If you are an amateur in the concept of web design, then choosing the most suitable platform from the innumerable number of web design software can be quite a daunting task for you. It is necessary to know the basic advantages and drawbacks of various web design platforms so that you do not end up making the wrong choices and racking up the development costs when you are just starting over. You need to understand a few key pointers before selecting the best web design company for your business.
It is of absolute necessity to know what you need out of the platform and how much budget you have, to pay for it. Different types of platforms are targeted towards specific sections of a website. Platforms like Shopify and Magneto are more inclined towards e-commerce websites. Drupal and Joomla are preferred by advanced programmers with huge knowledge in PHP and HTML. The web design platforms are categorized into Non-Subscription and Subscription-Based platforms.
Non-Subscription Platforms
These types of platforms let you operate your website on your server since there is no leasing on the platform. You will not have to pay any fees for designing the website in non-subscription platforms, but there are some themes, additional features, and plug-ins for which you might have to spend some money.
Dreamweaver
Dreamweaver is one of the most popular platforms that offers a visual interface to web design the pages and then convert the code to HTML. It comes with highly customizable features that convert graphic designs into HTML code.
WordPress
WordPress was originally meant for developing blog websites, but now it has become a free open-source and highly versatile non-subscription platform. Though the design service is completely free, you have to buy the hosting, plug-ins, themes, domain name and hosting. Moreover, WordPress is a Content Management System (CMS) also. CMS allows the website owners to manage the website, do modifications and additions, and add a blog.
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Joomla and Drupal
Joomla and Drupal are a non-subscription CMS but they do not include as many templates and plug-ins like WordPress. They provide the same facilities as WordPress and are much easier to use. Joomla and Drupal are preferable to experienced developers. In Joomla, there is the management of multimedia that makes it automatically responsive to mobile users. You can also combine a search box inside the website design that will help the customers to find what exactly they are looking for.
Subscription Platforms
Subscription-based platforms for web design charge a fee on a monthly or yearly basis. Sometimes there are additional fees by the platform provider and some include free versions. The platforms contain e-Commerce functionality, security, and technical support. Some of the subscription platforms for web design are as follows.
Wix, Squarespace, and Weebly
Weebly, Wix, and Squarespace are famous for its user-friendliness and carrying an attractive eye-catching previously designed template. You have to pay some monthly subscription fees to avail all the features of these platforms. All these websites are easy to design with all the ready-made features. But due to the limited number of plug-ins and templates, these websites are not as popular as WordPress which includes a huge number of plug-ins, third party templates, enhanced features, and programming with your HTML code.
On the other hand, Weebly and Squarespace are meant for simple and responsive web design. Wix has a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) interface and low learning curve with intuitive help alternatives. If you have a more customized website design in mind, then Wix is more malleable for advanced coding.
E-Commerce Platforms
If you run a commercial business, you would want a website that will provide support to your customers and business. Let us take a detailed look into some of the E-Commerce platforms for web design.
Magento
Most of the major retail brands like Nike, Coca-Cola, Vizio, Ford, and Nike have trusted Magento for their website. The multi feature-rich extensions of Magento offers every possibility for discounts, pricing, and data collection. The community edition of Magento starts at 250 dollars/ month for small websites. It also includes an enterprise edition for 25 to 125 thousand dollars every year that makes it more suitable for large organizations with a higher budget for web design. Magento includes large community and customer support for the users.
Shopify
Shopify is another E-commerce based platform that is more accessible and affordable as it consists of numerous online tutorials that will help the beginners to build a website. There are options for both fees for each transaction and monthly fee. Shopify already includes a payment processor, but if you choose to select a different payment processor then you will be charged 0.5 to 2% extra money.
WordPress with WooCommerce
If your site is already in WordPress, then you can install a plug-in name WooCommerce. This will allow the users to add an unlimited number of products and easy processing of card cards. It is a convenient and easy option. But if you have thousands of products to enlist, then Shopify or Magento are the ideal ones for you. They are the first choice for the best web design companies in India.
Other Platforms
Apart from the above-mentioned web design platforms, there are other E-Commerce services as well like BigCommerce, Zen Cart, and OSCommerce (open-source).
Conclusion:
There are several factors to consider while selecting the right web design platform for the needs of your business. If you are still in the learning process about what the requirements of your business are, then WordPress is a superb choice, to begin with, due to its mind-blowing and adaptable features. It is best to go for that web design platform that aligns closely with the features your website should incorporate. Now that you have complete knowledge about the different types of designing platforms, you can select the best web design company for services in India that uses them. You just need to figure out what is right for your business!
