In today’s digital world, a business without a website is like a car without an engine. A website forms the basis of any business’s online presence. As a result, unless your business has one that is functional as well as attractive, you’ll be missing out on a lot of customers.
Trouble is, there are a large number of website development platforms available today. While some require significant coding skills to use, others provide WYSIWYG interfaces for codeless website creation.
So, which is the best approach that you can take, and what are the most popular web development platforms that you can use? That’s exactly what we’re going to discuss in today’s post.
WYSIWYG vs. Custom-Coding: The Two Approaches
When it comes to website development platforms, currently there are two approaches that a business can use. The first is to use online website builders, which don’t require any coding skills at all.
These platforms offer a graphical drag-and-drop interface that can be used to create fully functional websites in a short time. However, these website development platforms don’t offer much in the way of customization. Examples of such platforms are Wix, Weebly, and SquareSpace.
On the other end of the spectrum are web technologies that require custom coding. These are fundamental website development tools that offer complete customization capabilities. However, they require professional help in order to set up and are usually more time-consuming. Some technologies under this umbrella are ASP.NET and PHP.
However, there is a third approach which takes the middle path. Known as Content Management Systems (CMSs) these software packages utilize a combination of coding and WYSIWYG to get the job done. Examples include Joomla, Drupal, and WordPress, which is one of the most popular website development platforms.
Some Popular Web Development Platforms
So, now that you know about the distinction between different types of website development platforms, let’s take a deeper look at some of the tools mentioned above. These are some of the best web development platforms that you can use in 2020.
1. WordPress
Still considered the king of CMSs, WordPress is perhaps the one platform on which the majority of the world’s websites run. Originally conceived for blogging, today it has grown to become a fully functional CMS that incorporates thousands of themes and plugins for endless customizations. It will not be wrong if we call it as one of the best web development platforms as it works great, especially for those who has come from a non-coding background.
WordPress is a free software, even though plugins and themes can be free as well as paid. Also, WordPress has a lot of mechanisms going on behind the scenes, which means this is best for intermediate and advanced level users.
2. Magento
While WordPress is perfect for general-purpose websites, if you’re looking for an e-commerce solution then nothing beats Magento. Based on open-source technology, Magento offers online sellers a simple yet powerful shopping cart system, together with multiple customizability options. Using Magento, you can create single-product sites as well as fully functional e-commerce solutions.
Also Check: How Laravel Web Development Can Grow Business
3. PHP
In case you are going with an advanced developer and need everything developed from scratch, try PHP. This is an open-source custom-coding solution to building websites. Running MySQL as the back end, PHP allows website developers unmatched flexibility and options for customizations.
4. Shopify
Finally, if you’re a small or medium online seller, then Shopify is the platform you can use to set up your online store. Shopify uses a drag-and-drop website builder and is trusted by over 1000,000 businesses worldwide. With beautiful themes, competitive pricing plans, and an intuitive interface, this is the one to go with for that complete e-commerce experience.
Factors To Consider When Choosing Website Development Platform
While the above web development platforms list is sure to help you in the task, the following are some factors that you need to consider when choosing a platform. Keeping these factors in mind will help you decide on the best platform for web development.
The factors are:
- The purpose for which you are going to use your website, such as collecting leads, making sales, or creating brand awareness.
- The amount of time that you have in hand in order to deploy the website
- The budget, which is one of the most important factors to consider
- The level of customization that you require
- Your technological expertise levels
Based on these above factors, you can decide which website development platforms are best for you. For example, in case you’re short on time, have budget constraints, and don’t require much customizations you can easily go with online website builders.
Conclusion
Now it will be easy for you to know about the most popular web development platforms and must have clearly understood how to choose a website development platform for your business. While needs change from business to business, keeping the above factors in mind can certainly make the process easier for you. And in case you think you need further help, don’t hesitate to let us know.
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