Web Development Archives

10 Alternatives to Squarespace that are Hard to Beat

In Web Development 11 Mins Read

With everything going online, making a website has gotten much easier. Years ago, you were looking at learning programming and graphic design. It’s either you study it yourself or hire a profession, but things are different today. A lot different, and in a good way.

If you are looking to create a website for personal usage or for your startup business, you are likely looking at a slim budget. You also just want something that does the work. No fancy features or flashy interface.

When that is all that you need, you have the option of creating a website all by yourself with the help of website builders. You don’t need to know much about coding. It is as simple as clicking and dragging, and a little bit of following instructions if you want to do more.

Enticing, isn’t it?

Here comes the difficult part. If you are starting your search about the best website builders, you are going to be greeted with a lot of choices. One that you would frequently come across by is Squarespace. Chances are, it is going to be your first choice.

In the event that you are not satisfied with it, what should be the next in line?

Learn about the different alternatives to Squarespace with this list. Keep in mind that each has their pros and cons. So, find the one that best suits your needs.

1. Wix: One of the Great Alternatives to Squarespace

Put Squarespace and Wix side-by-side and you would be having a hard time differentiating the two. That’s how great this website builder is, making it a strong contender in the alternatives to Squarespace list.

The feature that stands out is its design flexibility. You are greeted with a multitude of templates. So much that it will be impossible to go through them even for a week. In the event that you want more flexibility and control, almost everything can be tweaked in a way to your liking.

In addition, it has a wide range of apps and integrations, ecommerce efficiency by adding online store features, and automatic back up.

Before you get a little too excited, it also has its fair share of disadvantages.

When you are more into blogging, you are going to see that the flexibility isn’t plenty. Just basic layout and it’s not even well-integrated into the main editor. Something that can be updated in the future when enough people complain about it, but right now, that is something to keep in mind.

There is only one level of sub-navigation, so if you want to create a big website, that’s close to impossible. Most importantly, the websites that you are going to create are not going to be mobile-friendly. It is going to need some additional steps to at least get your websites to appear properly in a mobile setting.

2. Weebly

If you haven’t heard of this, it is understandable. Weebly isn’t the flashiest website builder out there. It keeps a low profile alongside its basic features.

You might be thinking that since it is a basic editor, it is not something for you. Before you make your judgement, you should give this underdog a chance. You never know, it is the right one for you. And it could be, since it is aimed for total beginners.

If you are someone who wants the easiest way to make a website, you are going to find this attractive. There is a very gentle learning curve. It is mostly drag-and-drop with everything being completely intuitive.

Your website doesn’t need any additional step to function well with mobile platforms. They are already compatible and responsive. In addition, you still have the flexibility of having online store features.

However, what makes it standout are also its disadvantages. You might find the basic nature of this website builder to be limiting. There aren’t enough templates and you don’t have complete control in making changes.

3. Strong Alternatives to Squarespace: Webnode

Not everybody makes a website for a single audience. If you are one that wants to cater to a wide range of people that speaks different languages, then Webnode has something you will like.

Its standout feature is the option to have your website appear in different languages. In addition, the templates are no slouch. They appear professional and modern which are enough to fit your needs.

However, this website builder is only ideal if you are not looking to build a complex website. It is lacking in the key features department with its limited widgets and application options. You are going to miss out on social media features, search bar, and app market among other things.

4. WordPress

Looking at the pioneers of website builders, one of the names that stands out is WordPress. They were the first ones there to make easy website building possible. However, easy might be an understatement if you compare it to the other options on this list.

First things first, WordPress has two variants; WordPress.org and WordPress.com. This review pertains to the former which provides more flexibility versus the latter which is the simplified version but more restrictive.

If you are looking for customization and flexibility, then the sky’s the limit. However, with so many things you can do, the pricing is based on usage. This can be positive or negative. If you don’t need much, then you can have a cheaper bill. On the other hand, expenses can stack up pretty quickly until it no longer becomes the economical option.

Along with its flexibility comes the need for technical knowledge. If you want to make the most out of the features, you need a little learning or someone who already knows what they are doing. The worst part is that WordPress doesn’t provide any technical support so looking for answers means going deep on the internet and getting inside forums.

5. Shopify: Hard to Beat Alternatives to Squarespace

If the main purpose of your website is for ecommerce, you need a website builder that is specifically catered for that. No need to look far because Shopify is the answer to that.

