The internet has made it possible for anyone to have their own store online, but this cannot be realized until the store is built. While the building process can be outsourced to others, the do-it-yourself spirit, and other practical advantages, makes a DIY website builder a more attractive option for many. Here are some things to look for when searching for such a website builder.
Reasons to go with a DIY website builder
There are many services that will build websites for those who need them. Often, they are located in places like India and are very reasonably priced. However, there are reasons not to rely on others to build and maintain a site.
One reason is speed. Successful websites are dynamic and changing. If the owner of the site has to continuously rely on others to make these changes, the process will be slowed down and less flexible. Then, there are always the problems that come with relying on others. There is no way of being sure the person who is hired to do website work will be there when needed, and there is even the danger of malicious behavior on the part of the person who has been given the keys to the site.
When the owners do it themselves, they are in complete control and have a lot more flexibility and security. Fortunately, there are website builders that allow people to build their own sites that do not require knowledge of HTML or other coding (although it is not difficult and helpful to learn a little).
User friendly
Since a DIY website builder is about constructing a site, it first needs to be user friendly. All the basic editing functions should be easy to find and use. This requires an organized interface laid out in a logical manner.
SEO friendly
A website means nothing without visitors and thus needs to have the tools for on-site SEO (search engine optimization) to make the site friendly to search engines. This should include:
- The ability to set the URL to keyword friendly terms of the webmaster’s choosing.
- An easy way to input and change the page’s title as well as all meta tags.
- Linking is important for both easy user navigation and SEO. Therefore, a DIY website builder should have a quick way to create links.
- Using header tags on the right keywords is also important so there needs to be a way to easily add them.
- Content is king with good SEO. Search engine algorithms look for quality content, and this content will attract links naturally to a site. The right website creator will have easy ways to continuously add content, which adds to the user’s experience, to the website wherever the webmaster wants it to.
- Great content will not mean as much if the site is not organized properly. Search engines and visitors favor sites that have their information organized into categories for easy navigation.
- A good DIY website builder will offer ways to construct these categories and easily add content to them.
Design friendly
Not surprisingly, having a sharp design that looks nice is vital also. Every page should be fully customizable at the click of a mouse (fonts, colors and the like) for both for SEO and design purposes. Graphics make a site look much more professional. Therefore, there needs to be ways to easily add and edit pictures as well as headers.
Security and updates
There are a lot of malicious people in the world that will attack websites that do not have good security. This makes it important for software and the hosting service to have security in mind. Make sure the seller has taken steps to ensure security. In addition, ask them if they have updates and if those updates are included in the price.
Support
A DIY website builder with proper support will have videos and other aids to help in using the software. There also needs to be a way to reach the seller directly in case of problems. Test their response times before purchasing.
Product friendly
An e-commerce website is not much use without products. If the site is for affiliate products, make sure the networks on it are good ones that are not too difficult to join. If selling one’s own products, there needs to be an easy way to add these products as well as a way to pay for them. The software also needs to be expandable with new networks if they might be added in the future.
Hosting and other tools
Some DIY website builders come complete with hosting. If it does, make sure the hosting is secure and reliable. Note that research has shown that the absolute maximum most people will wait for a page to load is seven seconds and many give up before then. Thus, there must be plenty of bandwidth, and any hosting should include all the memory needed to construct the average site in the price.
A DIY website builder with these features will greatly multiply the chances of marketing success. Take the time to choose carefully now and save a lot of time and money down the road.
