Gone are the days when the only option we’ve got to set up our own website is through a professional web developer. Nowadays, there are so many alternatives to hiring a professional to build your site for you. Website builders simplify the web design and development process to lower the barrier to entry for website ownership and management. And when it comes to these platforms, you can either go for the web apps or use an offline website builder.
As the name implies, a free offline drag and drop website builder lets you create your own website without the need to connect to the internet. It is a software that you can work on from your desktop and, once you’ve completed the site, you can upload the relevant web files to a server and your website goes live.
Internet connection requirement
Given that it’s difficult to get rid of stuff on the internet once it’s up there, the use of a free offline website builder might be logical solution for beginners who don’t want to commit to website management just yet. You can play web designer and copywriter all day, everyday on your computer without the fear of other people peeking into your work. Anything that you do on an offline site builder is for your eyes only until you decide to publish your site online.
A drag and drop website builder offline software does not require an internet connection to work. You can start building your site even when you’re not online so you can do this pretty much anywhere. Conversely, Strikingly and other online site builders require you to be online in order to start building your site. They work through web browsers such as Chrome and are intended solely for online use. They do provide a certain level of privacy of information so you can keep your site protected with a password while you work on it until you’re ready to publish.
Software installation is required
For an offline site builder to work, you need to install the relevant software in your computer. This could take a lot of space in your hard drive and if your device doesn’t have enough resources to run this program along with everything else you have in there, installation can slow your computer down significantly.
Meanwhile, with an online site builder, you are creating a website directly on its platform. There’s no need for you to download anything other than the media files that you might want to add to your website. All you need is your web browser and you can start working. You manage files and content through the web app and this frees up space in your computer for other things.
Cost differences
It’s important to factor in the cost when considering different site builder options. It’s possible to get a free offline website builder these days as many companies offer free trials or trial versions of their program. However, if you want to take advantage of the full suite of services that they offer, you’re going to have to purchase the entire software. Cost-wise, you may be paying much more than if you go to an online site builder. An offline site builder requires regular updates that may affect the functionality of the platform if you choose not to purchase.
Server and domain hosting
Eventually, you will want to publish your website and you will need server and domain hosting to get it up. Many offline website builders do not necessarily offer this in their package. You may need to get these services and set them up yourself through third party vendors. If you have a good working knowledge of server hosting and domain registration, this wouldn’t be an issue. Beginners, however, may feel intimidated by the extra steps that they need to take to get their website up.
On the other hand, Strikingly takes care of these details for you. It provides hosting and domain registration under one roof. Once you’re done editing your site, all you need to do is hit, “Publish” and your site goes live. You can add a personalized domain later on or use the free domain that the platform provides.
