Advantages and disadvantages of building a site using a homepage builder

Homepages

now play an important role as business cards for companies.

Homepage builder

is a well-known software that allows you to easily create beautiful websites. Here, we will explain the features, advantages, and disadvantages that you should keep in mind when building a site using a homepage builder.

What is a homepage builder?

Homepage builder is website creation software. It has a long track record and was developed by IBM Japan’s Yamato Research Institute in 1994. Since 2010, Just System Co., Ltd. has been in charge of development, sales, and support.

The current latest version is Homepage Builder 22 (released on April 22, 2020). There are two types of products: “Standard” for individual users and “Business Premium” for businesses. The detailed structure of the product is as follows.

Product composition of homepage builder

Homepage builder SP

Homepage builder classic

CSS Editor Web Animator Web Art Designer Digistar Marker 2

File transfer tool Safe backup/migration tool Homepage builder Service 3 months usage rights *Usage plans vary depending on product type

SEO Composer *Business Premium only

Sitemap Creator *Business Premium only

Features of homepage builder

A homepage builder that has been praised for its ease of use. There are five main characteristics.

Intuitive operation with no specialized knowledge required

There is no need for specialized knowledge such as

HTML

tags and

CSS

to build a website. It is characterized by the ability to build websites using intuitive drag-and-drop operations.

Lots of templates

Templates are available in a variety of types and designs, so you can choose the one that suits your purpose. The latest version of Homepage Builder 22 includes 136 types for “Standard” and 357 types for “Business Premium”.

Once you have selected a template, all you have to do is select parts such as navigation, images, announcements, titles, etc., and place them wherever you like to complete your website.

Many images, fonts, and other materials available

Another feature of the homepage builder is that it has a wide variety of materials such as high-quality images and fonts. The latest version of Homepage Builder 22 includes 119 fonts.

“Standard” allows you to select from 200 photo materials and 40 illustration materials. In addition, “Business Premium” allows you to use a large number of materials, including 1,400 photo materials and 1,176 illustration materials.

responsive web design

Since it supports responsive web design, you can automatically build a smartphone site at the same time as a PC site, reducing costs. You can also expect

SEO

effects by sharing the URL.

Regularly release new versions of products

Since its release in 1994, updated versions of the product have appeared regularly. Convenient new features have been added in line with the trends of the times and advances in technology, and it has a reputation for ease of use.

8 benefits of building a company website with a homepage builder

We will explain the eight main benefits of building a corporate website using a homepage builder.

Even beginners can easily build a website

If you are creating a company website in-house, you will need to employ people who have the specialized knowledge necessary to build a website, such as HTML and CSS. The biggest advantage of using a homepage builder is that even beginners can easily build a site.

Additionally, you can create a site intuitively and visually while looking at the materials, making it easy to visualize the finished product. You can rest assured that the first two uses after purchase are free, and from the third time onwards there is paid telephone support.

Create a beautiful, high-quality website

With a wide variety of templates, you can create high-quality pages even without any design knowledge or flair. There are many high-quality image and font materials available, so you can build a great-looking site.

Packed with easy and convenient functions

Inserting images and tables, arranging various parts such as SNS buttons, inquiry forms, and titles is as easy as dragging and dropping. Detailed settings such as part shape, color, size, and font settings are all consolidated on one screen for easy viewing.

What’s appealing about it is that you can change the layout and color scheme with simple operations while paying close attention to detail.

Comes with image editing software

Homepage Builder 22 comes with an image editing software called “Web Art Designer”. Therefore, the high level of convenience that allows you to edit images and add text to materials without the need for separate image editing software is also attractive.

Built-in file transfer tool

It has a built-in file transfer function, so you can instantly upload the created data to the server with a single button. It is efficient because it saves you the trouble of starting up FTP software and working on it.

Compatible with display on various devices

Equipped with responsive web design, it can be displayed optimally on devices such as smartphones and tablets. Not only does it not be necessary to create separate sites for each device, updates and corrections can be done only once, which also helps strengthen SEO measures.

Has SEO features

Homepage Builder 22’s “Business Premium” comes with SEO features called “SEO Composer” and “Sitemap Creator.” It analyzes and gives specific advice on how to fix it, and it can also output a report, which can be used as an SEO instruction manual.

Display speed is fast

The homepage builder creates an HTML file on your PC and uploads it to the rental server. Compared to sites that use

CMS

such as WordPress, the display speed is faster because there is no interaction with the database.

Learn more about building sites with CMS

7 Disadvantages of Creating a Corporate Website with a Homepage Builder

When using a homepage builder, there are some precautions you should be aware of in advance. Below, I will explain the seven points.

It has many functions and takes time to learn.

Homepage builders are characterized by a large number of functions. If you are using it for the first time, you may find it difficult to learn the functions and operations. Another reason for confusion is that online manuals provide relatively simple explanations.

If you have no specialized knowledge, it will be difficult to fix a problem when it occurs.

Although it can be built without any knowledge of HTML or CSS, it may be difficult to modify the source code. Please be aware that if a problem occurs with a part of your website, there is a risk that you will not be able to fix the source code yourself.

It is difficult to create a high-level website for business.

Although it has an abundance of templates and image materials, you may feel that there are few high-level designs for business use. Some people say that it is too simple compared to the level of quality of many corporate websites currently being uploaded. We recommend that you look at templates and material samples before making a decision.

Difficult to manage a website with multiple people

Homepage Builder can only be used on the computer on which it is installed. Homepage Builder 22 can be installed on up to three computers, but there is a restriction that the website cannot be updated from other computers. Only a specific administrator will have to deal with this, which can lead to a lack of operational efficiency.

There are few editing functions after the page is published.

The homepage builder does not allow you to edit multiple pages at once like updating a blog. Some people have complained about the inflexibility of the editing functions, especially after the site has been published. Therefore, it may not be suitable for sites that require frequent updates.

Can only be used on Windows

From past products to the latest Homepage Builder 22, only the Windows version is sold. Mac is currently not supported.

There is a charge for support and version updates from the third time onwards.

There is a fee for telephone support from the third time onward, so repeated support will be costly. Additionally, you will be charged a fee for each regular update, so please be careful when implementing it.

Is the homepage builder free to use?

The homepage builder is paid software, but the trial version can be used for free. The ease of use of the main software is comparable to the paid version, so we recommend trying it out before purchasing the paid version. Please note that there are restrictions on use. The following are the restrictions.

Features added in Homepage Builder 22

The big difference is the long scroll SP template. The information is summarized on one page and you can scroll down to read it. Therefore, it is ideal for pages that aim to achieve a single purpose, such as introducing events, recruiting human resources, or introducing products.

With Google My Business registration, you can display and manage your business and company information using services provided by Google (search, maps, etc.). This version is effective for MEO (Map Search Optimization) measures.

Check about Google My Business

Summary: Homepage builder is ideal for building websites that prioritize easy operation.

Homepage Builder is software that is recommended for businesses with little website production know-how. It is especially effective for individual business owners and small and medium-sized businesses who are building a website for the first time or want to create a new website.

In addition to being able to create great-looking designs with simple operations, you can expand your business with a variety of functions. If you are considering installing a homepage builder or building a website, please use this as a reference.