Design your way

Is it possible to achieve ‘web design world peace’ without developers?

Online entrepreneur, Bianca Board, certainly thinks so. Four years ago she set out to create a web builder program that didn’t rely on web developers, and after using it to build over 1,000 websites for her clients, she now wants to give her system away to other graphic designers.

But does this ‘developer free’ web builder really work?

When I was asked to review the Web123 ProPartner program, it brought back a lot of memories of working with developers.

Don’t get me wrong, not all developers are bad (in fact many are very good). But we’ve all had ‘that’ experience. Where, after you’ve designed a beautiful website, you’re stuck with a developer who is slow, turns all your hard work to slush and is a massive financial drain to your bottom line.

Heck, I’ve even had a developer up and disappear on me, leaving me in hot water trying to explain what went wrong to the client. That was an expensive day!

Designer Bianca Board got so fed up she decided to never outsource to a developer again

And that’s exactly what she’s done for the last 4 years whilst running Melbourne based web design agency Web123. Checking out their ‘about us’ story, it’s a very inspirational read about how a designer, a programmer and a salesman got together to start their own business…

All in the name of reshaping the web design industry for designers who are allergic to HTML.

A daring move, as instead of having to rely on domestic or international developers, they have built their own website builder software which has been designed specifically for graphic designers.

To be honest, there are already a LOT of web builders out there (such as Wix and imcreator) so it’s going to need to bring something new to the table if it’s going to stand out.

They’re not just giving away their web builder, but their entire business model too

As mad as it sounds, Web123’s strategy is to throw open the doors to all graphic designers and offer, not only their prized web builder, but also their entire business model so that other graphic designers can stomp out developers too.

It’s a risky strategy, as surely it’s inviting other web agencies to effectively swoop in and duplicate their success. However, since I’m not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, I decided to take them up on their offer and check out the infamous web builder for myself.

So, does it work? Here’s a quick summary of the program’s key features:

1) Web builder designed FOR graphic designers

There are loads of web builders out there, but they vary in quality. However Web123 love to push the whole “made for graphics designers by a graphic designer” angle to differentiate their web builder.

Upon getting into their builder, it was evident this was made for designers, as it gives you a great deal of control over how the site looks, whilst trying to simplify everything else.

Basically, you choose a layout, customize it, add your own graphics and color schemes, and then purchase a site for your client. The CMS site is then developed automatically (takes around 48 hours) ready for you to add content into.

Obviously there is more to do in terms of uploading content etc once the site is built. But overall it’s very quick, straightforward and flexible where it needs to be. And I was impressed with the turnaround times on development. There’s a great (if slightly cheesy) video showing you how it works on their site.

2) Full web design business in a box

When you sign up to their ProPartner network, Web123 gives you access to a wide range of resources included client letters, templates, rate cards, client planners… basically everything you need to run your own web design company.

Ignoring the fact that I think it’s silly for a company to effectively handover a successful formula for running a business, it is admirable for Web123 to try and empower graphic designers in this way, and I think many graphic designers will pick up some useful ideas on how to run their own businesses.

3) Full training program

Obviously there is a lot to take on board… a new web builder, a new way to do business and a new way to make money with your graphic design skills. Which is probably why they try to structure your learning with an online certification process.

It’s all video tutorial based, and they have 100+ training videos that cover every aspect of the web sales, design and build process (but don’t worry, you don’t have to watch all of them).

In fact, if you try the 14 day free trial like I did, you can get a sneak preview of around 25 of these videos, and I recommend you check them out before you make a decision as to whether this sort of service is going to work for you or not.

4) Full support from Web123

I think the support is really good, as Web123 gives you the option to hand over your clients for them to manage after you’ve built their site. In addition, if your client needs additional services (say SEO, PPC or unique articles) Web123 can sort it out for you and you can charge your own profit margin on top.

All of this support is optional, so you can still maintain control over your client if you so wish, but it is nice to have the option to ‘palm off’ your client and move onto the next project worry free.

So what did I really think about it?

The Web123 Pro Partner program has a lot going for it, but it’s not necessarily for everyone. Some designers will want a LOT of flexibility with their sites, which is why many will gladly ‘suffer’ developers to ensure they can deliver the perfect website.

The sites are built using ‘layouts’, which is basically their term for ‘templates’, so the sites you will be building might not be appropriate for large businesses looking to spent $25,000+ on a new website.

However, these layouts are HIGHLY customizable, especially if you are a skilled graphic designer. So if you’re servicing small to medium size businesses, the quality (and cost) of the websites will be ideal for them.

The Web123’s ProPartner network is perfect if you are a graphic or web designer looking to speed up the build time of your sites and without having to use a developer. That describes me perfectly, so I’m certainly happy to adopt to their model.

Not sure if it’s right for you? Try their 14 day free trial and make your own mind up

Like I said, Web123 ProPartner is going to give many designers out there exactly what they have been waiting for, but isn’t for everyone. The easiest thing you can do is to try out their trial program for yourself. Personally I recommend you check it out… as it’s definitely a strong indicator as to where the web design industry is going.

I can see this being ideal for many designers out there. You can use the Web123 Pro Partner program to help quickly build quality sites for the majority of your clients. Then when you need a larger more complicated site, THEN use a developer.

Ultimately this program doesn’t eliminate developers like Web123 probably hoped, but it will reduce your dependency on them which I think is a pretty good deal all round.