When looking to grow a business, whether it is a new or existing company, online marketing is integral to reaching new customers and can be seen as an investment for the future. The first point of call when marketing a business online is creating an attractive, informative and easy to use website. There are numerous ways in which to build a webpage – there are offline software packages and online web applications – each one with its own distinct advantages and disadvantages.
Offline packages
An offline software package does offer users the ability to create a website whenever and on whichever device they choose, in their own time and without access to the internet. However, the software can be expensive to purchase in the short-term and can quickly become outdated. It may also be difficult, time consuming and frustrating to acquire support relating to any problems arising when using the software.
Online Services
Creating a website in an online web browser is often an easier process – and using a service such as the website builder of 1&1 makes it simple to get started.
Once you have signed up to the service, it is possible to access your account from any device with an internet connection. This means the website is available to develop from home, work or indeed anywhere where the customer finds five minutes to work on it. In addition to this, an online website building service such as 1&1 makes it easy to get the website up and running quickly as online storage and an URL (unique website address) are included as part of the package.
After signing up to the service, several further pages providing dummy texts and images are available to access. The company can then replace this information with their own to create a unique website. Basic features of the web pages such as headings, body text and images can be selected and moved to different positions on the page to suit each individual client. These elements can also be selected for editing within the online service using the tools provided.
An online web application also has a library of templates and images that users can simply select and drop into place on their own web pages. The advantages of using an online rather than offline service here is that this catalogue of templates and images is continually updated, meaning you have access to the very latest in web design to ensure the creation of an impressive, modern and aesthetically pleasing website.
Always stay up to date
Online website building service providers such as 1&1 are constantly adding to the services they offer, including the latest web app feature. This app allows businesses to quickly and easily add links to ready-made content from their website. This can include YouTube videos, Google Maps, Facebook and Twitter accounts or a Flickr photo stream. It is easy to update web apps without distributing and installing software on a potentially large number of devices making them very useful for online marketing.
Online website building services also cater for a wider number of business sectors than offline software packages, which are often either too general or too specific towards the wrong business type. It is also possible to sign up for a monthly account, which enables users to update their website on a regular basis, with access to the latest technology and templates without purchasing any additional, potentially expensive software.
