As technology continues to expand, and more options become available, it can be overwhelming deciding which direction to take when solving a website need. We were asked recently by our copywriter at Cleveland Design, Andy Paul, to help him build, and choose, the best format for his personal website. He needed a single page website to go live quickly that he would be able to update himself once we created and implemented the design. The solution was to use a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) platform that doesn’t require coding knowledge, is super easy to use and learn, and has hosting included in the price—a perfect solution for this particular scenario.
While the majority of our clients are looking to us to provide designs for more robust business website platforms, there are those unique situations that might require a quick solution to get a message out with the flexibility to update information easily. Every day there seems to be a new DIY web design product, so it can be a challenge deciding which one best fits you and your organization’s needs. We’ve put together a short list of pros and cons of some of the more popular ‘drag and drop’ web platform products available today. These will help determine if having us design for a WYSIWYG platform is the smart solution for your web needs. Keep in mind, it is important to check with your IT team to be sure the product you choose is acceptable to your company’s protocol for brand standards, platform stability and online security. Contact us today to discuss your new project!
WYSIWYG Web Platform
Pros:
- User-friendly
- No coding required
- Designer templates
- Library of add-on features
- Easy setup/installation
- Reliable hosting
- Some have e-commerce options
- Mobile design customization
- Some may allow access to source code for developers
Cons:
- Limited customization
- Navigation hierarchy can be limited
- Migration/linking to other platforms can be complicated, if even possible
- Site hosted outside of corporate systems
Best uses:
- Basic websites
- Stand-alone or single-page websites
- Small e-commerce based websites
