How to Build a Website Quickly

Show Notes

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Platforms that sell us on how quick and easy it is to make a website
These tools still have a learning curve, sometimes a very steep one
- Webflow for example is very close to "writing" CSS without actually writing the code
The complexity of your website will affect how difficult using a no-code platform is
- If you need a basic landing page, then maybe a template with some text/image changes will suffice
- If you need a full ecommerce solution, then you'll need payment and tax details, shipping costs, etc.
- [It's easy to forget that just because you're using an "easy all-in-one" tool, that the businesses complexities still exist
When is no-code the fastest?
- When you want to build the site yourself and you have no coding experience
  - You don't need to learn how to code, deploy, and maintain
  - There is typically a support team available to help you, sometimes instantly via live chat

Seasoned developers can avoid the learning curve of a no-code tool and spin up a website at an incredibly fast speed
Developers will accrue a laundry list of tools that they're familiar with (ie tailwindCSS, React, FontAwesome) that allow them to finish full blocks of a site quickly
- Snippets act similarly, a developer may create snippets that perform commonly needed elements (ie a social section of a navbar, a backend interpreter for an RSS feed, etc.)
When is custom code fastest?
- When you are a seasoned coder backed with relevant tools you're familiar with, and snippets that make sections a breeze to ship

If you have means, but not the time, then you can look at hiring a developer to get a website done quicker than you can
The problem here is that some web development agencies are only looking for large-scale projects, or have a long procedure (meetings, wireframes, prototypes, development, revision, approvals, then deployment)
If your project is large-scale then making it quickly may not be possible, it will depend largely on your definition of "quick/fast"
The verdict here is that you need to find the developer that's right for you:
- You can seek out a freelancer by posting on a freelance board with your project's needs (including timeline)
- Reach out to your connections to potentially avoid any bureaucratic procedures
- Hire off of a job board like Fiverr
- Shop around Google and get several different quotes (time consuming)
When is hiring a developer the fastest?
- When you have the means, but not the time - and you're not in a massive rush for a large project (it takes time to "move" your idea to another person and have them create it)
- You’re continuing to work while someone else works on the site (saving time by burning the candle at both ends)

When the site is temporary
- Some sites are for particular events
- Temporary basis (ie we'll throw up this no-code landing page while the developer create the full marketing website over the coming months)

When the site is expected to have longevity
- For example, you don't want to rush making a website that will serve as the foundation for your entire company moving forward - this does not mean that you shouldn't move quickly - but what comes to mind is "Slow is smooth and smooth is fast"
- You don't want to find yourself building for months on Wix, only to find that the platform is limited in some way that is crucial to your business and will have to be re-built
- Ask yourself is this website an investment?
  - Are you making a blog that you intend to make a great amount of revenue off of? Then why rush it?
This is the hardest thing that Mike and I struggle with, clients want everything fast, cheap, and perfect, an absolutely lethal combination when it comes to a project that demands as close to perfect as possible

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