Website designers can be divided into three different categories:
1. "Out of the Box" Designers
This type of website designer will cost less than any other kind because they use existing software to create websites, and use free or commercial templates designed by third parties to customize their websites. In most cases, the designer will be unable to customize the design, features and functionality of their websites, and when they can do so (by applying software "plugins" and modifying templates),the result is unlikely to be exactly as required.
Websites such as these require a compromise from the customer, and tend to be less optimized for users and search engines alike because they contain code for features which are not even being used. In addition, websites such as these will need to be periodically upgraded as security-threats in the software used to create them are discovered and corrected. Most website hacking is performed by automated scripts that are written specifically to target known exploits in widely-used open-source software. Such security upgrades can be overly complicated because any "plugins" that are used may also need to be upgraded and may no longer be compatible with the new software version. Adding additional features at a later date can also be difficult due to conflicts such as this.
2. Bespoke Designers
This type of website designer will use existing software to create websites but will design their own design templates to very closely match their customer's expectations. However, the designer will still be unable to customize the features and functionality of their websites in a way that is exactly as required. And, because they use software to build their websites, they suffer from the same drawbacks as those made by "Out of the Box" designers.
3. Bespoke Designers & Developers
Truly bespoke websites are built from scratch, without the use of website-building software. When a company that is skilled in both designing and developing builds a website, every aspect of that website - from design to functionality - will exactly match their customer's expectations. Websites built in this manner can easily and seamlessly have additional features added to them at a later date and do not suffer from the same security threats as websites built using software, since the code is not available to be examined by hackers for potential weaknesses.
