Building a functional website that is appealing and easy to use is every business owner’s dream. Unfortunately, creating one from scratch is not as easy as we would like it to be, and there are endless reasons to create a website from scratch. To learn and become efficient with web development can take anywhere from months to years – longer if you want to become an expert in the field. The overwhelming amount of time it takes to learn, create, and modify codes is something not everyone has the time to invest in.
Luckily, there is help readily available. At Horde Marketing, we are a digital agency with 20 years of combined experience in providing digital marketing and information technology solutions for businesses of all sizes. If you want expert advice on web development, we are here to help.
What Is Bootstrap 4?
When you do a search for “how to build a website” there will be no shortage of businesses trying to aim you towards their specific program or services. Having so many choices to choose from makes it hard for a business to decide on which web development process fits their budget and business goals.
We don’t want to pit one program against another. Instead, we want to shed light on our preferred web development framework: Bootstrap.
Bootstrap is a free, open-source framework that contains a readily available grid layout, cross-browser compatibility, helpful design components, and enhancement features that speed up and improve the web development process of just about any project. Due to its ease of use and eye capturing pre-designed elements, it is the preferred choice of over 7.9 million websites worldwide.
If you are looking for must have website services every business needs to help bring in new customers and keep them coming back, check out our other blog to find out more.
CDN vs Download – The Difference for the Web Development Process
The latest version Bootstrap 4 is available in both CDN and download format. Choosing between the two options directly impacts the speed of websites, an important digital marketing component. So what’s the difference between the two?
Using Bootstrap 4 with a CDN
A CDN is a content delivery network where the assets of a website or program are hosted somewhere other than your website. This type of content delivery is very widely used throughout the industry. It is one of the most effective ways to reduce page speed and the amount of resources you need directly installed on the web server. If speed is a huge factor for you and your site is rather large, a CDN should be at the top of your list – not just for your framework, but also for other assets such as images.
Choosing to use the CDN version of Bootstrap 4 could drastically improve the speed and response time of a website and the user’s experience. With over 7.9 million websites using Bootstrap, it’s a good chance that your user already has Bootstrap cached in their browser.
Self-Hosting Bootstrap 4
If you choose the downloaded version of Bootstrap then you are effectively going to self-host it. This means you download the source files and install it on your webserver. While this allows for customizing the install process, it also means additional calls to the server to use those files and could potentially affect the page speed. Depending on the hosting provider and the hosting package, this could increase or decrease the speed.
Web Development Solutions Without the Hassle
At Horde Marketing, we use Bootstrap 4 in custom built WordPress themes which allows us to operate a superior content management system (CMS) to create and modify digital content for our clients. No learning curve or hours of training on web development is necessary when you hire us to manage your website or content for you. Combined with our digital marketing, content marketing, remote IT support and computer repair service, we are an all-in-one agency for any business that’s ready to leave the digital aspect of their business in good hands.
Take your marketing strategy to new heights and talk to one of our representatives to find a customized Web, Marketing, or IT Support package that fits your budget and business needs. Learn more by contacting us online or calling us at 678-961-9435. We look forward to hearing from you soon!