Welcome back to our blog! Right now you are hearing from the "tech expert" of our twin-duo, Meagan Howey. Here are a few of my favorite website design tools from 2024, to help you create a gorgeous website of your own or improve your current site. Let's dive in!
What Do I Mean By Website Tool?
When I say website tool, I am referring to the softwares we use for designing and developing websites. There are so many out there, but I want to let you in on why I think nothing compares to these favorites!
If you are interested in more resources, I plan to compile another list of my favorite places to get stock photography, fonts, and organization tips in the future. Be sure to follow our newsletter for updates on future blog posts and free resources!
1. WordPress
I. Love. WordPress. Not only is it responsible for running 60% of CMS run websites and almost half of all websites on the internet, but it's just great. The sheer amount of websites using WordPress leads to a CMS that has plenty of support, updates, and security measures, which I love.
There are also a great deal of resources within WP, like the many themes and plugins that allow for a great deal of customization for those who don't even know how to code! WordPress is also open-source, meaning you can use their software and code, as well as contribute to it. This is perfect for someone like me, who wants as much control as possible while still offering my clients an easy website to use once the initial development is finished. With an easy to post to and edit blog system, WordPress is a great choice.
2. Divi - My Favorite Website Tool
Divi is a software I came across this year, and it has quickly skyrocketed to being the best WordPress builder I've ever used. What's unique about Divi is its ability to morph to your needs. Want to use it as a theme? Sure. Want to use it as a plugin with your own theme? Sure. Want to create your own themes and plugins using their software for compatibility and customization? Sure! As long as you know some PHP, you are golden.
I love that Divi has the option for me to create my own custom code, and then hand it to my client with a visual drag-and-drop builder they can use without any coding knowledge. It's actually wild. There's so much that can be done with Divi and I've barely scratched the surface so far! Essentially it feels like a limitless builder, but without the downside of the final product being intimidating to the user. What a wonderful software Elegant Themes has provided us!
3. Figma
Figma is a great tool for designers and developers. It does have a bit of a learning curve, but the results are well worth it!
I use Figma for wireframing my websites, designing logos and vector graphics, making simple animations, and so much more. I recently joined their pro version, and I'm excited to check out some of their developer features and code. Another great feature of Figma is the ability to send wireframes and even entire page designs to my clients to review, and they can leave comments anywhere they want on the design without altering it.
This is a fantastic tool to help my sister and I decide and get approvals on design, copywriting, image and media choices, and so much more before getting into actual development. This saves us time and provides a great experience for our clients.
Conclusion
None of the softwares I talked about today have paid me to do so (though they could....wink wink.....I'd love that). I just truly enjoy and appreciate each of these companies for the softwares they've created, and can't wait to keep working with them.
Thanks for reading about my current favorite website design softwares! If you want some visual proof of their capabilities, check out some of the websites we've made using all three of these softwares. And click here to see one of my favorites personally. ;)
Thanks for reading!
Meagan
