This Is Why Website Builder Is NOT a Good Choice (Sometime)

I gave you the good news first – there are several key benefits when using a site builder, like being able to edit from any computer and easily plugging your content into a template. But I think it’s important to tell you about the downside too, because site builders just don’t work well for some websites. Here’s a little more information to help guide your decision.

Con #1: Lack of Originality

Do you really want a cookie cutter website?

Sure, a web host might claim to have over 4500 website templates, but really, your customization options are somewhat limited – although you can add a few tools and change a few colors, you can’t actually change the layout or navigation. That means your content and website ideas are restricted to the template design. Building your website from scratch, on the other hand, allows you to create any layout and navigation design that you want.

So if you’re building a large, complicated website that will need different layouts, lots of separate pages, and a great navigation system, you’ll need to bite the bullet and hire a good web designer – free site builders just aren’t going to give you the flexibility you need.

And one more thing: Using a template means that your website is less unique. Chances are that you’ll come across other websites using the same design and the same stock photos! I don’t know about you, but I feel like that could be embarrassing.

Con #2: You Might Get Stuck

Here’s a con that can be really annoying: If you build a website on a web host’s site builder, you might not be able to transfer it to another web host! Imagine: You build a website, start adding lots of content, create an Internet following…and then your web host starts dropping the ball. Your service is slow, the server goes offline a lot, and your site traffic is affected. But if you switch hosts, you’ll have to start your website from scratch!

Don’t let yourself get stuck – not all web hosts include site builders that create non-transferrable websites. Some web hosts use common software, so you can usually switch between. Other web hosts, however, use their own software, which means you can’t transfer your files.

How do you know if you’re doomed to one web host? First, you should check the Terms of Service. If your web host doesn’t include information about the site builder in the ToS, then email technical support and ask. It’s worth the trouble to keep from getting stuck with one web host.

Con #3: SEO? No!

A big part of your website’s search engine optimization is hidden in the HTML code. But you can’t edit the code in most site builders. You can’t even add a little SEO-friendly code, like title tags. It’s not a hopeless case – you can create some SEO by including keywords in your content – but if you’re planning to make a living from an e-commerce website, you might want to reconsider using a site builder.

The Bottom Line? Choose Wisely

Here’s what I think: If you just need a simple website, maybe a blog or a very basic business site, then use a site builder. Your website will be live in minutes, not months. But, keep in mind that you’ll be dependent on your host for all your website needs.

On the other hand, if you have a more complicated website, or if you have the time and skills to create your own code you should build your own site. The layout will be more suited to your content and your overall website will be more unique. Also, SEO is crucial to earning money from a website, and site builders just can’t give you what you need in that department.

We’ve talked a lot about the pros and cons of site builders! Here’s a quick reference chart to help sum things up.

Check out these related posts:-

1. Seriously, Why Should You Use A Website Builder?
2. 20 Useful Photoshop Plugins You Won’t Want to Be Without