Web Developer or WYSIWYG?

Why Is A Web Developer Any Better Than A WYSIWYG?

So, you’re thinking about a small website and you really don’t have much money to get started. Looking at this WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) program, it seems to be able to do everything you want… and it’s much cheaper than paying someone.

The question is why would you use a professional rather than the program?

Planning

In the planning stage a professional will define the purpose of your site.

This purpose defines:

* what will be included

* how much content will be included

* how many pages will be used

Without a plan a website can become a random and ineffective group of pages with masses of information which a user will never look at. If the user does not engage with the site, the purpose is not achieved.

• When you use a WYSIWYG you have to do your own planning without help.

Designing

The next step is the design of a page which will be seen by your users. The use of space, type of layout and navigation should be based around the purpose of the site. What do you want the user to do, and in what order? Good design can make the difference between a site which people return to over and over and one which is unbearable to look at for two minutes.

A professional will incorporate your ideas and existing branding to create an appropriate webpage. However they will also be able to use their experience to include navigation and other web specific aspects of the design which a non professional might not consider.

· Design in a WYSIWYG is limited to the templates created by the program, which may not suit the site you wish to create.

Validation

Validation is a way to make your site comply with standards. Standards are a set of rules created by browsers such as Firefox, Opera and Chrome to standardise how webpages look when they are written by the browser to the screen. It is important to comply with standards because they ensure the page designer knows that the way they see the site is the way the user will see the site.

• WYSIWYG programs do not create standards compliant sites and do not include validation tools for the user.

Interactivity

Some sites have what are called content management systems (CMS). A CMS is a system which uses a database to store information on the page. The owner can log in to their site and change information to update it.

• A WYSIWYG cannot create the system which is needed to run a content management system.
• While a basic page can be done with a WYSIWYG, sites which need to be updated regularly will cost less with an upfront investment in a system which allows the page to be easily updated.

Changes

Sites which do not require regular updating will at some stage require changes. These changes may be large or small and include:

* Changes to basic information - such as an address or phone number

* Changes to products

* Redesign of page

* New content being added

* Old content being removed

* New pages being added

* Old pages being removed

* More functionality or features being added

A professional web developer would have a finite contract with you for the development of the page. Returning to them for changes will cost more money. However, it is likely that returning to the same developer a customer would be offered a discount as the developer is already familiar with them and the site.

Okay, so you made your site with a WYSIWYG and now you want to change something.

· Some WYSIWYG’s will allow you to make changes to your site. However, you will need to be able to use the complicated features of the program.

· Many WYSIWYG’s will make the process so difficult that you may as well redo the site from scratch.

Problems

Technology always has some problems. Webpages are no exception. Problems which you may encounter include: pages, pictures or content which do not load, javascript features which will not work, layouts which do not look the way they are supposed to, emails which can not be sent. Some problems are caused by idiotic or malicious users while some are glitches in the system.

One of the advantages of using a professional developer is that they are aware of potential problems and have addressed them. Many issues can be avoided by including a few extra pieces of computer code.

• A WYSIWYG however, does not have the ability to anticipate and avoid potential problems on your behalf.

The main benefit however is that if a problem occurs the professional will be able to correct it. A site created with a WYSIWYG has two options.

1. Correct the error yourself - that is if you can work out what the problem is and have the time to learn enough computer code to fix it.
2. Hire a professional - a bit late, this is likely to cost you a lot because the developer has to go through the disorganised computer code created by the WYSIWYG in order to find and correct the problem. A time consuming and laborious job.

Domain / Hosting

A domain is your address, like a piece of real estate on the Internet. Hosting is paying a company to run your website on their computers. When using a professional you will be able to have your questions about obtaining domain names and hosting answered by them. Your contract with the developer may include an option to have the developer arrange these things on your behalf.

The final step in any development process is putting the site onto the Internet. This is called uploading or launching the site. A developer will do this for you.

• A WYSIWYG does not give you information about domains.
• A WYSIWYG does not give you information about hosting.
• Most WYSIWYG’s do not upload your site for you, if it is possible it will be in the advanced options.

Accountability

When a professional is hired to do a job, they hold responsibility for doing it properly. The developer is accountable for the job they have done.

• A WYSIWYG is a program, it cannot be held accountable for creating an ineffective webpage.