by Damon Burton @ Utah Sites | Jan 30, 2020
As you look to build your next website, you can go with the standard backends or try something new. Besides the big website backends—Wordpress, Wix, Shopify, and BigCommerce—what are some up-and-coming alternatives? Though we tend to be creatures of habit, branching out can open up some new features and efficiencies that suit your processes. And who knows, you may not even look back. We asked a panel of digital marketing and design experts to share their favorite website backend alternatives. Here’s what they had to say:
Rio Rocket, Digital Marketing Strategist and Branding Expert at
RioRocket.com.
Gatsby
After over 20 years of building websites, [I have discovered] a new web development platform that combines speed, flexibility, and simplicity into one cohesive product. Gatsby is an open-source framework that will pull data from any other CMS whether it be WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, etc. and merge it with Markdown and website framework data to create extremely fast websites and applications.
Gatsby’s framework is based on React and outputs websites with higher compatibility for mobile, JavaScript and APIs – also known as the JAMstack. The result is a faster, more secure site that can be served without a web server.
Duda
Stick to Shopify and BigCommerce if you need an online store or e-commerce capabilities. Where you have room to explore is when you’re creating pages for content like blogs or to improve SEO.
New companies like Elastic Path, Upscale, and eComchain are introducing us to digital commerce and the ability to develop mobile-first digital e-commerce and websites, but Shopify has acquired and created digital products that have feature parity.
Duda is one of the best new website hosting sites, very comparable to WordPress, Wix, and Weebly. It’s actually more customizable with similar SEO.
Zarar Ameen is the Founder and CEO of
CANZ Marketing, a superpower for online paid advertising with expertise in building and implementing marketing strategies.
Weebly
Weebly is emerging as a strong backend alternative to WordPress. It offers an engaging, user-friendly interface that suits the needs and expertise of a non-technical beginner.
Building a website with its drag-and-drop menu and using add-ons to enhance your website with its app center is a piece of cake. The Weebly interface caters to the basic to advanced level-needs of E-commerce businesses and offers a good number of changeable templates to any kind of business. They have a well-done, built-in SEO solution for your website (that could still use a bit of flexibility and improvement, though). The blogging-related services are competitive to WordPress, and they have excellent round-the-clock support available.
Though they have a long way to go before being considered an actual replacement of WordPress, the option can’t be ruled out based on how fast they have gained their current standing.
Webflow
Webflow is the new(ish) website backend on the block. It offers visual and vivid designs which set it apart from the main protagonists.
A lot of people are familiar with the WordPress backend. I would advise that they put the same time and effort into learning Webflow, as it is likely to become a lot more prominent in the near future.
With mobile users overtaking desktop and mobile-first indexing, Webflow is simple and effective in implementing responsive design.
Sick of being a mediator between designers and developers? Worry no more. Webflow bridges the design-development gap. The absence of pixels and vectors, replaced with real HTML and CSS, helps your designers hand over a clean version that is already code – to the developers.
Brett Downes, SEO Specialist of dfylinks.com
This is a crowdsourced article. Contributors' statements do not necessarily reflect the opinion of this website, other people, businesses, or other contributors.
by Damon Burton @ Utah Sites | Jan 27, 2020
Your website is your best tool to create a great impression on potential customers. The way you generate interest with these possible clients will either make them decide to purchase your product or leave your website entirely. Best of all, it works for you 24/7/365.
You can put as many pages as you want on your website, but you should always include “the big four.”
Home Page
Every website has a home page, and it is often the very first thing a customer views. It provides a clean slate for you to present your best first impression.
Your home page should show what your website is and what you do. It should include a Call-to-Action (CTA) and provide a way for you to meet your goals, such as adding people to your email list or allowing them to contact you for business. Make sure that when you’re designing your home page, your Call to Action is front and center so that your users know the next step they have to take for whatever they want to do.
The home page is also what Google considers when it tries to understand the purpose and function of your site. Your home page should include a strong headline along with visually striking design.
(Pixabay / geralt)
About Us
Visitors usually head over to this part of your website as soon as they get through with the home page. It delivers important and relevant information for your website to help the user get to know you and your brand. Potential customers will use your About page to decide if they can trust you enough to do business with you. This page tells the users who you are, what you do, and if you are professional.
Blog
While your home page grabs your potential customer’s interest, posts on your blog’s page keep them coming back for more. Well-written blog posts give more information to show off your expertise and help buyers make their final decision.
Blogs require constant updating and should include only material of the highest quality. These posts need to demonstrate that you are a master in your field worth considering. Blogs need to be top notch because search engines will assign rankings based on the authenticity of each post. These rankings will determine how far up on the search engine results page that your company appears.
Contact Page
After reading through your other key pages, a potential customer may be convinced that you are the perfect company to do business with. In this instance, they will head on over to your Contact page so that they can get the ball rolling. It is crucial, therefore, that your Contact page is highly visible so you don’t lose potential sales.
You need to remember that a user who proceeds to the Contact page is already interested in doing business with you, so including some testimonials at the bottom of the Contact page can only increase the user’s initial trust in your website and your brand. The Contact page should include various ways of getting in touch with you, such as an email response box, an instant chat window, phone numbers, and mailing address.
