You may assume that since you’re planning to use a website builder or content management system (CMS) like WordPress, you won’t benefit from being familiar with HTML, CSS or Javascript. The truth is, knowledge of these programming languages can help you when designing your pages, even if you’re using a point-and-click program to carry out the task. Why?
Having some skill in various programming modalities, enables you to be aware of what’s going on behind the scenes. This is valuable if the website builder or CMS you’re using isn’t doing exactly what you’d like it to, or you’re experiencing errors. In addition, you’ll be able to add custom elements if you’d like – provided that the website design platform you’re using supports this type of manual input. Finally, this type of expertise may help you in your SEO efforts, as you’ll be familiar with the elements that need to be optimized in HTML for the best results.
Benefit #1: Advanced Troubleshooting.
The typical user of a website builder has no programming abilities whatsoever, and these types of programs are a marvelous way for a non-technical user to build out their site easily. That said, if you’re experiencing an error, glitch or the program just isn’t allowing you to place an object precisely where you’d like – you’ll have the option to go behind the scenes and fix these issues. While not all website builders allow for this type of advanced user input, if supported, you’ll have a backup to turn to if you encounter any issues.
This ability is especially useful for CMS platforms like WordPress, which have a learning curve and are more complex than website building programs. Requiring more technical knowledge to truly master, an option like WordPress can frustrate a user who has very little computer savvy. If you have at least some knowledge of programming languages, this will very likely shorten your learning curve and better enable you to become a proficient user of the CMS that you select.
Benefit #2: Advanced Design Capabilities.
The second benefit that having at least some programming ability opens up to you, is the option to add custom elements to your design. In terms of a website builder, this capability must be supported by the program you’ve chosen, but some do allow for this type of advanced action. To determine which website builder is likely to work best for your particular project, review these top 10 website builders – to learn which will be the right tool for your needs.
Being able to add custom elements or make sophisticated adjustments, makes it possible for you to fine-tune the design to a much higher degree. When aiming for a design that isn’t just functional – but beautiful and eye-catching as well – this capability can make a marked difference in the final product. Again, this is especially true for CMS platforms like WordPress, which tend to be more technical in nature compared to website building programs.
Benefit #3: SEO Optimization.
Effective search engine optimization (SEO) has many components, including the form and quality of your onsite content and even your layout. Yet, HTML tags are one of the elements that you need to give attention to. Having a deeper knowledge of this programming language means you won’t be intimidated when it comes to changing these elements for ideal SEO impact. You also won’t inadvertently overlook vital tags or other components, when you’re very familiar with HTML language. Since being listed higher in the search engine results means getting more traffic to your pages, this benefit can be extremely valuable for your project.
These three advantages will put you in good stead when working on designing your site. Even when you’re using a website building program or CMS like WordPress, you may have access to advanced options that aren’t available to the less proficient user. With the ability to perform improved troubleshooting, add custom elements or make enhanced modifications and fine-tune SEO components to a greater degree – knowledge of programming languages can truly put you ahead and meaningfully elevate your website design project.