So, what makes it the most ideal ecommerce website building service? Literally everything. If there is a feature that is sought for an ecommerce website, they have it and more.

The features aren’t just about selling, but other aspects as well. You get fraud prevention, shipping calculators, and even a POS solution when you need it. In addition, you have wide range compatibility, even having a lot of choices for the best email marketing for Shopify.

However, what makes it standout is again, what makes it disadvantageous as well. If you are looking at other website functions, your choices are very limited. It can also be difficult to use and handle compared to other options on this list.

6. Alternatives to Squarespace: Jimdo

Another basic website builder that can be enticing if you want to create and run something immediately. Though, there is one great feature in this one that you are not bound to find somewhere else. You don’t need a desktop to create and update your website, you can do it all on your phone. All thanks to the Jimdo mobile app.

Just like any simple website building service, your flexibility is significantly restricted. You don’t have much templates to choose from and you don’t get to drag-and-drop anything to anywhere you want. It’s so simplified that building an online store with it is less than ideal. There are no features specifically intended for ecommerce.

7. Gator

You might have heard about HostGator and their hosting service. They have been around quite a while in the business and they just recently launched their website builder. Going by the name Gator, it isn’t as feature-packed as other alternatives, but it wasn’t intended to be one. It is targeted to deliver an easy way to get your website up and running.

Gator is a very intuitive tool. There is basically no learning curve. Despite it, you are not extensively limited thanks to its wide range of templates. As a matter of fact, it comes second to Wix when it comes to the range of templates.

As long as you are not looking into ecommerce or blogging, Gator is more than enough to suffice your needs.

8. Great Alternatives to Squarespace: Webflow

So, you are an experienced web developer and you like to make use of your skills? What you want is Webflow. You have complete control of everything like you conventionally would, but without the unnecessary hassles of hosting, security management, and website maintenance cost.

As a matter of fact, Webflow is specifically intended for developers. So much that you even get the option to use either Javascript or CSS. To make things better, the code you create can be exported so it can be integrated in other applications.

As such with flexibility, there is a learning curve. Even for people with experience, the interface of Webflow needs some discovering and getting used to.

Another thing to take note is this is strictly not for ecommerce applications since there is no choice for an online store.

9. Duda

There are so many great things that can be said about Duda. You can find features here that you are not bound to find in other bigger website builders.

To start, it features an intuitive and easy drag-and-drop editor. It also allows you to display your website in different languages. And the last kicker are the personalization tools which allows you to display content based on the activity of a visitor. Think of it as automated marketing.

You also don’t have to worry about mobile compatibility as your website is created with mobile responsiveness in mind.

The only thing you can see wrong about this is its limitations towards adding third-party apps. For some, it can be a deal breaker, but if you are one that isn’t too keen on that, then you have the perfect website builder.

10. WebStarts: Greatest Alternatives to Squarespace

Are you looking for something free? WebStarts delivers a decent free plan. You get to have some flexibility and functionality while still testing out the waters. When you finally decide that it is enough for your needs, you can upgrade your plan. You can also leave the website builder without wasting a penny.

If your concern is on the financials, this is one hard choice to beat.

Though, cheap and free doesn’t necessarily mean mediocre features. You also get an intuitive and easy drag-and-drop editor. Something that closely resembles that of Wix’. In addition, you have live support to walk you through every dilemma you get into as a beginner.

On the other hand, it does lack a little bit on the backend. It doesn’t have much features to boast about and some things are a little outdated. If you are also opting for the higher plans, things start to get uneconomical that it is better to jump to a different provider for that amount.

In Conclusion

If you don’t like Squarespace, you have an option. As a matter of fact, ten of them.

Building a website shouldn’t cost you an arm and a leg, either financially or intellectually. You should be able to start making one right there and then with the knowledge and budget you have. These website builders give you that option. Once you get started, it would be hard to look back at the conventional way of getting a website up and running, especially when using these alternatives to Squarespace.

If going through this list and learning a website building software is still not the simplicity you are looking for, then your other choice would be to outsource. All you need are your plans and an agency to call. So, call us today for a free consultation and quotation.

How Much Does Website Maintenance Cost?

