Can I update my own website without knowing code?

By Jennie Tewell

Yes. Most small business owners can update their own website without knowing any code, as long as the site is built with an editor made for it. Every Made by Crane site comes with a simple editor where you change your words, photos, posts, events and prices yourself, and we send a short walkthrough video when you launch.

The real question isn't whether it's possible. It's whether the editor is simple enough that you'll actually use it.

What you can change yourself

On a Made by Crane site, the everyday changes are yours to make, any time:

• Words on any page. Headings, paragraphs, buttons and links.
• Photos. Upload a new one and it's resized for you automatically.
• Prices, services and FAQs. Kept current without a developer.
• Blog posts. Write, add photos and publish.
• Events. Add a date, a page for the event, and RSVPs or tickets if you need them.
• Galleries and portfolios. Add new work as you do it.
• Search and social settings. Titles, descriptions and share images for every page.
• Your colors. Change your brand color and a second accent, with a preview beside each one.

If your site has an inquiry form, those messages land in your admin too, so you can reply from the same place you edit.

What makes an editor easy (or not)

Plenty of tools say "no code." The difference is in how much they ask you to decide.

A general website builder is made for every kind of site, so it shows settings for everything: spacing, fonts, layouts, animations. That's great if you love design. It can be a lot if you just want to change your hours.

Our editor works differently:

• Only the menus you need. You see your pages, posts, events and messages, with none of the extra settings.
• Pages are made of sections. Each section has its own fields, like a heading, some words, a button and a photo. You can edit, reorder and add sections.
• Changes save as you type. And History brings back an earlier version if you change your mind.
• The design stays finished. You change the content and the colors. The layout stays as it was designed, so the site always looks put together, on phones too.
• Writing help is built in. An assistant in the editor can draft and tidy text in your voice when you're stuck.

Can more than one person edit?

Yes. You can give staff or volunteers their own login with only what they need. A team member who posts events doesn't have to see your billing or your inquiries.

What we still handle

Running your own content doesn't mean running your own server. On every care plan, we take care of:

• Hosting and SSL
• Daily backups
• Security updates

On Site Care and above we also watch your uptime and make changes for you: 30 minutes a month on Site Care, 90 minutes on Site Care Plus, and 2 hours on App Care. So if you'd rather send us a quick note than log in, that works too.

On Hosting Only ($29 a month), you make your own changes and anything we do for you is billed in 15-minute blocks.

When to ask for help

The editor covers everyday changes. A few things are better handed to us:

• A new kind of page or feature, like adding booking or a client portal. New features are quoted as their own project.
• A redesign of a section's layout. The design is kept consistent on purpose.
• Anything that feels risky. Ask first. It's what the care plan is for.

How this compares to a builder

To be fair, Squarespace and Wix are also no-code. You won't need to write code on either. The difference is that on a builder you're editing and designing at the same time, with full control over layout. On a Made by Crane site, the design is done for you and you only edit what you need to. Some owners want that freedom. Many would rather not think about it.

What it looks like week to week

Most owners settle into a simple rhythm. Post something new, update a price or a photo, answer the messages that came in, and get back to work. If you want to see the admin before deciding, our how it works page walks through real screens.

Ready to have a site you can run yourself? Start a project, or see what's in each custom package.

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