Designing a website used to be something was only left to the professionals. Today there are all sorts of website builders that even the least technically inclined person can use. Website builders are an automated way to design simple and functional websites without any prior knowledge of HTML or advanced web design concepts. If you can type on a keyboard, you can design a website using a website builder. It’s that easy.
There are plenty of options when it comes to choosing a website builder and often when you purchase or host your own domain name (yourdomain.com), your hosting provider may offer a built-in website builder.
Most website creators will take you through a series of questions about the design, colors, and layout of your new website. There is often an array of templates from which to choose. These templates are complete with professional stock photography and graphics to suite your website.
Website software will take you through a few essential design elements: Layout/Design, Pages, Colors, Links, and Content.
Layout/Design
When you are surfing the Internet, you may or may not realize how many different types of layouts are available for a website. You can choose a simple page or a two or three column layout. Some designs contain fancy headers while others use a sidebar for navigation. Website builders give you screen shots of the different design templates available and it’s as simple as clicking the one you want to use.
Pages
You will need to decide how many pages your website will contain. This doesn’t just include the front page, but also the subsequent pages the visitor will see when they click on the various sections of your new website. If you just want a basic webpage with no other pages then you can skip this part of the website builder. It’s very likely though, that you’ll want at least two or three sub pages to keep your visitors engaged and offer more information without cluttering up the homepage.
Colors
Website builders allow you to change your website’s color scheme in just a matter of clicks. If your background color is white with black text and you want to switch to a black background with yellow text, you simply indicate your choices in the website software and it generates the HTML code in seconds.
Content
After all the fun you’ll have designing the look and feel of your new website, it’s then time to add the content. This is actually one of the most important aspects of any website because it’s the information visitors are looking for. Website builders contain text editors that closely resemble Microsoft Word. You can format your text in bold, italics, and even include links to other websites, all from the comfort of a familiar text editor interface. While you are typing your text, the website creator works behind the scenes to generate the HTML code that translates your work to the web.
After you’ve completed all the necessary website builder steps, you are ready to preview your site. Previewing your site allows you to spot errors and make any changes before the site goes on the World Wide Web. Remember, even after your website is published, you can always make changes. That’s what’s so great about the Internet.
Once you feel confident about the look of your website, it’s time to publish your site for the world to see. Some website makers have one-click publishing that allows you to publish your website directly to the web. If your website is hosted elsewhere, however the website software will give you a few simple instructions on how to publish your website.
Website builders can save the average person valuable time and money. From basic informational one-page websites to advanced multi-page e-commerce sites, website builder software can do the job at a fraction of the cost of hiring a professional web designer.
