An own homepage, no matter if private or business, is simply a must nowadays. The ways to the website are as different as the internet presentations themselves. Especially newcomers to the online jungle are faced with the problem of deciding on a suitable option. You can choose between the do-it-yourself methods HTML editor, homepage construction kit and content management system as well as professional web designers. Each method has its pros and cons and can be the right one depending on the project.
For do-it-yourselfers - homepage creation for beginners and professionals
Success through modular design
Creating your own homepage is both a creative and a technical process. Because, in addition to the actual content, the layout and a user-friendly design are also important. Laymen, advanced users and professionals like to manage this complex process with homepage construction kits, which allow an uncomplicated, free introduction to website design. In this case, however, the website is financed by advertising or extended premium or additional services must be booked for a fee, usually monthly. After registration and from any Internet connection in the world, you can start online immediately in your browser, as you do not need to install any software on your computer. You choose the layout from a more or less extensive selection. This of course limits the individual design, because the probability that other websites have the same layout is high. Homepage construction kits are therefore not recommended if you want to implement your corporate design or stand out from your competitors with other unique selling propositions.
The contents, such as texts, images, graphics, tables or multimedia elements, are inserted and maintained in the editor; instructions make it easy to get started. The individual providers differ in this respect. In some, you drag and drop the content to the desired location, in others, this is done using appropriate work interfaces. Often the editors are similar to a WYSIWYG editor, where the content is displayed as it will appear on the later published website.
Another advantage of homepage construction kits is that hosting and Webspace are included. Often, a top-level domain or additional storage space can also be purchased. A cumbersome transfer to the web server is thus omitted. Unfortunately, homepage construction kits quickly reach their limits in terms of design, growth and high visitor volumes, although there are now providers who also offer shop systems, forums, a connection to social networks or an output for mobile devices, but usually only limited databases, search functions and search engine optimisation.
For every homepage the topic of security is also extremely important, which is kept to a minimum with a homepage construction kit, because the provider installs security and software updates. For questions and problems, e-mail support, live chats, forums or mailing lists are available. A not to be disregarded criticism of homepage construction kits is that, if the provider stops its service, your website will also go offline. With the homepage construction kit, private individuals, small businesses or associations are best able to start their first steps on the Internet.
Dynamic websites high in popularity
If you prefer to create a more expressive homepage, but lack the necessary programming skills, a content management system (CMS) is recommended. Rising user numbers illustrate a continuing trend, as more and more website owners are opting for a content management system and thus for a dynamic website. Beginners can get started without any previous knowledge, but the training can take some time. If you want a professional website, at least basic knowledge of HTML, PHP and MySQL is advantageous. Because, in order to install your homepage on the server of the web hoster, you must first have a Database set up. This places increased demands on the hosting, since a CMS website requires more web space on a database-capable server.
Similar to the homepage construction kit, content management systems have ready-made layouts (here called templates) and different variants for structuring. Freely designed templates according to your corporate design are also possible. Free and compulsory extensions increase the design scope and interactivity of your website. With content management systems, web projects of any size and type can be realized, design changes can be made within a very short time. The most important distinguishing feature is the strict separation of template and content, these are only dynamically merged in the browser of the website visitor. In addition, content management systems allow for a distribution of rights, so that several editors can simultaneously access certain areas and change content.
For server- and client-side content management systems, you can choose between free open source licenses with freely accessible source code and paid licenses with non-visible source code. Open source licenses are widespread and optimized, but offer only limited support. Software adaptations are made late or not at all, which depends on the interest and commitment of the developer. Chargeable licenses are more future-proof, since they are subject to constant further development and adaptation. Server-side content management systems, which are stored at the web host, are suitable for small to large websites. Updates can be made from any Internet-capable device and by several users simultaneously. Client-side content management systems, on the other hand, are stored on a computer specifically designed for this purpose, and only from this computer can the website, especially with large amounts of data or media, be edited and transferred to the web hoster via FTP. Client-side content management systems do not require PHP. PHP is vulnerable to attacks just like the dynamic functions and database contents.
Designed from the ground up
If you want to design a website from scratch, programming with a free or paid HTML editor is still the best option. However, a time-consuming training and acquisition of HTML, XML, CSS, PHP, MySQL and other knowledge is required. Also the creation of the static homepage itself, which requires much less webspace and is more secure against attacks, is an enormous time factor. Therefore you have complete freedom of design. Although the source code can be written with any text editor, an HTML editor makes the programming process a bit more comfortable. Some HTML editors support you in code generation, such as code completion, colored highlighting or error detection, and have a preview or FTP export function. The disadvantage is that you have to write each page individually and extensive web projects are difficult to realize and maintain. Spelling mistakes and incorrect codes can lead to display errors.
For work dividers - homepage creation by a web design agency
Especially if you want to run a successful online business, the homepage should increase your reputation and you want to concentrate on your daily business, professional support is advisable. Because a web design agency is a creative and experienced specialist for the Internet and knows about the current developments on the Internet. This is important, for example, when it comes to search engine optimization of the website itself and its content, and is also of benefit when choosing the best technology. Web designers deliver unique Internet presences that attract customers and help you to succeed. When hiring a web design agency, you should use your expertise, because you know your products, services and your customers best. Web design agencies are in the first moment of all possibilities the most cost-intensive and also with changes and extensions there are follow-up costs, but save you a lot of time. In case of an individually created homepage the copyright and the product liability law come into play, so you should regulate the rights, obligations and other points in a contract for work.
