Why Marketers Should Learn Code
Coding is most often something you leave developers to. Most business people outsource coding to professionals as it can be quite complicated especially for small business owners. Thanks to the abundance of resources today, there are many platforms that allow you to build websites without having to do any real code.
Learning how to code or at least being able to understand the basics may set you apart from your fellow marketers. Often times, when marketers work with developers, miscommunication can happen or the final product may never be exactly how you want it. Having the slightest bit of coding knowledge can allow you to communicate more effectively with developers or even allow you to work on developing websites yourself. Having this knowledge allows you to get ahead of your fellow marketing peers and make you stand out in a job interview. Depending on where you end up finding a job, having coding knowledge can also benefit your team and allow you to be a better leader when it comes to developing a product.
I looked into multiple platforms and spent a few hours learning how to code HTML from Code Academy. The other platforms I looked into were Squarespace, WordPress, and Pineapple Builder. All of the web building platforms offer similar, yet different, features you can utilize. There are plenty more site builders on the market you can choose from. I personally have lots of experience using Shopify and Squarespace.
Learning the Basics
The time I spent within Code Academy I learned more about the basic structural coding through HTML. HyperText Markup Language or HTML, is a language that allows a webpage to be built with text, design, images and videos. The language itself require a hierarchal structure to be coded into it especially when only starting off with text. It can get quite complicated but the key parts are that you need to start a site off with <!DOCTYPE html>. The code is an HTML document structure that defines the content and structure of a webpage. It includes the necessary tags such as <!DOCTYPE html>, <html>, <head>, and <body>. These tags provide the basic structure for an HTML document. Code such as <head>, and <body> allow you to attach tags to text you want displayed on the page. Those tags while doing nothing for the person reading the copy on your page, are only for the document as it provides context for what each piece of wording means to the program and how it fits into the hierarchal structure of the page. If you right click your mouse, and click inspect at the bottom of the menu, all the code to make the web page function exists so you can see everything that goes on behind the scenes.
Like I said, it is complicated but really all you have to understand is that code allows you to build a webpage and communicate what you want, where you want it, in the program itself. Below are some screenshots of my work done in Code Academy:
My Experience With Coding
From personal experience, being able to utilize code in order to to really go the extra mile make a huge difference in a sites layout and aesthetics. From my experience beginning with Shopify, the array of templates made the initial startup of the website easy. After a while, I upgraded to Squarespace because I believe Squarespace has a more professional look and user interface integrated into it. With Squarespace, I quickly realized how critical it was that I needed to integrate code into my site. Luckily, there are plenty of forums available of people asking the same exact questions I had when I started designing my website.
I wanted to have my own personal fonts integrated into the sight as well as little details such as certain headings associated with different font types and font sizes. Below are all the code I have utilized on my own personal site through the utilization of Squarespace's custom CSS.
"CSS is the acronym of “Cascading Style Sheets”. CSS is a computer language for laying out and structuring web pages (HTML or XML)." Within Squarespace, I don't have to do basic structural coding which is a huge plus. It is ready for me to start putting in my own code so I can have particular things done within the site to give it my own personal touch and to fit the aesthetic of my brand
"Low-code" and "No-code"
Unfortunately with programs like WordPress and Pineapple Builder there were paywalls in order to access the full features they offer. As I said, platforms like Squarespace, WordPress and Pineapple Builder are all considered "no-code" platforms. "No-code is a method that benefits from a similar user experience as low-code, but goes the extra mile by allowing non-technical business users to develop applications without having to write even a single line of code." These platforms offer template based site solutions so that those with little to absolutely zero coding skills can still build a website.
"Low-code is a method of designing and developing applications using intuitive graphical tools and embedded functionalities that reduce traditional – or pro-code –writing requirements. Pro-code writing is still part of the development process, but low-code development offers an augmented and simplified experience to help users start creating quickly." Most site builders these days are "no-code" but that doesn't mean coding isn't a valuable skill. Many platforms that are considered "no-code" still allow you to embed code through CSS which is what I have done with my personal site.
Squarespace
Getting into the specs, pros, and cons of each of the websites I visited, it should be known I am biased with Squarespace as I use it to host my own website. Squarespace has tons of templates to choose from and the platform makes it really easy to build a webpage but also offers tons of customizability especially when you know how to code or access open source code. Similar to other platforms, Squarespace offers different pricing tiers for those who are looking for more or less features they want access to.
Squarespace also offers tons of external resources within its program such as SEO management and email marketing as well as in house analytics you can keep track of. The platform also allows you to integrate surveys into your website and you can attach your email so whenever someone completes a survey, you automatically receive the results. Just a cool feature I think is super useful that some platforms don't offer. I love Squarespace because they also have an entire educational ecosystem within their program which makes it easy to find solutions quite easily.