When these four basic pages shine on your website, you’ll have a far better chance of attracting visitors and converting them into customers.
by Damon Burton @ Utah Sites | Jan 20, 2020
If you’re looking to put a website on the internet, you need a host to. Hosting services provide the required technology for you to load your website design and then connect it to the rest of the internet. The web host you choose is crucial to the efficiency of your website, so make sure that you do your homework and plan for the future before deciding.
Since hosting is where your website lives on the internet, you need to take almost as much care choosing a host as you would in deciding where the physical location of your store should be. A host should be big enough for your needs, structurally sound, and meet your budget.
Options for hosting plans generally fall into these categories:
Dedicated server
This is the most expensive hosting service, but its major perk is that it is entirely yours. That means that there aren’t any other companies competing for server space, which affords you faster loading and processing speeds. Expect this to set you back over $100 per month, but if you’re an expanding company, its increased level of control over scripts and apps could be just the thing you’re looking for to take your website to the next level.
Virtual Private Server
VPS hosting is kind of a hybrid between the shared web hosting and the dedicated server. Its pricing is somewhere in the middle, ranging from $25 to $100 per month, but it has more features and opportunities for growth than the standard shared host. The higher price allows for fewer sites to be stored on the same server, but you can still run into the inconvenience of traffic surges affecting your website’s performance.
(Pixabay / blickpixel)
Shared space
At less than $12 per month, this option is a good place for start-up companies or small businesses to begin. There are some trade-offs for this price point, however. Shared web hosting, as the name implies, involves a lot of different websites sharing server space. That means that high traffic on their websites could mean slow loading speeds on yours. If you’re a brand new business, however, this is probably the way to go while you get your sea legs under you.
Hosting options
There are plenty of web hosting providers you can choose from, but you have to find the best qualities to fit the needs of your website. A good hosting provider should offer the following:
Adequate storage space
Before you decide on a hosting provider, you need to look at the storage space it will provide you and the ability to upgrade as your business grows.
Bandwidth
Your chosen web hosting provider should allow you unlimited bandwidth.
Dependability
The hosting provider should offer your website the uptime, web experience, and user satisfaction that you need. Downtime can cost you serious money, so you need something that you can count on.
Speed
The server should offer high speed on a daily basis.
Attentive and accessible support
You cannot avoid problems when you have a website. The hosting provider should be available to help you 24/7 with active customer support via phone or chat.
Latest software versions
The web host must have updated software to support your website.
Backup
Your website must have a daily or weekly backup so you don’t lose any of your data in the event of a crash.
While it’s important to be thrifty, price should not be the only factor driving your choice of web hosting services. Take all of the above into consideration to make the best decision.
by Damon Burton @ Utah Sites | Jan 15, 2020
Your company’s website is invaluable because it handles everything from clients and sales to customer service. If you don’t have web design skills to build your own website, you need to hire a professional web developer to do it for you.
There are usually two types of website designers available for hire:
- hourly rate
- project rate (most common)
Which one you hire will ultimately depend on your needs, so it is essential to gauge the advantages and disadvantages of both.
(Pixabay / StartupStockPhotos)
Website Cost by the Hour
Most per-hour web designers are freelancers and are less likely to be a full-service web design company. The good thing about paying web developers on a per-hour basis is that their work and output are typically very transparent. They have to keep detailed track of the time they spend on your project as well as any expenses that they incur, so you will not be left wondering where your money went. This is also great for cases where you are not quite sure what you are looking for and would like to work with the designer closely. Because they are paid by the hour, they won’t complain if the process takes a little longer than originally anticipated, which allows the two of you to work together to improve the final product.
Of course, the same advantages can become problems as well. Since the designers are paid by the hour, you have to be cautious when asking for multiple revisions because that can add time and cost you more money. In fact, a lot of web owners end up paying more than they anticipated because they couldn’t decide on what they wanted, which added time and cost to the final contract.
Project Rate
Most web design companies charge per project instead. These are the more skilled and veteran developers that have enough experience to give an accurate estimate for how much they think a project will cost. This is better for people who are working on a strict budget. If you only have a specific amount, and they contract to complete the project for that amount, you are guaranteed an output with what money you have.
In addition, you won’t be charged for basic revisions because they are covered in the quote. Be mindful, though, that most senior designers stipulate a cap on the number of revisions in the contract so that they don’t keep going back to the drawing board endlessly.
The disadvantage of paying per project is that it can be much more expensive since designers may factor in a lot of buffers and overheads that may or may not be used. Also, these developers tend to be more experienced, so their asking price is higher. But, you get what you pay for so paying more usually equates to a better final design.
Both cases have pros and cons, and one option might work better for your business than the other. It is best to talk honestly with your web designer and decide on a fair price structure so that the final arrangement fits your budget, business needs, and time frame.
by Damon Burton @ Utah Sites | Jan 11, 2020
When it comes to business nowadays, it isn’t enough to just provide a good product or service. In fact, a good product is now considered the bare minimum of what customers expect. What really sways clients is if your customer service goes above and beyond the call of duty. There are a couple of reasons why excellent customer service is so important in today’s market.
