SINGAPORE – Are you looking to build a website for yourself or your business? Websites are one of the best ways to showcase your portfolio, business offerings, or online shop. However, building a website from scratch is no easy feat.
There are several ways you can go about developing your website. We’re going to go through some of your options, as well as the pros and cons of each. This should help you narrow down which direction would best suit your needs. Keep reading to find out more!
Building A Website With A Traditional Web Development Agency
The first option is to hire a web development agency. This is a great option if you don’t have the expertise needed within your team to code, handle graphic design, or familiarize yourself with web builder tools.
Though this isn’t a cheap option, web development agencies typically come with a roster of relevant professionals. This means you will have access to developers, designers, and digital marketing professionals – all of whom can give you expert opinions.
Benefits
The great thing about hiring a web development agency is the potential to get a website that is completely unique to you and in line with industry-standard best practices in user interface and experience. The agency takes all the hassle off your hands and everything can be tailor-made to your needs.
This includes coding, designing and setting up the foundational Search Engine Optimization for your website to increase your chances of ranking and receiving organic traffic once your website has been published.
Most web development agencies also offer hosting and support for live websites. If any issues arise, the agency acts as your tech support. This means there’s no need to worry about troubleshooting – help is just a call or message away!
When Should You Consider a Web Development Agency?
This is a great option for medium or large-sized businesses that rely heavily on their websites. Agencies can give you exactly what you’re looking for, meaning you won’t have to compromise on style and user experience.
The cost and time it takes to develop a website with a web development agency make it an ideal option for businesses with bigger budgets and longer timelines. All of these perks take time and will cost more, but quality is assured if you go with a reputable agency.
Expected Timeline
Because every aspect of the website is personalised to your requirements, web development agencies typically take around 2 to 3 months to complete your website. Keep in mind that this is dependent on many factors such as the complexity of your website. The more complex components involved, the longer your website will take to develop. If you’re working with a tight timeline, you might want to consider other web development options.
Building A Website With A Website Builder Platform (Wix or Squarespace)
Another option is to use a website builder platform such as Wix, Shopify, or Squarespace. These platforms allow you to design your own website using customisable templates and elements.
Each platform typically has a variety of presets you can customise via simple drag-and-drop tools, making them intuitive to use and accessible to users without coding experience. Website builders provide you with everything you need to create a website — all you need is your browser.
Benefits
Website builders provide a quick and easy way for beginners with no coding experience to build a website from scratch. There’s no need to hire professionals or spend ages studying coding languages. You can develop a functional website and have it up and running in less time than with a traditional web development agency.
Website builders are also much cheaper upfront, with monthly or annual subscriptions.
When Should You Use Website Builders?
Website builders are perfect for small to medium-sized businesses that don’t have large budgets and don’t need complex websites. Web builders are user-friendly in nature and quick to set up.
Although web builders are user-friendly in nature and designed to be quick to learn and set up — you’ll still have to factor in the time it takes to familiarise yourself with the ins and outs of your chosen platform. Using a website builder to build a website from scratch can be quite labour intensive if you factor in the time you spend reading or watching tutorials to learn different functions or troubleshoot your own issues.
Ultimately, the biggest hurdle when using website builders is your ability to learn and become competent with the website building platform of your choice. You may also find that templates can be quite limiting if you desire a unique-looking website, although most platforms offer some form of customisation to alleviate this.
Expected Timeline
Developing websites using a website builder platform can take anywhere from a few days to two weeks to build, depending on how familiar you are with the platform and how much time you dedicate to working on the site. Though these tools are generally user-friendly, they do still have a significant learning curve.
Building A Website With A Website Builder Platform and Agency Assistance
When developing a website, most people choose between engaging a web development agency or using a website builder. But there is a third option that offers the best of both worlds.
Some website builders like Wix, offer partner programs that enable users to engage the expertise of an agency to develop and maintain websites on their platform.
Benefits
So what are the benefits of engaging a partner agency to help you develop a website on a website building platform?
Combining the best of both methods, you get the speed and ease of website builders with the customisability and industry expertise of web development agencies.
With this option, you don’t need to burden yourself with learning the platform and spend time tweaking templates — the agency takes care of all of that. Plus, they’ll be able to handle tech support and assist you with more things when your website goes live, such as creating promotional pages for your campaigns.
When Should You Engage a Partner Agency on a Website Building Platform?
This hybrid approach is best suited for those that want the level of customisation and professionalism of traditional web development, but don’t have as much time or budget. This option is faster than building from the ground up and won’t look like countless other websites that use the same template.
Expected Timeline
Because this option makes use of a partnered website builder but is put together by a professional, you’ll get your website fully functional in only 2 to 3 weeks. This is a way shorter timeline since it eliminates the learning curve of having to figure out the website builder on your own, as well as the laborious process of coding everything from scratch.
Bottomline
Wondering how long it takes to develop an e-commerce website in Singapore? There are many ways to get a website off the ground, but each has its pros and cons. This article should help narrow down your choices to the one that best suits your business needs.
Going for a traditional web development agency can be great if you want a complex and professional website, but they can be costly and time-consuming, especially if you don’t need all the bells and whistles. Website builders, on the other hand, are great for those who want cheaper, simpler websites in a short amount of time. However, website builders can have a significant learning curve and customisation is limited due to the use of design templates.
The third hybrid option; engaging a web development agency partnered with a website building platform offers the best of both worlds. You’ll be able to build a website fast making full use of the platform’s features, while the agency can help code any customisations you require. You’ll also have agency support for the times you need technical or creative assistance.
FirstCom Solutions is an official Wix reseller offering agency services for clients who wish to build a website using Wix. Engage our website building services – we use a hybrid approach to website building and provide technical and content support even after your website is launched.
Visit our Website Development page to learn more!
