Drag and Drop Websites: Are They Worth Your Time?

Are you thinking about building your own website? If you're a business owner and hope to make money from your website, a custom-made site is your best option. Custom-made websites are designed and built from the ground up, with the idea to generate online profit and new leads. 

Before deciding on who will build your website, you should know your available options. 

1. Content Management System websites (CMS). These websites do not require programming knowledge. Anyone who has access to the website management can add/remove website pages, modify design options to meet your needs, and add/remove website content such as text, images, videos, pdf files, etc.
2. What you see is what you get (WYSIWYG) website. A website that does not require programming knowledge to manage the website design and layout. These websites are also known as Drag And Drop websites. They are similar to CMS websites.
3. A custom website is written with the help of the programming languages supported by web browsers. For example, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, or any other programming language comes to your mind. These websites require programming knowledge, but they are the best option to meet your current and future needs. The website is not limited to design, layout, features, or functionalities.

What type of website should you choose?

There could be multiple reasons why you might want to build a website. 

• Informational website. The website does nothing but displays information to website visitors. It is information about your brand, products and services, and your business contact details most of the time.
• Web-based application website. To most internet users, these websites look and feel like simple websites, but these websites do a lot more. A website might collect users' personal information that will be used to tailor products and services to precise people. Or a website might perform complicated mathematical calculations, keep track of inventory, payment processing, email reminders, etc. Because a website serves the purpose of a program, and it is a program that lives online, it got a name - a web-based application.
• Lead generation website. A website built to gain new customers, profit, and success for your business. Any website can become a lead generation website, but first, website visitors must be able to engage with your website and communicate to you through your website. You also need to promote your website online to start generating leads.

The Pros And Cons of Drag & Drop Websites

Drag and drop sites can be a good option for individuals or small businesses with a limited budget and a need for a basic website structure. A drag and drop site easily integrates various elements into a simple template design. With a drag and drop website, you could wake up in the morning with an idea for a website and build your website before lunch!

It is hard to decide what website to select with many different options. We will simplify this process by explaining the pros and cons of each website type.

Content Management System (CMS)

CMS websites are the best option for those who would like to update their website without programming knowledge. Most Content Management Systems have an administrative area that is password protected. Once logged in, you can change your website theme, colors, font style, add/remove pages, update text, and inspire your website with images and videos. 

Examples of the CMS systems

There are many CMS systems out there, some of them are paid, and some are free to use. The most common CMS systems are:

• WordPress
• Wix
• Squarespace
• Joomla!
• Shopify
• Progress Sitefinity
• GoDaddy Website Builder
• Weebly
• Drupal
• Blogger

While most CMS systems are meant to be used without programming knowledge, some of the systems extend the simplicity of use by offering drag and drop functionality. For example, you can select an image drag and drop it to the desired location. The same functionality can be applied to any element on the page, be it a text, video, image, or anything else used to design and layout your website.  

Benefits of CMS Systems

1. No programming knowledge is required to manage your website.
2. Update website design and layout in minutes by applying a new website theme.
3. Transform your website into a web-based application in minutes.
4. Has basic SEO functionalities to promote your website online.

The Disadvantage of SMC Systems

1. Not everything is free. Most premium website themes have an additional cost.
2. Additional functionalities might have a monthly cost to use them.
3. As your business grows, a dedicated website developer will be required to update, maintain and add missing features to the CMS system.  
4. Most CMS systems are not built for your business, and it is inevitable to have system limitations to meet your goals.

What you see is what you get (WYSIWYG) website.

WYSIWYG websites do not require any programming knowledge. Such websites are usually built with the help of software that is installed on your computer or has a web-based version that performs the same as if it is installed on your computer. Such websites are built by selecting components of your choice, dragging them on your screen, and dropping them in precise locations. WYSIWYG website builders work similarly to photo editing software such as Photoshop. You simply drag and drop elements like rectangular, circle, or text blocks on your screen. To transform a text into a link, you highlight text and apply links to them. 

Benefits of WYSIWYG Website

1. No programming knowledge is required to manage your website.
2. Has basic SEO functionalities to promote your website online.

The Disadvantage of WYSIWYG Website Builders

1. You can't simply change the entire website theme. You must build a new website to meet your design and layout requirements.
2. Most WYSIWYG editors cannot apply a change to multiple pages of your website. Each page must be updated individually.
3. Most editors will require you to build two website versions, one for desktop and one for mobile use. As a result, you will have to manage two websites.
4. Most editors are unable to build a web-based application or data-driven websites. 

A Custom Website

A custom website always requires programming knowledge to maintain the design, layout, or additional functionalities that you might need.

You may add or remove features to your website, and you are not restricted in any way because the website is not associated with any specific platform or a CMS system. 

Additionally, custom-made websites are also SEO friendly, making it much easier to update and promote such a website than any other website you can think of. Unlimited customization options are suitable when technology changes or new things available today that were not available yesterday.

Benefits of a Custom Website Design

1. Bring your imagination to reality with unlimited design and layout options.
2. Unrestricted website functionalities. If such technology exists, it can be applied to your website.
3. Unlimited marketing opportunities. Make your website appear on the first page of search results by optimizing it for search engines.

A Disadvantage of a Custom Website Design

1. You need to have programming knowledge to apply any website modifications. 

Many web design companies offer template websites to use for various clients. Template-designed websites share a similar look, feel, and functionality. In contrast, a web design company like SEO SPARTA of Bucks County, PA, offers custom designs crafted for each unique brand. We feel these custom-made sites are more attractive and certainly more marketable.

If you're considering hiring a design company to build a custom-made website, we encourage you to contact us. We will provide you with a free consultation about website design, layout, and guided milestones to the successful launch of your project.

If you are interested in transforming your website into a money-making tool or are interested in exploring opportunities to outperform your competition, we encourage you to contact SEO SPARTA.

We combine traditional marketing methods and organic SEO--emphasizing natural website optimization--to design thoughtful, inspiring, and effective marketing campaigns.

Contact us