Hello there! Are you one of those who know they need to setup a website but wonder about what kind of website is good for them? And more importantly, do you wonder about which program or software is more efficient and also economical to invest in?
But before we delve into that, we need to understand and dispel two important myths about websites:
Myth 1. Creating a website is an additional expense: This is a myth. Even though you can claim it under expenses on your financial statements, we need to clarify that a website is an investment and not an expense. Your website is built to generate return-on-investment (ROI) for your business. When you see your website as an investment rather than an expense, you then switch to making a website that will generate ROI for your business.
Myth 2. I don’t need a web designer; I can do it myself: This is true to an extent, but the question is: do you have the time to do this by yourself? Of course, you can absolutely develop your own website. You won’t have to put in big money to create a functional website. The truth is, though, that a good web designer can do a lot more than just develop a website. They can help you not just by saving time and energy but by producing an attractive design that fits your style. The designers know the perfect recipe for a good web design which includes the positioning of a business logo, the navigation panel (menu), and other elements like where to place contact information, and which banner images to use. When designers like us design websites, we keep in mind your audience/ target customers, use colors in-line with your logo and choose design elements to suit your customers visiting your website.
You are good at what you do best (your business). Just like we shouldn’t do what your specialty is, you shouldn’t do the same.
So, what are the different types of websites?
STATIC WEBSITE:
This is also known as a fixed-code website. This means that the code is simple and is html-based. Static websites are usually informational websites that simply display your content for a visitor and no further action or interaction is required. These types of websites are fairly easy to make and are quick to load on all computers due to the simplicity of the codes used in the design.
Example websites: Any websites that simply display content in a fixed format would be considered static websites.
Who needs it? Businesses that simply want to display content, show their web presence to their audience and want customers to visit their website to get basic information, should get a static website. A good static website can cost anywhere from CAD 200 to 300. Once you have a website designer build you a decent static website, and once you get a few customers through it who found you through the website, your website has paid for itself. Bonus points for reaching new customers and proving your worth to new customers who are going to be your reference in future and so on! Isn’t it worthwhile to hire a professional to design your website?
DYNAMIC WEBSITE:
A dynamic website is a fully functional website. These websites allow a user to interact with the webpage. Unlike static websites, these sites combine both server-side as well as client-side websites. The final cost of dynamic websites will depend on the scalability of the project. The ore complex the project, the more the cost.
Example websites: A good example of a dynamic website would be any eCommerce website. eCommerce sites allow a user to interact with the website while browsing for goods and services online and then moving along the webpages to buy and process payments. Another example would be a registration/ membership website. Both require visitors to act and interact with the website.
Who needs it? All those who are selling online, take payments, complete registrations, control inventory flow, or generate invoices need a dynamic website.
The basic requirement for dynamic websites is a Content Management System (CMS).
What is a Content Management System (CMS)?
A Content Management System (CMS) is a software or program that is used by the server-side (website owners) users to create, modify, and manage website content by logging in to the backend of a website. To do this, you do not need to write code or use coding language but you do need a layout to experiment with to produce desired results that are visible to end-users. CMS also provides a live update of the site. Unlike static websites, you do not have to upload a webpage on the server.
Benefits of CMS:
- No specialized coding knowledge required
- Easy and instant updates on website
- SEO enriched
- Loaded with predesigned templates
- Create a customized website
Which is the most commonly used Content Management System (CMS)?
WordPress
39% of websites are built in WordPress (ref: WordPress). Nowadays folks even make static websites in WordPress and that is simply because of its user-friendly atmosphere. From personal bloggers to SMEs to Fortune 500 corporations – all use WordPress due to its scalability. WordPress is also compatible with WooCommerce, which is often used to develop eCommerce websites (we will talk about WooCommerce in a future post). There are thousands of premade templates to start with. You can also start with a theme, pull it apart and customize it according to your needs. WordPress is a free and open-source CMS written in PHP and paired with a MySQL. There are many free as well as paid themes available to start with. Free themes are often tricky as they sometimes do not allow complete functionality and at times developers get stuck with limited accessibility. Free plugins are also not updated on a regular basis. I often come across customers who have spent a good amount of time and money on a free theme and are now stuck with a website with limited functionality. You also have to keep in mind that your free plugins might be good when you install them, but they might become out-dated just a few months later because of which your website could crash. You will then end up removing that plugin. So it is better to get a paid theme and not worry about such hurdles.
As WordPress experts, we keep in mind customers’ choice and requirements while designing a website and always use paid themes with full functionality.
There are many other software and programs like Laravel and Code Ignitor that are used in web design, and we work with them frequently. We have been designing websites since 2006 and have designed and developed hundreds of websites in both static and dynamic website structures. From premade templates to custom-coding designs, we provide websites that help customers achieve their goals for their online business presence. Feel free to get in touch with us anytime to discuss your requirements, get an opinion or a quote, or simply to discuss functionality to help you make a decision right for you. Looking forward to your next step 😊.