There are two common ways to build a website. You can hire a website developer or choose a website-building software like WIX to create your website. But which one of them is the best way for website creation? Many potential customers ask me, “Should I choose a website software such as WIX?”, or “Should I hire a web developer to build a WordPress website?” “Is WIX better or WordPress?” “What’s the difference between WordPress & WIX?“.
Do you also need clarification about using website software or hiring a developer?
In this blog, I’ll share some differences between website builder software and website developer/designer so you can choose one according to your specific needs.
Let’s start!
#1 Cost of development
The cost of website development when using website software is much lower than hiring a website developer. It’s because, in the case of website software, all you need to do is choose a template, add a few pages, drag and drop a few elements, and write the content of each page, and you are done.
But in the case of a web developer, you will have to supply all the information & details to them, and they will design a custom structure/layout for your website; based on the design, your developer will create the website.
Recommended post: How much does a website developer in Singapore charge to build a website?
#2 Scope of customization
With website software/tools, there is minimal customization possibility. This is because this software doesn’t provide source codes for your web developer to make changes. Secondly, in most cases, your website will be hosted on the server of the website-building software. In other words, you may not wholly own the website.
However, when hiring a web developer, you can customize your website as much as possible. You also get complete ownership of the website (if you have followed the required handover process) from your developer. Your web developer will most likely host your website on a shared server you can access fully.
So, if you want complete ownership of your website (which I strongly recommend), you must hire a website designer rather than using website software.
#3 SEO-ability
The scope of SEO (search engine optimization) is also minimal in the case of website-building software like WIX or Squarespace. Of course, you can define basic SEO meta tags, such as titles, descriptions, etc., for each webpage. But you won’t be able to use advanced SEO plugins/modules if your website has been developed using software.
However, when you hire a web developer to build your website, they will most likely use WordPress to create it. If they do, you can install many incredible SEO plugins with your website, such as Yoast SEO, 301 Redirects, etc. Using these great WordPress plugins, you can rank your website in significant search engine positions.
So, if you are serious about your website’s organic marketing, hire a web developer to build your website and stay away from the website software/tools.
#4 Ease-of-use
Although website-building tools are effortless to use, and you can quickly build webpages by dragging and dropping various elements, you can’t add advanced plugins or modules to add new features to your website.
In the case of a custom WordPress website that your website developer will build, you can add most of the plugins yourself (without any technical knowledge). You can add various features to your website, such as a web form, popup, etc.
Don’t use website software if you intend to grow your website over time. Instead, hire a web developer to build a website using CMS.
#5 Long-term vision
Website-building software is not suitable for those with a long-term vision for their websites. If you intend to use your website as an asset of your business and grow your revenue, hire a web developer. Website tools/software are suitable for a short-term vision when you just need an elementary website to show your online presence.
Conclusion:
In the short term, hiring a web developer may cost you more than using software to create your website, but in the long run, you will get many benefits from building a website using a CMS.