According to spotsaas.com, the top 6 common platform features are as follows:
- Templates
- WYSIWYG Editor
- Online Booking
- Newsletter Management
- Landing Pages (Web Forms)
- SEO Management
Squarespace offers all of these and plenty more
Pineapple Builder
Pineapple Builder, is also a no-code webpage builder. Similar to the other platforms, they also offer very easy to use templates and they heavily incorporate the use of A.I. into the building itself of the website. I would say Pineapple Builder is for those who are very beginner level who don't have tons of time to dedicate to building a website. They mainly offer common features that most other platforms offer. Their big point of differentiation is the fact that they incorporate the use of A.I. for ease of starting a page itself.
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WordPress
While I have never personally used WordPress, from reviews I have read I understand that it is quite extensive. It has many features that Squarespace offers and more. Features WordPress offers that Squarespace doesn't:
- Auto Updates
- Template Creation
- Search
- Rich Text Editor
- Permission Management
- Indexing
You of course are paying more for WordPress than its competitors but it may be worth it depending on your business goals. I believe WordPress may be the superior product, however, it is marketed significantly less than Squarespace making it less known in my experience. I would consider those who are interested in WordPress have a more scalable business that require more complex features that need managing.
Platform integration
depending on what you are looking to accomplish as a marketer/business person all of these platforms offer different features and user interfaces that may be useful. I would suggest starting with Code Academy to start your journey of being educated in coding. Once you have some basic knowledge, try building a site from a template and mess around in custom CSS with heading sizes and fonts like I have. It is quite easy once you understand the basic and how to start and end a line of code.
If you are looking to integrate more programs into your business, I would find a platform you enjoy to build and host your site, and then once you have done that, incorporate a marketing automation or customer relations management (CRM) program like HubSpot. With a program like HubSpot, there are many functions that allow you to run your business outside of what Squarespace, for example, HubSpot allows you to schedule content going to all of your channels of social media. It connects sales, marketing, and customer service all together. There are tons of platforms on the market to pick and choose from, its hard not to go into a state of hyper-choice when looking at them all.
With all of that in mind, this is really only scratching the surface of these topics. I hope this post taught you something new! I encourage you to stay curious in this big world of business. Thank you for taking the time to read my blog post, please let me know your thoughts and if you have any questions, comment away!
-Parker Brown
Sources:
“Generate Your Website | Pineapple Builder.” App.pineapplebuilder.com, app.pineapplebuilder.com/templates/generate-your-website?templateId=pika&fontId=Roboto&paletteId=Minimal&buttonId=default&paletteStyle=white&mainThemeVariant=white&workspaceId=parker-brown. Accessed 8 May 2024.
“Https://Www.codecademy.com/Courses/Learn-Html/Lessons/Html-Document-Standards/Exercises/Linking-Relative-Html.” Codecademy, www.codecademy.com/courses/learn-html/lessons/html-document-standards/exercises/linking-relative-html. Accessed 8 May 2024.
HubSpot. “HubSpot | Inbound Marketing, Sales, and Service Software.” Hubspot.com, 2024, www.hubspot.com/. Accessed 8 May 2024.
“Low-Code/No-Code: The Future of Development.” SAP, www.sap.com/products/technology-platform/low-code/what-is-low-code-no-code.html#:~:text=Low%2Dcode%20development%20platforms%20(LCDPs. Accessed 8 May 2024.
“Pineapple Builder, WordPress or Squarespace? A Comprehensive Review.” Spotsaas, www.spotsaas.com/compare/pineapple-builder-vs-wordpress-vs-squarespace. Accessed 8 May 2024.
“Plans & Pricing | Pineapplebuilder.” Www.pineapplebuilder.com, www.pineapplebuilder.com/pricing. Accessed 8 May 2024.
Squarespace. “Squarespace Pricing.” Squarespace, 2023, www.squarespace.com/pricing. Accessed 8 May 2024.
“What Does CSS Mean and What Is Its Definition? Glossary.” AT Internet, www.atinternet.com/en/glossary/css/#:~:text=CSS%20is%20the%20acronym%20of. Accessed 8 May 2024.
Wordpress. “WordPress.com Pricing – Compare WordPress Plans.” WordPress.com, 2023, wordpress.com/pricing/. Accessed 8 May 2024.
WsCube Tech! ENGLISH. “Coding Necessary for Digital Marketing? | Coding Skill in Digital Marketing.” Www.youtube.com, 15 May 2022, www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7lk0Vz1oHc. Accessed 8 May 2024.
WinSavvy•6K followers
1yExcited to dive into your blog post! As a marketer, understanding the basics of coding can truly open up a world of possibilities in the realm of web development. It's not just about knowing the technical stuff; it's about being able to speak the same language as your development team, which can streamline collaboration and lead to more effective outcomes. Can't wait to glean some insights from your experience thanks for sharing your knowledge with us!
Astound Broadband•490 followers
1yMust learn python to be a great marketing analyst