In this article, we will look at the most popular methods for creating websites in 2022. First you need to decide what type of site suits you best for solving your business problems.
The main types of sites are:
- landing page;
- business card site;
- blog (business card site with a blog);
- Online store;
- web application.
There are 3 popular methods for creating websites of any type:
- Code – creating a site using programming languages.
- Low-Code is a mixed system that allows you to create basic functionality using a “constructor” and assign actions to functional elements in one of the programming languages.
- No-Code – creating a site without knowledge of programming languages, the method of creation depends on the site on which it is created.
Next, consider approaches to creating a site for each type:
1.1 Landing
Landing page — a site that has only one page in its structure. Such a site is suitable for businesses of any category.
This site is the end point when launching advertising campaigns (be it Google Ads, Facebook or Instagram). You should not count on organic traffic with such a site, but the conversion from advertising campaigns (subject to proper settings) is many times higher than that of other types of sites.
For maximum landing conversion, you need to remember:
- 1 landing page = 1 target audience;
- a large number of blocks does not mean a large number of leads;
- keep a balance between beauty and ease of use;
- animation should be convenient and justified.
Landing page creation methods
Code. Even if you use one of the server-side web programming languages, your landing page will still be reduced to HTML, CSS and JS. Therefore, the use of server-side languages for writing a landing page is not always justified. Depending on the task and design, different ways of implementing the code can be selected, but in any case, without knowledge of HTML / CSS and JS, you are unlikely to succeed in creating a landing page in this way.
All sorts of preprocessors, frameworks and libraries can also be used.
It is recommended to use this approach when:
– You need to place the landing in the structure of your existing website
– You are fluent in HTML/CSS and one of the server languages
– You plan to use the landing page for a long time (hosting is much cheaper than no-code platforms)
No-code. The leaders in no-code solutions today are Tilda and Wix.
Tilda is a website building platform. It has a very user-friendly website builder interface. There are a large number of page templates and functional blocks. You can work with different screen resolutions. There is a free version that gives access to a limited number of blocks. There are many integrations with various CRM, payment systems and mail servers.
Wix is the leader in the international no-code platform market. A huge number of built-in templates and pictures. With Wix, you can get your website up and running in no time. There is a built-in integration with any popular service in Ukraine and other countries.
You can also create a landing page on the Bitrix24 platform, with the help of hosting (some hosts provide such an opportunity), or even with the help of Google My Business.
But behind the huge functionality of No-code platforms there are a huge number of disadvantages, you can learn about this from our article «10 Flaws Of Website Builders».
CMS
Ready-made CMS (content management system) can be used in different ways to create websites. Let’s look at the example of the most popular CMS in the world – WordPress.
WordPress is a content management system written in PHP. It gained its popularity due to its simplicity and flexibility. It has a huge number of paid and free modules that complement or change the capabilities of the CMS.
To build a landing page, you can use both code and ready-made modules “constructors” of pages. You can also purchase a ready-made website template in any website template store and install it using a standard theme installer through the admin panel.
For landing, this approach is suitable if you want to change the content of the site often and without the participation of a programmer.
All CMS have different structure and capabilities, everything will depend on the tasks assigned to this site.
1.1 Bussines card website
A business card site is a simple site consisting, as a rule, of 5-7 pages that describe the activities of a business. Suitable for businesses with a small range of services or a limited list of goods (up to 10). With proper SEO optimization, this site can be in the TOP of organic search results for a narrow list of keywords.
Code. A business card site can be implemented both statically and dynamically:
- Static – all pages are written by hand, and to change the content on the pages, you need to contact a programmer or understand the code yourself.
- Dynamically – pages are generated using a server-side programming language. A certain number of ready-made templates are created into which content is inserted through the site’s administrative panel. This approach is modern and occurs in 90% of cases.
No-Code. Without knowledge of any of the programming languages (layout), Wix, Tilda and other designers still come to the rescue. When creating a business card site using this method, you should not expect grandiose results in SEO.
With this approach, you need to remember:
- all pages of the site must be made in the same style;
- do not confuse the user with a large number of pages and incomprehensible navigation;
- pay attention to the adaptability of the site.
CMS
When using a CMS to create a high-quality business card website, you cannot do without minimal programming knowledge. Just like when creating a landing page, you can use ready-made templates or adapt the selected CMS by editing the code.
When choosing a CMS for a site, be guided not only by the complexity of development, but also by the complexity of maintaining it in the future.
1.3 Blog
A blog is a site that contains articles on a specific topic. Typically, a business uses a modification of a business card site and a blog. This solution allows you to occupy more positions in organic search and expands the number of keywords for which you can be found in search engines.
Code. With this approach, you can no longer do without a server-side programming language and a database. To create, edit and delete articles, you must use the administrative part of the site. You can implement this using CMS or Framework-a.
You can use both a ready-made “engine” of the site, and a self-written one. Be careful – when creating a blog on the “own writing” system, there may be problems with maintaining and scaling the site.
No-Code. All website builders have the ability to create a blog. If you plan to regularly add articles to the blog, then this approach may not suit you, as the number of articles increases, it will become more difficult to maintain a large amount of information. The functionality of platform constructors is designed for a small number of articles.
List of the most popular no-code platforms for creating your own blog:
- Wix;
- site123;
- squarespace;
- jimdo;
- zyro.
1.4 Online store
An online store is a type of site where goods are placed. The functionality of the online store allows you to choose, buy or order goods. As a rule, such sites have a shopping cart or an order form for goods.
Code. Before creating an online store, it is necessary to determine its scale and the number of integrations. The scale of the site is determined by the number of product names. If you are planning a small online store (up to 1000 items), then any ready-made platform can suit you: WordPress / Woocommerce, Opencart, 1C-Bitrix, Prestashop, Magento, Django.
If you have a large online store, it is best to use frameworks (or libraries) and build an online store based on the requirements for it.
No-Code. The choice of a platform for an online store also depends on the number of items. With a small number of products, any website builder can suit you (For example, Tilda, Wix). If you have a lot of product names, you will be suitable:
Prom.ua is a marketplace and platform for creating online stores.
Advantages:
- fast start;
- your product is immediately included in the prom-a issue.
Disadvantages:
- site template design;
- you pay not only for the online store, but also a percentage of sales from this site.
Horoshop is a platform for creating online stores.
Advantages:
- fast start;
- flexible SEO settings;
- pay only the subscription fee, excluding sales.
Disadvantages:
- large initial payment;
- any question regarding the functionality or inoperability of the site must be resolved only through support.
Shopify — international platform for creating online stores.
Advantages:
- a huge selection of templates for any requirements;
- work stability;
- a large number of plugins.
Disadvantages:
- integration with Ukrainian services;
- you will have to pay extra for basic functionality;
- professional reporting only in the most expensive plans.
1.5 Web application
A web application is an application that a user interacts with through a browser. The most striking examples of web applications are email, social. networks, search engines.
To develop web applications, you will only have to resort to programming, there are no universal platforms for creating web applications. You can use ready-made frameworks and libraries, but you will have to write the logic of the application yourself.
Before choosing: “what kind of website do I need?”, first determine what goals it should fulfill and what you want to get from it as a result. And depending on your expectations, choose the appropriate type of site and method of creation.