Do you want to build a website but don't know how to design or code?
Fear not, as there's a more efficient way to create a website, and that's using a Website Builder. Thanks to website builders, we don't need to do everything from scratch to develop a website.
What would've taken weeks or even months to accomplish can now be done within hours or even minutes with the help of website builders.
So, what is a website builder? And how does it work? Let's begin our journey to find the answers to these burning questions.
What is a Website Builder?
A website builder is a programmed tool or platform that allows you to create and design websites without coding and designing knowledge or experience.
Website builders typically provide an easy-to-use interface, drag-and-drop functionality, and pre-designed website templates that allow you to customize your website's layout, content, and design elements.
You can create different websites with the help of a good website builder.
Types of Website Builders
There are many types of website builders under the main category of Online Website Builders and Offline Website Builders. Both options have their fair share of pros and cons.
You can check out our list of the best website builders to learn more about different types of website builders.
Offline Website Builders
An offline website builder requires you to download and install the builder software and all of its components on your computer to work. So it involves a lot of manual effort, and you can't get help from any remote teammates.
An offline website builder is the best solution when you want to work on your project without an internet connection. You can continue the development process on your computer and see the output in an internet browser.
Some most popular offline website builders include WordPress, Gator, and Mobirise.
Online Website Builders
On the other hand, online website builders are developed to be more user-friendly and accessible. You will get all the components and elements organized in a web application to save you the pain of managing them yourself.
An online website builder makes team collaboration easier. You can add multiple teammates to work seamlessly on the same project to make the process faster.
There are various types of the online website builder. Here are the most popular options among the many online website builders:
Drag-and-drop Website Builders
Nowadays, most online website builders offer a drag-and-drop editor. The drag-and-drop builders allow you to design your website by dragging and dropping pre-designed elements, such as text boxes, images, and videos, onto a web page. It makes the process simple and convenient for any level of user.
Examples of drag-and-drop website builders are Dorik, Squarespace, Zyro, etc.
CMS Website Builders
Many online website builders come with a Content Management System (CMS). CMS website builders allow you to create and manage your website's content using a simple interface. These website builders offer a wide range of pre-designed templates and integration options that can be used to customize the website's appearance and functionality.
Some popular examples are Dorik and WordPress.
Code-based Website Builders
These website builders are designed for more advanced users who want more control over their website's code. They typically offer more customization options and allow users to modify the website's HTML, CSS, and JavaScript code or use custom codes.
Examples of this type of builder include Wix and Weebly.
No-code Website builders
No-code website builders allow you to design and develop websites without writing a single line of code. A no-code website builder is an ideal option for any type of website. You can create a portfolio website as well as start a web design business with it.
Some popular no-code platforms are Dorik, WordPress, Bubble, etc.
How Does a Website Builder Work?
Website builders work by providing you with a range of high-quality templates and themes. You can select the template that best reflects your website requirements and customize it for further branding.
You will get design elements like buttons, images, text boxes, and widgets to drag and drop onto your web page. You can customize each element by adding your content, changing colors and fonts, and rearranging the layout.
Most website builders offer a range of features that you can add to your website. The features include contact forms, membership, payment buttons, social media icons with links, etc., to make your website more advanced and feature-rich.
With a membership feature, you can create a membership website and start growing a community.
Once you've finished designing your website, you can publish it online with the click of a button. The site builder will take care of all the technical aspects, such as hosting and SEO functionalities, so you won't have to worry about it.
How to Choose a Website Builder?
When choosing a website builder, there are several factors to consider. But you don't have to worry about all of them at once. Here are the most basic and important ones to keep in mind:
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Website's Goal: To kick things off, think about your goals for your website. Do you need a simple blog or a more complex business site? This will help you determine what features and functionality you need from your website builder.
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Budget: Consider how much you are willing to spend on the website. Some website builders are free, while others require a monthly or yearly subscription fee. Having a budget will help you to make a shortlist of potential contenders.
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Customizations: Take a look at the website builder's design templates and customization options. Choose a web builder that offers a range of templates that match your vision for your website. Also, ensure that the templates are fully customizable.
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Reviews: It's a good exercise to read reviews from real users. It'll give you a clear picture of what you can expect from the web builder. You can also compare the features of different builders to find the web builder that best meets your needs.
Why Should You Use a Website Builder?
You should use website builders to save time, money, and effort. Website builders take care of all the technical aspects of building a website as a budget-friendly solution.
You won't have to design the user interface or write code to develop the website. Website builders will handle all of that.
You can just select a template that best suits your requirements, change some texts and elements to reflect your branding, and publish the website. This whole process will be done within a day, even if you're a beginner.
Now, think about building a website from scratch. You need a designer to design the interface and a team of developers to convert the design into code, and you'll have to pay them separately.
On top of that, when you need to change something, you'll have to contact them again. You'll find the process complex and expensive if you're not someone from a technical background.
What Can You Do with a Website Builder?
You can do everything you need or want to do with your website using a website builder. You can use it to create a professional-looking website with a unique design, layout, and branding that matches your vision.
With a website builder, you can build a variety of websites. You can create a portfolio website; you can start a blog, or even build full-fledged websites for small businesses with online stores.
You'll also get the flexibility to use all the features and functionalities that you wish to use on your website. You won't have to learn to code or design to do that; how cool is that?
