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How to Choose the Best Website Building Method?

There are over 1.9 billion websites online worldwide. This number includes all types of websites, from personal blogs to corporate websites. It's worth noting that not all of these websites are actively maintained or regularly updated, and many are likely to be inactive or abandoned. A personal website typically contains 4-10 pages. A corporate website might have anywhere from 10-50, and an e-commerce website might have anywhere from 25-100 number of pages based on the number of products and services. The number for a Ballycatter platform has around 700 pages. A book has average 200 - 300 pages, that means an online platform is 2 - 3 books together. And that number is without any content from third party. For having that number of pages, you need a steady, safe server with a flexible bandwidth, who can handle it. Google searches by pages. With just a one liner in a short tail or long tail question, Google has to give the right options in a few seconds. That is pretty amazing and now also artificial intelligence (ChatGPT, for example) is a fantastic helper for getting the answers you need.

When you have a website, at the start it has to be indexed in the Google system which needs to know more about every website page because, with 1.9 billion of websites worldwide, is it understandable that Search Engines need information about your own website. They call it Search Engine Optimization. Although this is a part of the profession from digital marketeers (and you get to pay them for SEO services). Google also makes changes and therefore, we all keep learning. When you think about having a website or renewing your old one, there are many choices to make. At the end a website is a marketing tool, it is not just a website. There are a few options available; 1 - IT company makes the website and executes it. You deliver logo, text and pictures to them. 2 - Work with a company who has a marketing and IT department together. 3 - You make the website yourself with help from an open-source platform like Weebly.

Let’s go more into it,

There are companies who do make the choice to go to an IT company and get it for a good price. A good price means equally, the IT company gets it from the shelf, changes it a bit, adds your delivered logo, text and pictures and sells it to your company. This is easy and fast way to get your website and you can use it immediately. All extras as SSL, cyber safety, Search Engine Optimalization and more, are not included, but you have a nice website. Good solution for a normal website. Although when you want to have a website with your company branding, house style, and have it written by a professional who is skilled in online texts, go for option 2: Work with a company who has a marketing and IT department together. The results will be great and fits your company. It will trigger more people to see the site. Still, you can cut down a part of the investment by choosing an IT-developer that codes using Laravel and other open sources. Coding the whole website is the most expensive but arguably the best option. The best part of choosing an IT-developer that is familiar with manual coding, is that everything is possible and it is only yours and you are completely in control over it. That is also true for your cyber security, that part you are able to develop to make it as safe as possible. The whole developing you have in your hands. When a hacker tries to go into a site like that is not easy, and takes a lot of effort for the hacker. Everything is possible but when you choose for manually coding, you can also have a plan ready and backup for if or when that happens. Open source as Laravel are good tools but hackers can be more familiar with it and know about gaining access. Because more comprehensive websites are made with Laravel and a hacker can in this way easier get into some larger scale websites. A developer who works with Laravel and other open sources cannot change that part of security. Because it is an open source, means also they show how things are made by coding or uses wireframes, good and valuable use for the developers, but also open for everyone who has not a good intention. Therefore, open sources are good tools. Think it over when you have third parties on the site. A developer is able to close and open ports (see it as you leave the door open) but not all is possible with that system.

Not easy to choose which one fits for you the best

Another approach is to make your own website, yourself. Search online and you get a whole list of options. Platforms like WordPress, Shopify, Wix, Weebly, there are so many now these days. Not easy to choose which one fits for you the best. The benefits of those online platforms there is no coding needed at all! Super fun and easy. By choosing ready to use layout options (wireframe) you see immediately the result of your page. It is your own creation. The disadvantages are many, like poor Search Engine Optimalization ranking, needing a lot of plugins what makes for slow page speed, frequent plugin updates, and website vulnerability. Good for using when you want to make blogs, to easily manage your content and make changes. There is not a wrong option, just think off what you want or your company goals are. Here are a few thoughts around it. When you make your decision think of what you want to make, a blog or a website for personal things you can use a open source with ready to use layout like a Word Press or Weebly, for example. Do you want a normal standard website for using it in your local area go for option 1, IT company makes the website and execute it. Is the goal of the company to expand and grow in your own country? Branding gets more important and a professional fit, both have a bigger impact on that goal. A professional site with help of open sources will cut the invest cost down. Having a backup of the site will help for if you need it. Is the company going global and takes care of third parties? Choose option 2, Work with a company who has a marketing and IT-department and works together on it. Choose for the best and expensive option to code manually. Be in control and take care of cyber security. There are more choices out here, these are the main ones, and you can always adapt as your situation changes.