10 Best Website Builders (Comprehensive Guide) for Small Businesses

As a small business owner, having a professional and visually-appealing website is no longer an option. A website is like a digital handshake, it’s the chance to make a great first impression and convince potential customers to stick around. It’s the first point of contact many people will have with your brand, and it can be the deciding factor in whether they decide to buy from you or move on to a competitor.

Creating a website used to be like trying to solve a Rubik’s cube blindfolded, but thanks to all the website builders out there, it’s now as easy as pie (or cake, depending on your preference). Making it easy to manage your content, web design, standards, and fonts, all from one place. Especially for those who are not familiar with web development. Thanks to the wide variety of website builders available on the market. From drag-and-drop builders to open-source platforms, the choices are endless. However, not all website builders are created equal. Some are better suited for small businesses, some for larger enterprises and some for e-commerce businesses, and others for personal blogs.

In this article, we will be taking a look at the best website builders for every business need, we will walk you through the most important factors to consider when choosing a website builder and provide you with a list of the best website builders on the market along with their features, pricing, and pros and cons so you can make an informed decision about which one is right for you.

Best Website Builder (OverAll)

Wix Builder

Build a site in one day or less using Wix ADI. (Popular)

Shopify

The global commerce platform is built for scale and stability.

GoDaddy

Reliable and long-term websites that are consistently fast.

Best Drag and Drop Website Builder

1. Wix

Wix is unique in that it is the biggest player (apart from WordPress) in the website builder space. With its shallow learning curve and user-friendly interface, Wix had captured the hearts of over 200 million website builders, at the time of writing this article. From small personal brands to big-name companies like Jenniferlopez, TerraLiving, Karlie Kloss, Sevengramscaffe, Evolve Clothing and so much more, Wix was the backbone of their online presence. The Drag and Drop WixEditor made it easy for even the most technologically challenged to create a beautiful website, while the AI-fueled automatic website creator, Wix ADI, took the hassle out of website design. And for those who wanted even more control, Wix Velo offered a more advanced set of tools for web developers to create custom web apps and full-featured websites.

Our tests showed that building a website with Wix ADI was as simple as answering a few questions about your business and what you wanted your website to accomplish. In no time, a customized design was created just for you based on that information. This feature is ideal if you are not familiar with website design and want a quick and easy way to create a website. Another way is to build it “from scratch” using Wix’s 800+ ready-made templates, categorized into Business, Store, Creative, Community, and Blog, also clinically sub-categorized further offering a starting point for any niche. From there you can change and tweak your web elements like logo, colors, fonts, and more to make the design truly yours. If that’s not enough, Wix’s 24/7 support team is literally a couple of clicks away.

Wix Builder
Best for Build Speed

🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗
4.6 XRLN Rating

Stand out features

☑️ Wix ADI (Ai Builder)

☑️ App Market (Extensions)

☑️ Enhanced Capabilities

Visit Site

Go to Wix

Starting Price = $4.5/Mo

Ecom Possible = Yes

Free Trial = 14 Days

Pricing Structure

Wix gives you a $4.5/Mo as the most Basic Plan with 500 MB of storage space but with the Wix ads as a caveat. We noticed that there are two sections: Website Plans for all your personal brands and freelancers out there. But Of course, we went for the most popular option in the other section named: Business and E-commerce Plans. The Business Unlimited which is $25/Mo, with Free hosting included by the way, Comes with a Secure online payments feature, unlimited bandwidth, and 35 GB of online storage enough to cover your website content throughout the entire lifetime of your business. You can see the full pricing here: WIX Pricing.

What people say about Wix

Wix has a 4.4 average rating on Capterra with most of the users focusing on its ease of use in their comments like: “My Overall view is that Wix does give a great service and its very easy to use and to get a great site up and going in a few days if not in one day”, or ‘Pretty easy to use and to get a professional looking website up and running, quickly.

Wix TradeOffs

As a business owner, it’s natural to want to have control over your online presence. It’s understandable that you would want to jump right in and get your website up and running as soon as possible and at a cheap price. While Wix makes it easy to throw together a web page and publish it, this ease of use comes at a cost. It’s important to remember that what looks good on your website doesn’t necessarily translate to good performance. Google cares about the functionality and performance of your website, not just its appearance. The SEO performance of your website may be limited by the constraints of the Wix platform, and you may have to look into 3rd party service providers like Ahrefs. If you consider this together with the Wix App Store to add functionality, your overall cost may increase as a result

2. Squarespace

Squarespace is like a tailored, designer suit in a sea of generic, off-the-rack options. The platform’s intuitive interface allows you to easily customize the already award-winning design templates, to fit your personal style and goals, much like a tailor adjusting the fit of a suit. Squarespace was ranked second on our list because we like drag-and-drop builders that allow users to buy a domain name, develop a website using its templates, and utilize it as a web host. It incorporates an online store inside the website, making it a practical solution for anyone wishing to establish a retail website quickly. Navigating Squarespace’s editor may take some time to get used to but it offers a wide range of features including e-commerce capabilities, integrations with social media platforms, and SEO optimization.

