Website builders are software tools which usually enable the building of interactive sites without manual coding. They fall into two major categories: WYSIWYG or “what you see is what you get” and Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) or “style sheet” programming language. They are not necessarily different, but there are differences in how they accomplish things, especially for beginners. CSS is not used with website builder tools as much as PHP or HTML, which are used for more advanced site structures and animations.
Website builders can be used to create a range of complex sites, including online stores, search engines, e-commerce systems, blogs, corporate intranet sites, and more. Although web-based site builders have been around for many years, their effectiveness has become even more enhanced with the development of new software products like SitePoint and Dreamweaver. These products provide a number of benefits over older versions such as FrontPage and Amaze!, with one major advantage being the added ability to employ multi-media content and integrated HTML coding. The old versions were limited to text only which was not only less effective, but also often slower and less efficient than modern CMS tools which allow for much more customization.
Although it may seem like a daunting task to begin learning about website builders, this is really a much simpler process than learning HTML or Java. Website-builders usually come in a visual package, with tutorials and video tutorials showing you exactly how each step is performed. Although they usually cost a nominal fee, the one-time investment can pay off in being able to build your own site rather than outsourcing it to a professional. If you’re going to start learning about how to build a website, it’s best to use a website builder first.