Is It Worthwhile Using Third-Party Products for Building Websites?

A lot has changed in the website design industry, lately. In the days gone by, people used simple text editors for writing codes and used DIY methods for developing websites. However, today, several tools have come up that are gradually replacing manual methods. These tools have improved the functionality and convenience of designing and developing sites from scratch.

For example, you’ll no longer need to develop shopping carts from scratch. Instead, all you need to do is install WooCommerce. Similarly, you can use Bootstrap, and other CSS frameworks for design purposes, instead of creating UI each time! These changes and many others have had quite a similar impact on the website industry like the assembly lines transformed the automotive industry.

Though there are quite a few positives in the changes, there are some problems in hand too! Let us understand how modern web designs will get impacted by these changes.

Incredible Features and Fast Development

It indeed took a lot of time for developers to design and develop websites in the earlier days. As everything needed to be developed from scratch, the time taken for the completion of the project was a lot. Furthermore, it was out of reach for a common designer to design and develop complex web design functionalities.

Today, however, with the availability of tons of low-cost and free software tools, the playing field has been leveled like never before. What this means is that even if you’re a small-time developer, you can compete for bigger or complex projects or develop something online that could be used by millions of users worldwide.

Also, if you think that only professionals are getting benefited from all these changes then you’re wrong. Even novice designers can use from a variety of plugins and WordPress themes to design and develop websites of their type. And sooner than you think, they could be selling the same online!

The freedom to choose various functionalities and UI components are, within the reach of everyone, today.

What We Compromise On

For lowering costs and increasing efficiency, an open-source CMS or a JavaScript library may seem good choices. However, there are a few challenges or potential risks we all need to deal in using them.

1. Privacy and Security Risks

There could be concerns surrounding security and privacy in using third-party tools. No doubts, a vast majority of developers may have the good intention of developing these tools, but the risk of a single bad actor cannot be underestimated. The trust factor always looms large on a developer. As situations can change quickly, it is impossible to know whether you’ve made the right decision or not.

2. Dependence on others

When you use third-party services or tools, you’re literally at the mercy of an unknown developer. For example, there’s nothing much you can do as a designer when you encounter a problem with a WordPress plugin other than waiting for it to be fixed. If you’re lucky, the problem may see the light at the end of the tunnel. Else, the problem will get compounded.

Everything has changed – be it for good or bad

Ironically, the tools and services we develop to make our jobs easier can, at times, add a layer or two of complexity. But, sadly, this is the reality we have to live in the world of modern web development.

It is tempting to use these be-spoke tools and services developed by third-party vendors, especially for those that are lacking in skills or time. However, even those that have plenty of them, may think twice before they use for the development works. Add to this, even the clients may not like the idea of using third-party products for their projects!

In a way, this situation compels us to collect whatever we get from different sources and work hard to make them successful. Whatever said, there’s no denying the fact that progress is being made to improve the techniques for designing and developing websites.