In Web Development 8 Mins Read

Having a website is more than just having it created. It also entails frequent maintenance. Just like anything else, what you have now is not perfect. Throughout the days and months, you are bound to experience bugs, errors, and crashes. Along with it, you are also going to find areas of improvement. All of that falls under website maintenance cost.

The question is not about whether or not you are going to need website maintenance, but instead, how much is it going to cost. The answer to that is not as straightforward as you would think. Different types of websites with different features and services need different kinds of maintenance.

An ecommerce website catering to hundreds of thousands of customers a day will have a higher maintenance cost than a personal blog website. To fully understand the difference in costs, you need to know what problems website maintenance address.

1. Your Content is Not Forever

Don’t ever think that your articles and graphics would last you until the end of time. No matter how great they are now, they are bound to need an update. You are going to evaluate the performance of your content and improve them over time. Revise articles, add more graphics, improve accuracy of information, target them more to your demographic, and so on.

2. Website Compatibility

Decades ago, developers only had to worry about how a website will look on a computer monitor. Things are different now. There are a variety of devices and that means different compatibility and scaling.

A website that looks great on desktop doesn’t necessarily mean it will function perfectly in mobile mode. You also need to pay attention on new devices that are being released and their aspect ratio. Make sure that your website works flawlessly and smoothly with most devices.

3. Security Issues are Part of Website Maintenance Cost

If there is one thing that needs constant updating, that is your website security. Hackers are only getting better every day. What might have done the job to keep them out yesterday, may not apply today. The only way to keep them out is to be at the forefront of updates. Change things before they can find a way to break through your security.

4. Add New Features and Update Pre-existing Ones

As time goes by, new things are developed. If you want your website to stay competitive, you need to add the newest features available in the market.

Take for example in ecommerce, chatbots and automated chatting systems weren’t a thing back then, but now, it is the standard. If you are not adding such feature into your own website, you are on a path of being outdated.

Also, keep an eye on your plugins and website software. Your maintenance includes their regular updates. It can lead to better performance, stability, speed, and so many more. It doesn’t mean that it works well now, it shouldn’t be working any better.

5. 404 Errors

One of the most dreaded errors is a 404. If you don’t know what this is, it generally means that something cannot be found. It can be caused by different things such as a deleted, moved, or missing link. If this happens, you are going to want to provide an immediate solution. When a 404 error occurs on vital pages, your website or business operations can be crippled to its core.

How Much Are You Going to Pay For Website Maintenance Cost?

As mentioned earlier, there is no single rate to go about. Website maintenance cost varies based on the type of website you are running. Nevertheless, there is a cost range you can base your estimation on. Take a look.

Type of Website	Monthly Maintenance Cost
Personal Website	$ 5 – 25 / month
Medium Blog	$ 20 – 60 / month
Large Blog	$ 50 – 300 / month
Small Ecommerce Website	$ 30 – 35 / month
Small Business Website	$ 35 – 100 / month
SMB Business Website	$ 125 – 500 / month
Corporate Website	$ 200 – 3500 / month
Web Application	$ 300 – 2500 / month
Custom Business Website	$ 350 – 4500 / month
Professional Ecommerce Website	$ 80 – 150 / month
Enterprise Ecommerce Website	$ 300 – 1000 / month
Custom Ecommerce Website	$ 2000 – 5000 / month

What Are You Paying For?

You know that website maintenance aims to improve your website. However, the costs are more than that. Here are what are included in the expenses that you pay on a regular.

Domain Registration

Your website has got to have a name. Registering your domain name is what does that and it makes sure that it is only you that can use it. Without a domain name, there is no way for customers to find and reach your website.

Hosting Cost

If you want your website to go live, you need a hosting service. It is where your files will be placed and will act as the server.

Website Design Cost

Designing your website involves more than just dragging pictures and putting colors. You are also going to want design elements to be interactive and have wide range compatibility.

Technical Website Maintenance

When things are going wrong, your technical website maintenance is what makes everything going right again.

Additional Plugins and Tools

New features and capabilities of your website comes from plugins and tools. Adding more and the most recent versions, ensures that you are modernizing your website.

SSL License

SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer and it protects information that is received and transferred between website and user.

Depending on the type of website you have, each of them is going to cost either more or less. As a result, the price range becomes greater the more complicated the website becomes.

What are Your Website Maintenance Options?

Now you know the price, to whom are you going to pay? You actually have three choices on how to get the maintenance your website needs. No one is better than the other, it all depends on your preference and the factors that surround you. So, choose the one that best suits your needs.

