Do web designers use free online website builders like weebly for clients?

Hi

I want to know do web designers(web developers) use free online website builders like weebly to create there clients websites??

Because i am thinking of to be a web designer(web developer) in 6-10 months time for a living (as a job for long term)

I heard that weebly have a designer platform feature for web designers(web developers)
http://designers.weebly.com/
And i use weebly all the time to create my websites

and i know some web designers(web developers) use free website builders to create there clients websites

I been thinking of using weebly designer platform in 6-10 months time

I started using free website builders a year and a bit ago seriously

And my friend said builders like weebly is not good for SEO and saw the websites code created on weebly

But my plan is to focus on learning some more SEO and getting my free weebly websites on the top of google,yahoo,bing and i know the basics of SEO meta tags/site description/keywords/image alt and link building

I have been with weebly for 6 months now and i think weebly is flexible and user and SEO friendly
and i think weebly will be around for a very long time 30+ years

Do web designers(web developers) use free online website builders like weebly to create there clients websites??

 

The question you're asking depends on a lot of factors:
As you already states the SEO factor.
Will you add-on , modify the site? if so whats the code language? although it shouldn't matter overall it depends on what modifications you'll make and if it would be easier to start from scratch perse.

Easiest way to design sites is = Design templates with no images BUT areas where images should go, and then design a bunch of CSS style sheets that cover different color themes and font face etc themes. Then when you need a new site you use templates and point them to the CSS style sheets for color themes/ font themes.

For even more control, make the structure of the pages with content areas like 'header' 'footer' 'body' broken down into separate pieces with a thumbnail to show what these pieces look like. That way you're piecing a whole site together from the header, body , footer, etc ..and its CSS style sheets.

Headers for basic webpage logo/name images. or headers with login areas that are for members, users etc. Headers with Time/Date functions that log IP , there's many different styles of headers you might need for a web site. The body would be designed in tables, or divs , maybe one has an area for AJAX to open and close

You make the pages you store them in folder , and when you need to make one, you piece them together with such scripts as PHP includes('header_theme12.php');
So that your entire HTML page may be pieces of includes files pulling info, and then you just dump those files into the server and websites is assembled. If you go so far as to overlook the SEO factor of images with 'SEO' names, you can label them as 1.jpg , 2.jpg etc and then just dump all the images into an image folder. A 10 minute professional web design in 10 minutes. (as long as all your pieces have been tested and all working.) You could upload that entire process to a server and make a website builder on your own. Many do this for the sake of trying to achieve the Hosting factor on the clients. example = Free Web Site Builder with your purchase of yearly Hosting contract.

IF we could get some designers of PHP and CSS styles, we could build a private database or library of tens of thousands of possible web pieces. This would make it especially easy for web designers to grab the script and all files needed , to construct client websites in as little as 10 minutes (yet waiting awhile and then putting them up so that it justifies the $250 to $2,000 or more they spend.

Then we could charge designers that didnt take part in accessing for a membership fee of $50 a year. WOOT
Anyone for such a project?? we split the profits.

 

It totally depends upon your client’s needs and your experience because if the client’s needs for the website are basic then as per my opinion, using of free online website builders will be a good option.

 

Yes, you can do that, and you will find the clients fore you, but you will need a lot of promotion becouse profesional designers will always be ahead with their offer.Make a presentation with several attractive templates, and start promoting...

 

Do not use weebly they suck its for people who cant make websites

 

Weebly and other free site design softwares are for those who have a very basic requirement from their website and they can do it themselves. If you want to be a professional designer, you need to learn code and get templates with developer license which you can use for your clients. Depending on the complexity required by your client on their website you may have to use different programming platforms.

If you are only going to do the design part, then I think you should go for buying developer license in professional website templates and then modify them for your clients.

 

Weebly has a too poor site builder buddy. It cannot satisfy all of your clients needs!!

 

Using free online website builders is not a good way to get started. You should learn how to make your own code. You need to understand what are you doing. Can you dirve a car if you do not know how to turn the car on?
I recommend you to start learning basics of HTML and CSS. There is no any serious web designer that is making sites for his clients using website builder.

 

Personally, I do not. These services tend to be rather poor.
I know how to design and code, so why on earth would I use a free website builder?

If you'd like to make editing easier for your client, you might just want to use a CMS.

 

I find that unnaceptable, why would someone hire you if they can just go to the site builder and build it themselves ?

If you want to call yourself a webdesigner, then, dont use site builders...

 

I know a guy who calls himself a web designer and makes all his sites using vista print's free web builder. I often wonder, "couldn't the clients just do that themselves??"

 

They probably dont know what that is

 

You will eventually run into a client who wants something to work in a very particular fashion, and whats-its-name-ly won't have the ability to let you implement it.

Better learn HTML, it is childishly simple. CSS needs a little bit more effort, and PHP will take you some time - it's worth it.

 

It depends on your experience and you working.

 

these tool will be used according to the situations .....)

 

That,s depend on you which script u r using..

 

Weebly has a place but it's not really a good tool for serious web designers. The earlier posts have covered the issues well.

That said, I've occasionally built some sites for clients using Weebly. I've worked with charities with very little funds and small businesses just starting up. They've needed some kind of web presence that they can maintain themselves even though they've little or no IT knowledge. As Weebly is quick to set up, easy to modify, has good tutorial videos and can host their website for free - it's proved to be a decent solution for the short term. However, my experience is that clients quickly outgrow this approach and usually come back for help to develop bespoke professional high-quality website solutions.

Is there any harm in offering to help clients with developing sites on Weebly? I don't believe so and you'll probably get return business on the basis of an established and trusted working relationship. Should it be the only thing you can do? I wouldn't think so - especially as learning the foundations for professional web development does not take a huge investment of your time and resources.