Best website builders for small businesses

Every enterprise, irrespective of how small, wants an internet presence. Whether you simply want a one-pager or are beginning an e-commerce empire, there’s an possibility right here for you.

Best Overall

Wix

This website builder is without doubt one of the most simple choices on the market. It even gives a restricted free plan.

Best for e-commerce

Shopify

Almost too highly effective in scope, Shopify is the best useful resource for these launching a major on-line promoting presence, but it surely takes some mastering.

Best Value

Weebly

This easy website creation service retains prices down for your small enterprise.

If you have a small business, you know it needs to have an online presence. The days of being able to succeed without some kind of website or online store are far behind us. 

Fortunately, making your mark online has never been easier thanks to many companies offering easy-to-use website builders. That means you no longer need to hire a dedicated designer to construct your website. Many of these sites appreciate that you might not have expert knowledge, offering simple drag-and-drop interfaces and intuitive methods that help your website rank highly on search engines. 

With so many services out there, how do you know what’s best for your business? Read on, and we explain what to look for when buying a website builder and everything you need to know about the best ones for you. 

Why do you need a website builder?

You wouldn’t own a business located out of sight, or that had no apparent contact details. Neither should you deprive your online presence. While many companies can benefit from Facebook or Instagram pages, nothing can beat the simplicity of a traditional website found via Google, Bing, and other search engines. Google is still the first port of call for many consumers trying to find a business, product, or service, making a dedicated website worthwhile. It’s also useful to be able to utilize SEO (Search Engine Optimization) practices so you’re high on the search results. 

Many website builders are relatively inexpensive, so it’s a no-brainer decision, whether you want to sell online or you simply want to make sure people know you exist. 

What to look for when buying a website builder

Like any service, you need to know what to look for when purchasing a website builder. Many options are out there, but some will be impractical for your needs. Don’t waste time or money simply because you didn’t know what you were looking for. Crucially, consider what your budget is and stick to it. Marketing can be expensive, and that’s also the case with website builders. 

Consider which features you need. Do you need e-commerce functionality so you can sell products directly from your site? If not, don’t bother paying extra for such tools. Similarly, your business might simply require a website to offer updates or to showcase your work, such as if you’re a creative business with a portfolio to highlight. That’s where a blogging platform might be a superior option compared to more comprehensive website building services. Whatever you’re looking for, we’ve broken down the best options. 


Very easy to make use of • Websites look distinctive • Free possibility

Not the most affordable premium plans

Wix is so easy that anybody can determine it out. Just do not count on one of the best options for free.

Wix

This website builder is without doubt one of the most simple choices on the market. It even gives a restricted free plan.
  • Combo:
    $13 per 30 days
  • Unlimited:
    $17 per 30 days
  • Pro:
    $22 per 30 days
  • VIP:
    $39 per 30 days

If you need to use a pc, you need to use Wix. That’s how easy it’s to create a website utilizing the service. The web site gives a whole lot of various templates to get you began, however you can even select to pull and drop completely different components, guaranteeing your website appears distinctive. That’s a major energy for a website builder as you need your small business to have its personal identification. When it involves including content material, it takes simply seconds, so you will not have to fret about coaching your employees to make updates.
The free plan gives limitless pages, however you may see Wix-branded advertisements. For a small enterprise, you should spend money on a minimum of the Combo plan, which gives 2GB bandwidth and 3GB storage with no advertisements. Those who need to promote merchandise by their website will want a devoted ecommerce bundle, and that is the place issues get extra dear. Still, in the event you’re beginning small, Wix has you coated and can simply develop along with your agency. It’s simple to change between plans when you should. It’s nice for serving to you decipher search engine marketing magic too, so you possibly can rank extra extremely on engines like google. 


Simple to make use of • Unlimited storage and bandwidth • Cheaper than rivals

No free plan • Templates aren’t as diversified as Wix

Squarespace might lack a free plan, but it surely gives wonderful worth for its enterprise prospects, with a easy to make use of interface.

Squarespace

This well-known identify is common for a motive, due to offering limitless storage at an amazing value.
  • Personal:
    $16 per 30 days
  • Business:
    $26 per 30 days
  • Basic :
    $30 per 30 days
  • Advanced :
    $46 per 30 days

Squarespace is nearly as easy to make use of as Wix. It gives fewer templates, and some of its menus are hidden away, but it surely’s nonetheless ultimate for novice website builders. Best of all, all its plans supply limitless storage and bandwidth, so you do not have to fret about working out. There’s no free plan possibility, however for a enterprise, you need to count on to pay anyhow to keep away from advertisements. You’ll additionally must pay further for an internet retailer, but it surely nonetheless works out as a greater worth than a lot of Squarespace’s rivals. 
We desire Wix’s easy interface because it produces higher outcomes, however Squarespace is unbeatable in the event you want limitless area. It’ll save your small business a fortune if you should retailer massive information, resembling in the event you’re working a portfolio web site. Squarespace additionally makes use of nice picture optimization algorithms to enhance the expertise additional. 


Part of ‘full’ internet hosting • Can create a website in a short time • Very low-cost

Limited templates • Price goes up after two years

HostGator is a good possibility in the event you’re unsure if you wish to use templates or hand issues over to a devoted website designer. It’s low-cost for the primary two years, too.