1. Hire Your Own Team

If you are constantly in need of a maintenance team, hiring your own is the most economical choice. At least, you have them when you need them which is going to be all the time.

However, you can have a high website maintenance cost. You have to pay for their individual salaries and benefits. Though, when you are always in need of their services, you can ultimately get the most out of what you pay for.

2. Get Freelancers to Do It For Cheaper Website Maintenance Cost

Being on a budget and running a website that isn’t all that high maintenance, hiring freelancers is enough. By being able to contact one when you need them the most, you only have to pay for what you use.

It is going to be more budget friendly but you can’t have the technical support you need any time of the day. Instead, you have to pile up the problems and issues you have and then hire a freelancer to get the most out of your money.

3. Hire A Web Maintenance Company

With the first two choices, you have to do your fair share of hiring. This one doesn’t. There are agencies that provide the web maintenance services that you need. They already have filtered out their manpower to be made up of the best. So, you are only left with deciding the things you want done.

It is also a much cheaper alternative since you don’t necessarily have to pay for individual salaries. Instead, compensate only for the services you need. Though, this isn’t the best part just yet.

Web maintenance companies are more flexible than freelancers. You can approach them anytime with any problem you have. So, you get the help you need as soon as you find a problem.

What’s the Best Choice?

Even the most skilled developers don’t make and maintain their own website. They get the right people to do the job. It’s because it is extensive work requiring different skills and expertise. If that is the case, there is no situation in which it is viable for you to do it alone. All the more if you are someone who doesn’t have the skills.

As a business owner, you want all the time you have to be spent on things that matter. You don’t want to dwell on administrative work or ones that don’t contribute to your business. Hiring web developers and making technical decisions for your website are just some of that. So, take the easy and guaranteed choice which is hiring a web maintenance company. Contact us today for a free consultation and quotation.

Tips on How to Improve Laravel Routes Architecture

In Architecture 5 Mins Read

Do you have multiple routes that make your “routes/web.php” or “routes/api.php” 200-220 lines long?

This article will cover tips on organizing your multiple routes in Laravel. Also, the documentation is an excellent source that helps you learn how to use routing in your Laravel applications.

WHAT IS A ROUTE IN LARAVEL?

A route is a way of creating a request URL for your application. You are free to define a route in whatever manner you like. The Router in laravel framework is one of the classes that is designed to operate at the HTTP level. Basically, routes are readable and SEO friendly. All requests are mapped with the help of routes, and routes are created inside the routes folder.

HANDLING COMPLEX ROUTES

Other than the default structure of routes in Laravel, we can create our own custom route structure. The first thing to do is to create a new service provider by running this artisan command in your terminal

php artisan make:provider CustomRouteServiceProvider

Then replace the default imports with this code

<?php

use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Route;
use Illuminate\Foundation\Support\Providers\RouteServiceProvider as ServiceProvider;

You can find your new service provider in “app/Providers” directory. After that, create class properties for namespace and for the custom web and API route directories.

<?php

protected $namespace = 'App\Http\Controllers';
private $webPath = 'routes/custom_web_routes';
private $apiPath = 'routes/custom_api_routes';

You have to create directories inside the “routes” folder for the web and API. These are the following…
1. custom_web_routes
2. custom_api_routes

In “CustomRouteServiceProvider.php” file, create a method called “mapCustomWebRoutes()”. This method will define the custom web routes for the application. These routes are assigned the web middleware group and can also receive session state and CSRF protection just like the default web route.

<?php

public function mapCustomWebRoutes() 
{
    $directory = base_path($this->webPath);
    $files = array_diff(scandir($directory), array('..', '.'));
    foreach ($files as $file) {
        $this->myRoute('web', $this->webPath, $file);
    }
}

The above method will read all the files inside “custom_web_routes” directory and this will make them as a web route automatically.

Aside from that, create also a method for the custom API routes that will look like this,

<?php

public function mapCustomApiRoutes() 
{
    $apiDirectory = base_path($this->apiPath);
    $files = array_diff(scandir($apiDirectory), array('..', '.'));
    foreach ($files as $file) {
        $this->myRoute('api', $this->apiPath, $file, 'api');
    }
}

This method is the same as “mapCustomWebRoutes()” method, but this will work for the API routes inside “custom_api_routes” directory. These routes are typically stateless and are assigned the api middleware group.

