Website builder

What is a Website Builder?

If you know Squarespace, Wix, and WordPress, then you know what a website builder is. These are platforms that help anyone create and design websites without advanced coding knowledge. 

These tools are usually designed for personal websites or small businesses that don't need intricate workflows or advanced integrations.

With intuitive features, drag-and-drop functionality, pre-designed templates, and a straightforward interface, website builders allow non-technical users to build an online presence at lightning speed. 

Overview & Key Features

Today most website builders on the market offer similar features and functionality. The most common ones are: 

  • Drag-and-Drop Interface: This is the most user friendly way to build a website. Users can move different elements such as text, images, CTA buttons and more and place them on a page visually—not one line of code required. 

  • Pre-Built Templates: Website builders let you choose from thousands of professionally pre-designed templates that you can adapt to your brand colors and fonts in just a few clicks. 

  • Responsive Design: Most website builders templates are responsive and adjust to different screen sizes, from desktops to smartphones.

  • Integrated Hosting: Some website builders bundle in web hosting, reducing technical complexity.

  • Plugin or App Ecosystem: Website builders on their own are limited in features outside of building pages but they created ecosystems with 3rd party plugins( ecommerce, checkout, seo etc..) that allow users to add functionalities. Beware that plugins have to be maintained regularly and from a trusted 3rd party to avoid  security breaches. 

What is the difference between Website Builder vs. Content Management System

Website builders and a Content Management System (CMS)have the same end goal: help users create, manage and publish content online. Where they differ is  flexibility, complexity, and use cases. Let’s take a look at what makes them different: 

  1. Technical Skill Required

  • Website Builder: This is a beginners and non-technical users tool. With drag-and-drop interfaces and pre-set templates no need for any coding knowledge is needed.
  • CMS: Often requires a basic technical knowledge and learning curve as they are designed to offer more advanced functionalities such as workflows and custom entities. 

  1. Customization & Flexibility

  • Website Builder: Usually offer customizable templates but these customizations are limited to colors and font. 
  • CMS: A content management platform is built to be flexible and allow marketers and  developers to modify the site’s code, structure, and functionality extensively.

  1. Hosting & Setup

  • Website Builder: Usually includes integrated hosting, domain management, and technical updates in one package.
  • CMS: it will depend on your provider but then can be self-hosted or hosted by a provider. 

  1. Scalability & Complexity

  • Website Builder: Ideal for smaller budgets - small sites, personal blogs, portfolios, and SMBs - who are looking to get up and running quickly without involving developers. Website builders show limits when it comes to complex structures and managing high traffic. 
  • CMS: A content management system is more robust and designed for mid-size businesses, enterprises and businesses with international reach or multi-brands. It is highly customizable and offers secure enterprise-grade solutions with complex workflows, multi-language content, and integrations.

  1. Cost Considerations

  • Website Builder: Usually subscription-based, often with tiered pricing (free plans, basic, premium, eCommerce). Cost is predictable but can scale up with added features.
  • CMS: Varies widely and depends on needs and support levels. Some can be “free” in terms of software (e.g., open-source CMS) but you’ll need to budget for hosting, premium themes, integrations  and potential developer costs and other are others are subscription based ( SaaS CMS) and will include support and maintenance. 

  1. When to Choose Which

  • Website Builder: Teams looking for an out of the box solution. Want to be up and running in no time and have a limited budget, minimal coding knowledge. 
  • CMS: For mid-sized business and larger, more complex sites needing advanced customization, multi-channel publishing, or deeper integrations like custom APIs and headless architecture. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: How is a website builder different from a CMS?

A Content Management System is a solution for mid-sized businesses and enterprises that are looking to implement a robust and customizable solution for their online presence. It usually integrates seamlessly with their current tech stack and allows for omnichannel content delivery.  A website builder's main focus is simplicity and speed. It offers easy design and hosting in one package and comes as an out of the box solution. 

Q2: Can website builders handle large websites?

The long answer is yet but it will require technical intervention and backdoors to create a solid solution for large websites. It also probably will cost more than going straight to a CMS that is already designed for large sites.  

Q3: Do I need coding knowledge to use a website builder?

In most cases, no. Website builders are designed for non-technical users. But if you want more customization and get more than the basic out of the box features then some technical knowledge will be needed. 

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