Getting a business online was never so easy before platforms like Wix, WordPress & Website builders. You know what's difficult? Scaling it.
No doubt the web structure of business have become robotic and largely monotonous since the introduction of various CMS and Website builders that do almost all the things for you. People have become a long term customer for these platforms. Even, majority of companies and professionals have switched to these platforms just because of ease of access and ever growing plugin market.
Being a programmer, I was always curious for learning new technology stacks, frameworks and best practices. Soon I entered in this world of Freelancing and started researching the market. I was surprised by the changing trends.
Wix, WordPress, Shopify and Custom Website builders turned around the market upside down. These were the platforms which powered more than 80% of the web. The practice of core coding was hardly valuable when it comes to creating a simple website, a web based CRM or even a fully powered e-commerce platform.
RESULT
You imagine a blog/business in the morning and you have it by the end of the day, probably within hours depending upon requirements.
COST
Almost negligible in contrast to what an actual web designer/developer would charge.
MY EXPERIENCE
Even I got attracted in the lure of doing more things in less time initially by seeing their power. Soon, I saw a few tutorials on how to use these frameworks and start a site of my own. During that development period, I realised that the core code was much better, fast and easily customizable. I find the following issues which made my experience somewhat negative towards these platforms:
WHAT I LIKED
1. Gives a head start in no time
2. No backend hassles for form submission and handling
3. Negligible initial cost
4. A large theme and plugin market
5. Do the main work yourself and leave the rest to the platform
WHERE I FELT CHEATED
1. Basic version lacks many things
2. Even a section as simple as setting up a form eats you up
3. You're totally dependent on plugin when it comes to improve your SEO and optimize the website
4. Simple things are made complicated and the complicated ones are made simple
5. Less customizations
6. Single plugin failure may crash the whole website
INFERENCE
It's a hard call to infer whether these changes were boon or bane. On closely observing, I find these CMS were pretty disturbing and cheating their customers indirectly. Maybe that was the game plan to plot a strategy that seems fair but is a slow poison to the business.
DEVELOPER EXPLOITATION
On a separate vertical, same applies to the fellow developers. They are so into these frameworks that they've forgot the basics.
Recently, a client of mine requested me to help her out in building her brand along with some modifications in the e-commerce website to make it more appealing. I viewed the page source and knew it was customised in WordPress. Here, comes the catch!
The client needed an SSL certificate to ensure security. That developer asked for insanely vague amount for a thing which comes free of cost from providers like CloudFlare and even can be written by developers. Initially I thought, that it is developers fault to charge this much and asked that I'll implement it.
The handover process started and the old developer was asked to transfer the existing site and domain back to the client. I suggested her to buy a relevant hosting plan and migrate the site and take control herself.
The developer plainly denied to transfer it to a hosting other than a Shared Hosting. He was so used to shared hosting plans that the forgot that there are dedicated hosting for better performance and scalability. I feel poor for the developer since the current trends limited his knowledge base.
VICTIMS
This is how the modern day platforms are exploiting their end users and fellow developers. They limit them and then charge vaguely on every little add-on. Even the developers are so ignorant to observe this and take a higher call.
Not just the developers, due to huge popularity and monopoly, the hosting companies are forced to put on plans which favours this process and benefit themselves indirectly in the long run. The practice of core is still a game changer and there are very few who realise this fact. Blessed are those who are aware of this trap and do not allow themselves to fall into it.
I'd like to close this rant by saying this,
"You are not using the platforms, the platforms are using you!"
You've been an amazing reader. Let me know your views and opinions in the comments.
In case you have had similar experiences, feel free to share it on [email protected]