The methods mentioned above will not work just yet. In order to make these methods run, we have to implement another method called “myRoute()”.

<?php

public function myRoute($middleware, $group, $file, $prefix = null) 
{ 
    Route::prefix($prefix) ->middleware($middleware)
         ->namespace($this->namespace)
         ->group(base_path($group) . '/' . $file);
}

After we created the methods above, we have to define the custom routes for the application using the “map()” method from parent class “ServiceProvider”.

<?php 

public function map() 
{ 
    $this->mapCustomWebRoutes();
    $this->mapCustomApiRoutes();
}

The last step to work on this class is to bootstrap any application services and load all the routes, by adding parent::boot() on the “boot()” method.

<?php 

public function map() 
{ 
    $this->mapCustomWebRoutes();
    $this->mapCustomApiRoutes();
}

Now, your “CustomRouteServiceProvider.php” class will look like this

<?php 

namespace App\Providers; 
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Route; 
use Illuminate\Foundation\Support\Providers\RouteServiceProvider as ServiceProvider; 

class CustomRouteServiceProvider extends ServiceProvider 
{ 
      /** 
      * This namespace is applied to your controller routes. 
      * In addition, it is set as the URL generator's root namespace. 
      * @var string 
      */ 
      protected $namespace = 'App\Http\Controllers'; 
      private $webPath = 'routes/custom_web_routes'; 
      private $apiPath = 'routes/custom_api_routes'; 

      /** 
      * Bootstrap services. 
      * * @return void 
      */ 
      public function boot() 
      { 
            parent::boot(); 
      } 

      /** 
      * Define the routes for the application. 
      * * @return void 
      */ 
      public function map() 
      { 
            $this->mapCustomWebRoutes();
            $this->mapCustomApiRoutes();
      }

    /**
     * Define the "web" routes for the application.
     *
     * These routes all receive session state, CSRF protection, etc.
     *
     * @return void
     */
    public function mapCustomWebRoutes()
    {
        $directory = base_path($this->webPath);
        $files = array_diff(scandir($directory), array('..', '.'));
        foreach ($files as $file) {
            $this->myRoute('web', $this->webPath, $file);
        }
    }

    /**
     * Define the "api" routes for the application.
     *
     * These routes are typically stateless.
     *
     * @return void
     */
    public function mapCustomApiRoutes()
    {
        $apiDirectory = base_path($this->apiPath);
        $files = array_diff(scandir($apiDirectory), array('..', '.'));
        foreach ($files as $file) {
            $this->myRoute('api', $this->apiPath, $file, 'api');
        }
    }

    /**
     * @param      $middleware
     * @param      $group
     * @param      $file
     * @param null $prefix
     */
    public function myRoute($middleware, $group, $file, $prefix = null)
    {
        Route::prefix($prefix)
            ->middleware($middleware)
            ->namespace($this->namespace)
            ->group(base_path($group) . '/' . $file);
    }
}

Register your new ServiceProvider to the “providers[]” array and below in existing “App\Providers\RouteServiceProvider::class” in “config/app.php“.

<?php 

'providers' => [
    ..
    ..
    \App\Providers\CustomRouteServiceProvider::class,
],

ROUTE TESTING

In “routes/custom_web_routes ” directory, add a file and named it as “hi.php” and put this code,

<?php

Route::get('/hi', function () {
    return 'web hi';
});

And add another file “hello”.php with this code

<?php

Route::get('/hello', function () {
    return 'web hello';
});

Go to your browser and access these links for example

https://<your_project_domain>/hi
https://<your_project_domain>/hello

And you may see this in your pages, respectively

web hi
https:///hi

web hello
https:///hello

In “routes/custom_api_routes” directory, add a file and named it as “hi.php” and put this code,

<?php

Route::get('/hi', function () {
    return 'api hi';
});

And add another file “hello.php” with this

<?php

Route::get('/hello', function () {
    return 'api hello';
});

Go to your browser and access these links for example

https://<your_project_domain>/api/hi
https://<your_project_domain>/api/hello

And you may see this in your pages, respectively

api hi
https:///api/hi

api hello
https:///api/hello

CONCLUSION

Laravel has a very powerful router and is customizable in many ways. To learn more about routing, you could also refer to the official Laravel routing documentation.