Here are some inspirational examples of what you can accomplish with a website builder:
How do I Get Started with a Website Builder?
Getting started with website builders is easier than a walk in the park. You need to take some simple steps to go from signing up to publishing your first website.
Let's show you the steps to get started with Dorik to give you an idea about why Dorik is a great website builder and is one of the best options right now to create a website.
Dorik is built to be user-friendly, so it has a close-to-zero learning curve. Here are 5 simple steps you need to complete before you can publish your website with Dorik's free plan.
Step 1: Signing Up for Dorik
Visit Dorik and click the "Try Dorik Now" button to get started without registration. You can try this option if you want to explore the website builder. But if you wish to publish your site or keep it saved to customize later, you must Sign Up to Dorik.
I recommend taking the sign-up route, as it will unlock many features, including publishing the website.
Step 2: Enter the Dashboard
After signing up, you will be directed to the Dorik Dashboard to manage your projects and control website settings. The Dorik Classic option is good for building static sites, while the Dorik CMS is best for blogging and more dynamic sites.
Step 3: Select a Template
Clicking "Create New Website" will take you to the starting point of creating your website. You will see a list of templates to choose from to customize your website according to your needs.
When you select a template, you will see a pop-up form asking you to set a project name and a domain name. Fill them out to enter the website builder. In the free plan, you can select a subdomain name to publish your site, and you can connect a custom domain with a premium plan.
Step 4: Explore the Builder
When you enter the builder, you can first check out all the available options to familiarize yourself with the interface. You will see options to change the page settings, check the responsiveness, save the progress, preview and publish the website, and more.
You can explore them to make yourself familiar with every available option.
Step 5: Publish Your Website
You can publish your website with the click of a button. But before you click "Publish," you can preview your site to see if everything looks perfect by clicking the "Eye Icon."
Then, you can click "Publish" to make your site live and see the live version by clicking the upward arrow icon sitting beside the publish button.
That's it; you have successfully published a fully-functioning website. That was easy, right?
Website Builder Features to Look Out For
Let's discuss some essential basic features of a good website builder to create a professional website. Any offline or online website builders must have these features to be worthy of your consideration.
Customization Options
A good website builder always thinks about the comfort of the users. Look for website builders that offer a wide range of customization options, such as customizable templates, drag-and-drop editors, and extensive design tools.
User-Friendly Interface
A user-friendly interface is essential when using a website builder. Choose a website builder that has an intuitive, easy-to-use interface that allows you to create and customize your website quickly and easily.
Mobile Responsiveness
It's important to select an online website builder that offers mobile-responsive website templates that adapt to different screen sizes. The reason behind that is more and more people are browsing the internet from mobile devices. So, mobile compatibility is a crucial thing to consider.
SEO Tools
Look for online website builders that offer built-in Search Engine Optimization tools, such as metadata customization, XML sitemaps, built-in image optimizer, and clean code, to help improve your website's visibility and search engine rankings. Search engines love a website with the right SEO settings.
Cost-effective Plans
The website builder you choose must offer budget-friendly plans. It is one of the main reasons to use a website builder, so it is an uncompromisable feature. An affordable website builder will offer you web hosting services with the plan so that you don't need to take services from another web host.
Integrations
Many website builders allow you to integrate your website with multiple tools and platforms for analytics, marketing, and sales purposes. Popular platforms like Google Analytics, Sendinblue, Zapier, etc., can help you to hugely improve the user experience of your website.
Low Learning Curve
As you will use a website builder to enjoy an effortless site creation process, the website builder must offer a low learning curve. You should be able to get the hang of it almost instantly. A simple drag-and-drop editor or visual editor, sufficient tutorials, and learning materials will definitely take some pressure off of you.
As you want to build your own website without any coding knowledge or technical skills, the low learning curve is a must-have feature.
For your information, Dorik offers all of these features and more. Dorik websites are best for SEO. So, if you build a website with Dorik, you can easily make your website visible on Google search.
FAQs About Website Builders Answered
Do I Need a Website Builder?
No, you don't necessarily need a website builder to create a website. You can hire a web designer or developer to create a custom website for you. However, website builders offer an affordable, easy-to-use alternative for people who want to create a website themselves without any coding or technical knowledge.
Ultimately, whether or not you need a website builder depends on your specific needs and preferences. If you're looking for a quick and cost-effective way to build a website, a website builder may be the best option for you.
Which Online Website Builder is Best?
There is no one-size-fits-all option here, as the best online website builder for you depends on your specific needs, preferences, and budget. There are many popular website builders out there.
However, if I were to recommend you one, then I'd definitely recommend Dorik as it ticks all the right boxes. It's one of the best website builders with jam-packed features and functionalities. You can create and publish any type of website with ease using Dorik, and it is very budget-friendly too.
Final Thoughts
Whether you are an artist, a photographer, a small business owner, a writer, a blogger, or from any other profession, you need to create a personal website. Website builders made our life a lot easier by allowing us to do that without developing coding or designing skills.
With the help of a website builder, you can establish a strong virtual presence with a stunning website faster and more conveniently.
Now that you know what a website builder is and how it works, do you feel like exploring some options?
If the answer is YES, then You can try Dorik now and start creating your dream website.
