The Website Builder Rundown
On the blog this year we have been all about web design, and that will remain unchanged for the month of July. So far we have looked at web design trends, leads and lead generations, and we recently finished talking about calls to action. This week we want to venture into the practical and talk about different website builders that are available. Now, don’t get us wrong. If you’re a huge corporation, you’re hiring a website builder who can code every little nuanced feature you want on your website, but if you’re just a small business like us, then more than likely you’re either building your own website or having someone build it on a platform that is easy to understand and user-friendly. So, today, let’s talk about some of the most popular options on the market and the features they offer.
1) Weebly
Weebly is often considered one of the best overall options due to its flexibility and ease of use. It was acquired by Square in 2018, so you get the benefit of Weebly’s editor and online store with Square's ecommerce site building capabilities. It has hundreds of free, stylish themes and unlimited storage and bandwidth, and it’s one of the only builders that allows you to switch themes without having to rebuild the entire site, which is admittedly a major benefit.
The major drawbacks for Weebly is that they have limited theme customization, no interface-wide undo feature, and they are known to have kind of sluggish customer support.
Although there is a free option, it lacks a lot of the features and advantages that come with a paid site. The starting price for a personal website from Weebly is $10 per month. Their professional tier starts at $12 per month, and their performance category starts at $26 per month.
2) Squarespace
Seeing as we’re currently using a Squarespace site, we might be a little bit biased in this category. However, Squarespace is packed with useful features and has a lot to offer both small businesses and creatives. Squarespace utilizes a drag and drop editor, and they are known for more modern and minimalistic templates, which are created by professional designers. Their templates are also mobile-responsive, so you don’t have to worry about designing a whole separate site just for mobile users. They also boast features like an online store and a membership only site option, and it will let you use custom code if that’s something you want.
The major drawbacks for Squarespace is that you can’t switch templates in the new version and that there is no free tier. Their websites also tend to be a little more costly than some of the others on this list, but if you’re looking for something that is mobile-responsive with deep ecommerce capabilities, then it’s worth the price difference.
The price for a personal website from Squarespace is $23 per month, and their business tier is set at $33 per month. They have two different commerce tiers: one basic and an advanced version that allows for advanced shipping, advanced discounting, and the ability to sell subscriptions The basic commerce tier falls at $36 per month and the advanced commerce tier will run you $65 per month. Every tier allows for a two-week free trial, and you can also save 24-30% on all tiers if you pay annually instead of monthly.
3) Wix
Wix is an incredibly beginner-friendly platform, which is probably why it also ranks so highly on these kinds of lists. It hosts more than 900 designer-created templates to choose from, and even on the free plan, you have access to lots of free apps to help with functionality. Higher-tiered plans include SEO and analytics tools, an events calendar, and even a logo maker. Their commerce options even allow for the sale of digital downloads. Wix also boasts 24/7 customer support and excellent upload times.
The biggest detractors for Wix is that sometimes the third-party apps can offer better analytics, and it doesn’t allow you to switch templates. There is also limited storage and a lack of analytics tools for the low-tier plans. Additionally, while it offers a free website option, that free site requires you to have on-site ads, which can be a bit annoying.
Outside of its free option, the starting price for a “light” website from Wix is $16 per month. Their “core” tier is $27 a month, and their business tier is $32 per month. They also have a business elite tier with lots of e-commerce features that is $159 a month, and they have an enterprise plan where you have to contact them for the pricing structure.
4) GoDaddy
GoDaddy functions a little differently than the builders we’ve covered so far. On GoDaddy, you enter in your details, and GoDaddy creates a tailored site for you to customize. Between the simple layouts and the guidance for adding elements, it makes for a quick website building process. It also has an appointment booking tool that is helpful, and they have built-in email marketing automation. They, too, are known for their good customer service and excellent uptime.
The major drawbacks for GoDaddy sites is that they have limited layout customization, and the e-commerce features are not available with all tiers. It won’t be the best pick for more complex websites, but it should meet all the needs of a smaller business.
GoDaddy offers free trials for every tier, and their basic tier begins at $9.99 per month. Their premium tier starts at $14.99 per month. Their commerce tier starts at $16.99 per month, then they have a commerce plus tier that gives expanded features that begins at $29.99 per month.
5) HostGator
Since HostGator is already a web hosting service, perhaps it shouldn’t be surprising that it’s a popular choice for website building as well. It boasts an easy-to-use drag and drop editor, and it has email marketing tools included in its plans. It also allows you to easily switch themes if you want to take your website in another direction visually. Their plans are also more affordable in comparison to some other services, and if you want an online store, then their upper tiers have a lot to offer with the ability to sell subscription memberships and digital downloads.
The major drawbacks for HostGator is that you don’t have as many options for photo editing or the ability to schedule things like blog posts. It also has some lacking template options.
Its basic “Website” tier starts at $4.95 per month. Its “Website + Marketing” tier begins at $7.95 per month. Their “Online Store” tier starts at $13.95 per month, and their “Online Marketplaces” tier begins at $19.95 per month. It should be noted that their website marks these prices as the first month discount, so I would imagine the costs are a little more month to month after your initial month.
6) WordPress
So, admittedly, we have to distinguish between the two WordPresses that power a good portion of the internet. There’s WordPress.com that is a website builder similar to Wix or Squarespace. Then, there’s WordPress.org which does require beginner coding skills as it is seen as the more advanced of the two. WordPress.com provides hosting and has basic ecommerce options for a lower monthly fee while WordPress.org requires you to find your own hosting provider and is 100% customizable with scalable ecommerce options.
Depending on what you’re looking for, either can be a great option. We won’t go into all the pricing structures here since we are talking about two different platforms, but WordPress.com is comparable to a lot of the services we’ve talked about here.
7) Shopify
The only reason we’re placing Shopify at the bottom of the list is because it’s a little different from the rest of these options. Shopify is primarily an e-commerce website builder, and it is really meant for building online stores, not just websites. This means that it’s great if you want built-in shopping carts, marketing features, and the ability to handle large and complex inventories. They also offer a service called a starter plan for only $5 a month that allows you to make a starter store for selling through social media and email.
The drawbacks of Shopify is that the customizable options are limited, and that most templates are premium and come with an extra cost. Also, like we said, it’s more of an online store platform, so the upper tiers cost more for their e-commerce capabilities.
At Shopify, the basic plan is for individuals and small businesses and starts at $39 per month. The Shopify tier is $105 per month and is geared specifically for small businesses. The final tier is the Advanced tier for medium and large business that runs $399 per month. It should be noted that you can get the first 3 months of any tier for $1 per month, and like with most platforms, you can save 25% on any tier if you pay annually instead of monthly.
Now, are these the only website building platforms available? Absolutely not. There are a ton of other great options like IONOS, Hostinger, Zyro, Duda, BlueHost, and many more. As usual, the best website builder for you will depend on the options that are most important to you, the ecommerce options you require (if any), and the pricing.
We hope this quick rundown has helped you in distinguishing these different website builders, and if you are looking for a simple yet efficient website, we encourage you to check out our services here. And as always, we’ll see you back on the blog later this month.