Website builders are highly popular when you want a website immediately without getting into the depths of technical knowledge or allocating too much budget. Which is why WordPress is the most popular website builder with over 38.5 million websites on the whole internet; Shopify is second with about 4.2 million websites.
Now, the reason why WordPress is so popular is because it offers the most customization options. However, if you really think about it, it’s only mimicking the power of custom coding websites – which offer the complete ability of being totally customizable as well as flexible, in terms of requirements.
Perhaps that is why, the global market share of custom coding websites is over 41.33%. Ahead, we will see a few pros and cons of each type of website-building technique. These will help you choose the right method for developing your website.
Advantages Of Custom Coding Your Website
There are countless reasons to build your websites via coding instead of website builders; here are a few:
- More Control: You have complete control over the look and feel of your website; and you can choose your own programming languages, frameworks, and libraries.
- Complete Customization: This is essential for businesses that want to stand out because coding a website from scratch allows you to achieve your specific design requirements and add unique features.
- Security: With custom-coded websites, you can add robust security measures specific to your website.
- Performance Optimization: With the ability to add efficient and lightweight code, you can optimize the speed of your website, which also improves your on-page SEO.
- Scalability: Custom-coded websites can easily be scaled and adapted as your business evolves without being limited by the capabilities of website builders.
Challenges Of Custom Coding The Websites
Of course, custom coding websites comes with its own challenges; hence, the popularity of website builders. Here are the challenges associated with custom coding websites:
- Skill Level: You will need to be familiar with, not one but, several coding languages to build your own website.
- Time: Conversational AIs do reduce the coding time, but you will need a lot of time to modify the code and then implement it according to your needs.
- Cost: Coding your website is generally more expensive, considering you might need to purchase a domain name and hosting separately. Additionally, there are costs for hiring expert web developers and there are more paid hours.
Check also: https://techbullion.com/a-comprehensive-guide-to-software-development-and-web-app-design/
How Website Builders Address These Challenges
- User-Friendly Interface: This lets you build websites without any coding knowledge.
- Speed Of Development: Pre-designed templates help you build and deploy websites within minutes.
- Cost-Effectiveness: They are more affordable for small businesses and individuals, as you can build these websites yourself quickly. The prices of hosting and domain registration are generally included in the package.
- Maintenance and Updates: The developers behind the plugins used in website builders issue updates regularly, which ensures your website is compatible with the latest technologies.
Custom Coding Website VS Website Builders
| Feature | Custom Coding Website | Website Builders |
| Ease of Use | More Complex | Very Easy |
| Customization | Highly customizable | Limited options |
| Security | Can be more secure | Have decent security |
| Time | Takes long | Faster |
| Skill Level | Requires coding expertise | No coding skills required |
| Estimated Costs | $5,000 – $20,000+ | $10 – $30 per month |
Wrap Up
From the comparison above, it is apparent that website builders are the best options for individuals and small businesses. This is because using them is quick and easy, requires little expertise, and is super affordable.
However, if you are a mid-tier or above professional business, settling for anything less than custom-coding websites feels just wrong. Customization to add unique features, colors, and designs are the things that separate businesses from their competitors. And businesses can’t compromise on security, hence, the option to add your own robust security measures with custom coding.
So – custom coding or using website builders – which one do you think is the right option for you? Let us know in the comments!
The article was written in cooperation with the experts of SoftKraft – Custom Web Application Development Company
