Why We Built Our Own Website Builder: A Journey Beyond Mainstream Tools
In the ever-evolving digital landscape, the tools we use to create and manage our online presence are crucial. At Icewolf, we found ourselves increasingly frustrated with mainstream website builders like WordPress. The limitations, the rigidity of theme templates, and the lack of control over our creative vision pushed us to create something better. Join us as we delve into the story behind our custom website builder, designed to empower users with unparalleled freedom and functionality.
Table of Contents
- Why We Ditched Mainstream Tools
- Introducing Blueprints and Presets
- Global Settings for Consistency
- Custom-Built WYSIWYG
- AI Co-Pilot Blogging System
- Access to 7 Million Stock Images
- Auto-Response Forms
- Efficient Page Loading with Google Cloud Hosting
- Future Developments
Why We Ditched Mainstream Tools
WordPress and other mainstream website builders have long dominated the market, but they often come with a slew of limitations. The theme templates are often rigid, restricting creative freedom and making it difficult to import custom designs. As a company that values innovation and creativity, Icewolf found these limitations unacceptable. We wanted the freedom to import what we wanted, without being boxed into a pre-set design.
“The best way to predict the future is to create it.” – Abraham Lincoln. This quote resonates deeply with our philosophy at Icewolf. We decided to take control of our digital destiny by building a tool that truly meets our needs and the needs of our clients.
Introducing Blueprints and Presets
Our solution? Blueprints and presets. Unlike traditional templates, blueprints offer a flexible framework that allows users to tailor their website’s design and functionality. With blueprints, you can easily edit text, images, colours, and URLs. This system offers the flexibility to create something truly unique, whether you're a novice or an experienced developer.
For developers, blueprints can be as simple or complex as needed, allowing for customisation to suit any project. This flexibility is unmatched by traditional website builders, which often require workarounds to achieve similar results.
Global Settings for Consistency
Consistency across your website is crucial for a professional appearance and a seamless user experience. Our website builder includes global settings that are easily managed by the user, ensuring that your design elements remain consistent throughout your site. This feature eliminates the need for tedious manual adjustments and helps maintain a unified design aesthetic.
For more on maintaining consistency and a unified design, check out our blog on Unified Website Design.
Custom-Built WYSIWYG
In our platform, the rich text editor primarily focuses on content styling, allowing users to manage and format text elements like and tags for headings and paragraphs. However, the management of technical SEO components such as metadata and alt tags is handled through our dedicated page management tool, not within the rich text editor itself. This separation ensures that both content styling and technical SEO optimisation are handled efficiently.
In addition to the SEO optimisation, it also can help enhance your writing with the builtin AI Suggestion Tool, guiding you to choose the perfect words for optimal SEO results.
For tips on maintaining SEO, visit our blog on Maintaining SEO.
AI Co-Pilot Blogging System
Content creation can be time-consuming, which is why we integrated an AI Co-Pilot into our blogging system. This feature assists in generating content ideas, drafting posts, and even optimizing them for SEO. It’s like having a personal assistant dedicated to enhancing your content strategy.
Discover how AI can benefit your business by reading our article on How AI Can Help Your Business.
Access to 7 Million Stock Images
Visual content is a vital component of any website. Our partnership with Unsplash provides users access to over 7 million high-quality stock images, ensuring you have the visual resources needed to create stunning web pages. Whether you’re looking for unique imagery or standard visuals, our library has you covered.
Auto-Response Forms
Engaging with your audience is crucial, and our auto-response forms make it easier than ever. These forms automatically respond to customer inquiries, ensuring timely communication and enhancing customer satisfaction. This feature is essential for businesses looking to maintain a professional and responsive online presence.
For more on secure and effective communication, check out our post on Secure Website Forms.
Efficient Page Loading with Google Cloud Hosting
Page loading speed is a critical factor in user experience and SEO rankings. Our website builder is hosted on Google Cloud with a proper CDN setup, ensuring efficient and fast page loading. This infrastructure not only enhances performance but also provides robust security and scalability.
To learn more about maximising your website budget, explore our guide on Maximising Website Budget.
Future Developments
At Icewolf, we are committed to continuous improvement and innovation. Our roadmap includes exciting developments such as AI-driven page content creation, enhanced e-commerce capabilities, CRM integration, and much more. We believe in pushing the boundaries of what’s possible, and our future developments reflect this ethos.
Join us on our journey by reading about The Icewolf Journey.
In conclusion, our custom website builder is a testament to our belief in freedom, flexibility, and innovation. We’ve created a tool that not only meets our needs but also empowers users to create websites that truly reflect their vision. Say goodbye to the constraints of mainstream builders and embrace the future of web design with Icewolf.