HostGator

This internet hosting firm additionally gives helpful templates that can get your website began inside seconds.
  • Shared internet hosting:
    $2.75 to $5.95 per 30 days
  • Cloud internet hosting:
    $4.95 to $9.95 per 30 days
  • WordPress internet hosting:
    $5.95 to $9.95 per 30 days
  • Reseller internet hosting:
    $19.95 to $24.95 per 30 days
  • VPS internet hosting:
    $29.95 to $49.95 per 30 days
  • Dedicated internet hosting:
    $118.99 to $148.98 per 30 days

HostGator is speedy — very speedy. You can simply arrange a website in below an hour with none trouble. That website will not look as fashionable as one thing from Wix or Squarespace, however in the event you’re not too fussed about having a singular look, it does the job. HostGator can also be a part of a daily internet hosting bundle, so you possibly can simply delegate duty to a devoted designer in the event you select to pursue that route.
It’s additionally low-cost. The starter bundle works out to below $4 per 30 days in the event you take the two-year plan whereas nonetheless offering you with limitless storage and bandwidth. Even the e-commerce plan is below $10 at first, so this may very well be an excellent service in the event you’re simply beginning out and experimenting along with your website. Just do not be shocked in case your web site lacks the model that one thing by way of Wix or Squarespace would supply. 


One of the most affordable choices • Lots of options • Hundreds of templates

Limited customization • Not all of the templates are nice

Weebly is cheaper than most however nonetheless packs in loads of options even when its templates aren’t probably the most fashionable.

Weebly

This easy website creation service retains prices down for your small enterprise.
  • Personal :
    $6 per 30 days
  • Professional:
    $12 per 30 days
  • Performance :
    $25 per 30 days

If you are on a good funds, Weebly is the best choice for your small business. It has a free plan providing 500MB storage, offering you do not thoughts utilizing a website identify with Weebly branding, however even the premium plans do not price a lot. You’ll must spend somewhat extra to get limitless storage and e-commerce performance, so, ideally, that is the website builder for your placeholder-style website.
Whatever you select, there are search engine marketing options and loads of templates to select from. The templates aren’t fairly as fashionable as what you see by Wix or Squarespace, however with the service understanding cheaper, it is an excellent place for rapidly placing collectively a easy web site. It even divides up themes in response to your small business wants.


Powerful on-line retailer instruments • Perfect for these promoting on-line

Expensive • Tricky to make use of

Shopify powers a few of the largest on-line shops, and it might probably do the identical for your small business, offering you determine its sophisticated interface.

Shopify

Almost too highly effective in scope, Shopify is the best useful resource for these launching a major on-line promoting presence, but it surely takes some mastering.
  • Basic:
    $29 per 30 days
  • Main:
    $79 per 30 days
  • Advanced:
    $299 per 30 days
Shopify is accountable for most of the largest on-line shops on the market, and you’ve got most likely already used it as a client. Its focus is squarely on making it simpler to promote on-line. You can use it to create a enterprise brand, a private store really feel by themes and templates, in addition to promote, after all. It’s immensely highly effective stuff proper all the way down to the choice of utilizing POS {hardware} that is tied into it, in order that every little thing goes by your website, even in-person gross sales. 
That comes at a value, with Shopify understanding to be fairly costly in comparison with different ecommerce choices, but it surely’s value it in the event you plan on promoting so much by your website. It additionally takes a little bit of mastering with some intricate net design happening, so this may not be one thing you may full in a day. (But there are many online courses to get you began.) Still, in the event you’re severe about on-line promoting, you possibly can’t go fallacious right here. 

Speedy website constructing • Low prices • Flexible choices

Need a web site in a rush? GoDaddy is the website builder for you. Its outcomes aren’t the prettiest, however you possibly can create one thing within the area of a lunch break.

GoDaddy

A well-known identify in internet hosting over time, GoDaddy is simple and efficient, even when it is not the prettiest.
  • Basic:
    $10 per 30 days
  • Standard:
    $15 per 30 days
  • Premium:
    $20 per 30 days
  • E-commerce:
    $25 per 30 days

GoDaddy is commonly the primary place many individuals go for website internet hosting, and for good motive. It’s reliable and well-priced. Same deal relating to GoDaddy’s website builder performance. It begins out moderately low-cost with a primary plan solely costing $10 per 30 days for all of the important options one must launch a website. You can all the time choose to begin with a free plan, simply to see how the setup works for you. It’s solely relating to e-commerce performance the place you may must pay extra and, in the end, there are higher choices on the market. 
Whatever plan you go along with, templates and designs inside the GoDaddy website builder are somewhat primary. They’re simply positive, however they’re removed from eye-catching. This is the form of interface that is greatest in the event you want to level individuals in the suitable route in the direction of your small business, reasonably than if you wish to showcase some kind of inventive or inventive enterprise. You cannot beat it for velocity, although. It actually will take you hardly any time to design one thing right here. You may also use it for area registration in addition to internet hosting, which is handy when you do not need to juggle a number of accounts. 


Huge quantity of customization choices • Cheap • Built for running a blog

Very sophisticated with out coding information • Limited for non-blogs • Not solely safe

WordPress is a superb possibility in the event you merely need to weblog about your small business and hold your prospects updated on developments.

WordPress

Simply need to be pleasant along with your prospects? WordPress is a straightforward running a blog resolution, however it might probably get sophisticated.
  • Personal:
    $4 per 30 days
  • Premium:
    $8 per 30 days
  • Business:
    $25 per 30 days
  • E-commerce:
    $45 per 30 days

Wordpress has been round for lengthy sufficient that it powers over 36% of the online. That’s each a very good and dangerous factor. It’s easy sufficient to arrange a weblog, however delve deeper and it might probably get overwhelming. Ideally, it really works greatest for those that have some coding information already to allow them to make tweaks to present templates and plugins. Once you grasp it, WordPress can do virtually something you need it to due to an enormous repository of plugins and themes, however you should be prepared to work at it. 
If you simply need to weblog so you possibly can inform your prospects about all the newest information for your small business, otherwise you need someplace to showcase your images or different inventive expertise, WordPress will get a bit less complicated to understand due to the virtually endless provide of themes. It’s low-cost too, with some primary options out there for free or different companies costing a couple of dollars extra. 

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