Web Builders and the Future of the Web Development Industry

Abstract

Date 20.09.2019 Author(s) Forbes, Jordan Degree programme Bachelor’s Degree Programme in Business Information Technology Report/thesis title Web Builders and the Future of the Web Development Industry Number of pages and appendix pages 25 + 7 This thesis explores the web development industry and the effect that web development tools known as web builders have had on the web development industry. Web builders offer a cheaper, faster service than provided by traditional web developers. These web builders allow anyone with a computer and internet connection to create their own professional looking, fully functional website without ever having to write even a line of code. This report takes a detailed look at web builders, how effective they are, how they compare to hiring a web developer and if they will ever surpass web developers in terms of sophistication and popuarity. Are these web builders just a fad? or do they pose a significant threat to the web development industry and the livelihood of millions of developers around the world? The report answers these questions and takes a look at deeper issues such as automation and the fear of mass unemploment it brings. The study involved a multi-method research approach which involved a first-hand analysis and testing of selected web builders and a gathering of information from experienced web developers using a carefully designed questionnaire. The results of the study highlighted the limitations of web builders and how in effective they are when compared like for like to web developers. The general consensus with regards to web builders in their current form is that they lack the complexity of a professional web developer, the flexibility and the number of customisation options. Though they have garnered a lot of popularity in recent years and have attracted many customers they are still a small fish in a big pond when compared to web developers. In their current form, web builders do not appear to be an imminent threat, but recent breakthroughs in machine learning and the introduction of Wix’s Artificial Design Intelligence should serve as a warning. Given enough time and resources, a web builder takeover of web development jobs is not out of the realms of possibility.