What Are the Limitations of Using a Website Builder?
Website builders like Wix, Squarespace, and GoDaddy Website Builder make it easy to build a website. And without needing to know how to code. There are some limitations of using a website builder that you should know about before using one for your business.
We’ve worked with websites built on a number of these different builders. Some have been great to work with. Others made even simple updates harder than should be. That’s one of the (many) reasons we choose WordPress and Elementor for the websites we build.
What Are the Biggest Limitations of Using a Website Builder?
The limitations of using a website builder usually come down to how much control you get with your website. Some of these issues include:
- Limited control of website speed and performance.
- Restrictions on SEO settings and improvements.
- Extra costs for features and upgrades.
- Limited options for custom designs and features.
- Restrictions on moving your website to another provider.
Some systems handle these better than others. There are ways to work around some issues, but they all can impact how your website works for you and the users.
Website Builders Can Limit Website Speed and Performance
Website speed is one of the first things I look at when reviewing a website. If a page takes too long to load, people may leave before they even get a chance to see what the business offers.
Some website builders add extra code and JavaScript files to make their design features work. If there are large photos, videos, or animations the website can be slowed.
The concern is what you can do about those issues. With website builders like Wix and Squarespace, you don’t always have access to the hosting settings or other tools that can help improve speed.
WordPress builders like Elementor and Divi can have these same problems. They can add extra code and JavaScript libraries that aren’t always needed. The difference is that with WordPress, we have far more options for finding and fixing what is slowing the website down.
SEO Limitations Make It Harder to Improve Rankings
One of my biggest issues with website builders is the lack of control they offer for SEO.
Website builders allow you to edit page titles, descriptions, headings, and content. That’s the starting point for good SEO. But it is just the starting point.
SEO is more than adding keywords to a page.
There are technical settings, website speed improvements, page structure, and other things that can affect how well a website performs in search results. With some website builders, you simply don’t have access to all the settings needed to make those improvements.
SEO is also changing all the time. If a website builder doesn’t support a new feature or an update you need, you may have to wait for that company to add it.
With WordPress, we have more control over these changes. We can work on the content and keywords while also making technical improvements behind the scenes.
That doesn’t mean WordPress automatically ranks better. It means we have more tools available when there’s an SEO issue that needs to be fixed.
Website Builders Can Come With Unexpected Costs
One of the big selling points of website builders is the low monthly cost. But that monthly fee isn’t always the full cost of the website.
You might need to upgrade your plan to add certain features. Other tools may require monthly subscriptions. If you need custom functionality, you may find yourself paying for several different services just to get the website to work the way you want.
And what happens when your business grows and the website builder can’t do what you need anymore? You might be looking at paying for an entirely new website.
WordPress websites have costs too. Hosting, premium plugins, and maintenance all have a cost. Knowing what you’re paying for and whether the costs make sense for your business is what is important.
Limited Customization Can Hold Your Website Back
We’ve worked with Squarespace websites that were just plain clunky to manage. We also worked on a Wix website where making the changes the client needed was much harder than it should have been. The system was simply too locked down.
You might need to add a project portfolio to your website. Instead of just having all the projects listed out, you may be looking for a way for users to be able to sort them based on work type, location, or service provided.
With WordPress, we can build that type of feature and customize it for the business. With some hosted website builders, you may be limited to the features and apps they offer.
Your business might not need that type of feature today. But it’s worth thinking about what you may need a few years from now.
Website Ownership and Moving Your Website
Another limitation worth understanding is what happens if you want to move your website.
With some hosted website builders, you own your content, but you can’t simply take the entire website and move it to a different hosting company. You may have to start over again on another platform.
With WordPress, you have so much more freedom to choose where your website is hosted and you can move it when needed.
It’s something worth knowing before you invest years of work into a website.
Would Building a Website Without a Website Builder Be Better?
You might be thinking that the easiest way around these issues is to build a website without using a website builder at all.
That’s certainly an option, but it doesn’t mean these problems go away.
A custom-coded website can still have speed problems. It can have security issues if it’s not maintained correctly. SEO problems can still come up, and sometimes even making a simple text or photo change requires knowing how to work with code.
There are times when a fully custom-coded website makes sense, especially for a business needing very specific features.
But for most small businesses, having a website that’s easy to update and maintain is just as important as how it was built.
Why We Choose WordPress and Elementor at Full Scope Creative
Every website we build at Full Scope Creative uses a website builder. We use WordPress and Elementor on every site we build. That pair gives us the greatest flexibility to build the website our clients need.
We can customize the design, add features, and easily improve SEO. We can make improvements on website speed and do that without the restrictions of other platforms. We can also support the sites and our clients with hosting, security, backups, and WordPress updates.
WordPress and Elementor aren’t perfect. If they’re set up poorly or not maintained, they can have many of the same problems we’ve discussed.
That’s also one of the benefits of working with a web design company like Full Scope Creative. We know how to set up and manage these tools so they work well together.
One of my favorite things about WordPress and Elementor is that it is very easy for our clients to update their websites. Our clients don’t need to know any code to change photos, update text, or add new quality content.
The website must work for your business. Not create more work (and headaches) for you.
Choosing the Right Website Builder for Your Business
Website builders aren’t bad. In fact, they can be a great option for businesses that need a simple website without a lot of special features.
Make sure you know what limitations you might deal with before choosing a website builder. Your SEO goals, website speed, features you’ll need, and how easy it will be to make changes all need to be considered.
At Full Scope Creative, we build websites that work for the businesses using them. If you’re running into problems with your current website builder, or you’re looking at building a new website, take a look at our small business web design services or contact us to talk about what you need.