(Pixabay / Pexels)
Sets You Apart from a Sea of Competitors
Customers expect the best products that their money can buy, but it isn’t enough to give customers the best bang for their buck anymore. There is so much competition across a product niche that what sets exceptional companies apart from good ones is an excellent after-sale service.
People aren’t just buying goods anymore; they are paying for an experience and are willing to shell out bigger chunks of cash for premium service. They don’t care if your product is a top-of-the-line, leading-edge gadget if they can’t speak to a person when they have questions. Additionally, if they can’t have the item repaired easily, they may reconsider buying it. Good customer service is just as important as having a good product. Great marketing will attract new customers, and top-tier customer service will keep them coming back for more.
Improves Reviews
Another advantage of investing in a superb customer service experience is that you can mitigate potential problems down the line. In this digital age, word of mouth can make or break a business. Even just a few forcefully worded or highly publicized negative reviews can do significant damage to the reputation that your company has worked hard to build. By nipping the problem in the bud, you can potentially avoid such problems. Proactively contact your customer base to ensure that nothing is wrong and that everything was received at or above expectation. Since you know your customers and engage with them regularly through your after-sales care, you will know if something is wrong early in the transaction, which gives you ample opportunity to formulate solutions for potential problems.
Builds Trust and Brand Awareness
A great marketing campaign can jumpstart a brand’s career, but word of mouth is an incredibly powerful tool that can work for or against your company. At a certain point, some brands are so well-known that even if they don’t advertise, people can still identify the brand. This is because customers have heard that the brand is good from people that they trust. People tend to only talk about a product if they are very satisfied or very dissatisfied with it, so the ball is in your court to make sure that customers are having a brag-worthy experience, even after they have bought the product.
Creating a great customer service experience is an investment that might seem impractical at first. It doesn’t generate sales directly and will cost time and money; however, the benefits are all indirect, intangible, and exponentially greater than your investment cost.
by Damon Burton @ Utah Sites | Jan 7, 2020
Profit margins in the web design industry depend on a number of factors. Some designers have a steady flow of work and live very comfortably; others barely eke out a living. We asked industry experts to share their insights about the profitability of web design companies and the variables that affect the numbers.
Founder of HFB Advertising, a company that provides custom advertising design services, web design, graphic design, and digital marketing.
Depends on experience and location
This varies depending on how many services [are needed], experience level of the designers and where they are located in the world.
If you are a web design company that just opened its door, you may charge a little less than a more seasoned company. It depends on how many employees, hourly rate, billable hours, office rent or reselling services.
There are a lot of ifs and buts, but in reality, anyone can charge what they want if the client wants to pay that rate. There is no set rate but it can be from $75 – $450 per hour from a freelancer or even higher with some agencies in the NYC area.
Depends on your willingness
The ability to make a living in website development comes down to your willingness to provide not only the expertise, but the availability and communication customers require to succeed.
In the early years of running a one-person website development company, it wasn’t uncommon to see gross revenue fluctuate between $40,000 and $60,000/year, depending on the number and quality of website projects taken on. As the customer base and service offerings grew, so did the expenses as they related to staffing and office space. For this reason, it was difficult to see an improvement in the owner’s draw from the business, even after revenues reached $200,000 to $300,000/year. This was because money needed to be reinvested in the business to continue the growth trajectory.
As a website development business matures to the point of having stable customer growth and tenured staff, it becomes possible to draw larger amounts from the business. The management team at WebCitz has helped build the company to a 10+ member team with revenues exceeding $1,500,000/year, owner salaries exceeding $100,000/year and staff salaries exceeding that of comparable positions with local competitors.
Owner of WebCitz, LLC, a USA-based and staffed website development and marketing agency with more than 15 years of industry experience.
Low-end vs High-end
Low-end web design companies tend to make $500 or so per project, so if they have five customers a month, they’re making $2,500/month, which is not quite enough to support even one person fully. High-end companies can charge $10,000 or more per project, so even one customer per month can support a single person full-time.
Like asking how much a house costs
Asking how much web design companies make is like asking how much a house costs. The rate depends on so many factors, including location, experience, quality, marketing, contract type and much more. Typically, an established web design company will shoot for a 50% margin after accounting for materials, salaries and contractors.
CEO of Gunner Technology – a software development firm that builds JavaScript solutions on AWS for the public and private sectors as well as entrepreneurs.
Devin is founder & growth strategist at DevBev Co. Digital Marketing Agency. DevBev Co. started with Devin’s freelance web design and SEO consulting. Demand grew so quickly that adding more people was mandatory, and today DevBev Co. provides a full range of digital marketing services, as well as web design.
Depends on scope and timeline
Our website designs typically cost as low as $3,000 to as much as $15,000 or more for projects requiring more complex development. The most important factors for project cost are the scope, timeline for delivery, and especially how much custom code is needed – because good developers are expensive.
This is a crowdsourced article. Contributors' statements do not necessarily reflect the opinion of this website, other people, businesses, or other contributors.
