A. Key elements include a unique layout, branded visuals, intuitive navigation, responsive design, SEO optimization, and personalized user experience.
Q. How Do I Choose a Custom Web Design Company?
A. Look for a company with a strong portfolio, positive client testimonials, a clear communication process, and the ability to understand and execute your vision.
Q. What’s the Difference Between Web Design and Web Development in Custom Websites?
A. Web design focuses on the website’s look and feel, while web development deals with the technical aspects of building the site’s functionality and structure.
Q. Can I Update My Custom Website Easily After It’s Built?
A. This depends on the content management system (CMS) used. Ensure your designer uses a CMS that is user-friendly and offers the flexibility for you to make updates as needed.
About Author
Hitesh Dhawan
Founder of Neuronimbus, A digital evangelist, entrepreneur, mentor, digital tranformation expert. Two decades of providing digital solutions to brands around the world.