Which Website Design Software Is the Right One for Me?
Building a website is supposed to be easy, right? It can be, if you choose the right software for your skills and needs. However, with so much website design software to choose from, it’s hard to make a choice. Let’s take a look at some basic information to help you choose your ideal design software.
#1 Time
How much time do you have to learn new software and design your site? If you’re aiming for a launch deadline, then you may not have tons of time. Some software programs have a steep learning curve. Others are intuitive and easy to use. Be realistic about the skills and knowledge you already possess and the time you have.
#2 Features
What is the purpose of your website? What do you need it to accomplish and provide? If you’re creating a very advanced site with a lot of bells and whistles, then you may want an advanced program to create it. However, if you’re creating a basic site, for example a theme-based site, then you may not need a professional software program. A simple site builder wizard may do the trick.
#3 Budget
Website design software ranges from free to thousands of dollars. Be realistic about your budget. If you’re building a website as part of a business, then be realistic about your return on investment as well. If you can recoup the cost of the software in six months to a year, then it’s likely worth the expense.
#4 Integration
Some website design software is fully capable of integrating with a number of add-ons. For example, you can use your software to design your site and then add on a second party shopping cart application. Other software programs don’t integrate well with much. What you see is what you get. Before purchasing website design software, create a plan. Plan what you want your website to be able to accomplish now. What features do you need?
Also plan for the future. How are you going to grow? What features and technologies might you need in the future? Think ahead. Of course you’re not going to be able to predict the future a hundred percent, so also pay attention to #5 below.
#5 Reliability and longevity
Ideally you want your website design software to be supported tomorrow and ten years from now. If you purchase software and they go bankrupt next week, there won’t be any developers working on maintaining and improving the program. However, if you purchase from a reliable company that’s been around for a while, you can be fairly certain you’re protected. You can also be fairly certain their developers will continue to grow and adapt the software to fit the demands of new technology.
If you’ve looked at all of the considerations and still aren’t sure how to compare, speak to other website owners. What software did they use? What did they like about it? What did they dislike about it? This is particularly helpful if they’ve built a site that’s similar to yours in purpose and function.
There are site builders for every type of business model and purpose. For example, membership sites, e-commerce sites and of course theme-based sites. Find the software that fits your site’s purpose and your needs and go from there. To your success!