Squarespace, like Wix, asks customers a series of questions about their website aims and intended field when they set up. Squarespace then offers a variety of templates to users, which can be previewed and altered to meet the desired vibe. After you’ve chosen a template, you can begin customizing your website. By the way, Squarespace’s user interface is ALREADY optimized for mobile viewing using AMP technology, allowing you to effortlessly construct new web pages, show your logo, integrate social media accounts, and add or delete images, text, and sections.

Squarespace offers a wide range of features, including e-commerce tools, a blog platform, and advanced website analytics. Wix also offers a range of features, including an app market, an AI website builder, and an integrated CRM system. while Wix may offer more features and tools, Squarespace offers a more polished and professional look. Squarespace templates are designed to look sleek and modern, while Wix templates can sometimes look a little cluttered. If you are looking for a more intuitive and feature-rich platform, then Wix may be the better choice. However, if you are looking for a more professional and polished website, then Squarespace may be the way to go.

Squarespace
Best for Polished Designs

🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗
4.4 XRLN Rating

Stand out features

☑️ Sleek and modern templates

☑️ Advanced website analytics

☑️ Mobile responsive out the gate

Visit Site

Go to Squarespace

Starting Price = $16/Mo

Ecom Possible = Yes

Free Trial = 15 Days

Pricing Structure

In terms of pricing, both platforms offer a range of pricing plans, with Wix being a little cheaper for their most basic plans. Squarespace offers four different subscription tiers, ranging from the Personal plan for $23/Mo to the Commerce Advanced plan for $65/Mo. If you want to pay annually those prices will range from $16-$49/Mo respectively. The main difference between the Personal and Business plans is that the Business plan includes a Google Workspace email and additional customization options with CSS and JavaScript. The platform also offers a 15-day free trial, allowing users to test the tools and features before committing to a paid plan.

What people say about Squarespace

One of the key selling points of Squarespace is its collection of templates. The templates are not only beautiful but also come with recommended color palettes and type families to help users get started. Squarespace’s user-friendly interface is another aspect that has impressed users. The platform is designed to be easy to use. With Squarespace, creating a website is a breeze, as everything is intuitive and straightforward.

Squarespace TradeOffs

Users have mentioned over time that Squarespace has slightly diverted from its once perfectly straightforward workflow, a platform that initially appears to be the epitome of elegance and sophistication, but upon closer inspection, reveals itself to be flawed. For example, some users have reported lag times and bugs in the system, which can be a source of frustration, which Squarespace responded to with a possible explanation. Square space is also not cheap for beginners.

3. GoDaddy

GoDaddy is a well-established web hosting and domain registrar company, managing over 76 million domains. Its hosting service offers reliable and fast website performance with a 99.96% uptime score. In addition to hosting, GoDaddy also provides a user-friendly website builder that enables businesses to create and manage their online presence quickly and easily. With a straightforward setup process, you can launch your website in just a few minutes, even if you are a beginner. One of the key benefits of using GoDaddy is its free domain registration for your first full term, whether it’s one or three years, making it a cost-effective option. The platform’s templates are tailored to business and e-commerce customers and provide a pre-designed website that can be customized with your content and preferences. GoDaddy’s website builder is a convenient choice for those already subscribed to the hosting service.

Of course, GoDaddy has all the main features we expect to see on a robust builder like email solutions, including personalized email addresses and webmail, a robust security suite that protects your website from potential cyber threats, 24/7 support to ensure that you can get assistance whenever you need it and so on … But what we’re really interested here is what set’s GoDaddy apart from the rest. Whether you register a new GoDaddy account or use an existing one, you may begin developing your website right away. Simply give your site a name and pick your business category to get started. The templates on the platform are largely aimed at business and e-commerce users, and when you enter your information, the tool generates a pre-designed website that is ready to be customized with your content and changes. While many website builders claim to offer quick setup times, Godaddy’s streamlined approach allows you to publish your website in under five minutes, even if you’re not in a rush!

GoDaddy
Build Awesome Websites

🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑
4.1 XRLN Rating

Stand out features

☑️ Complete Design Control

☑️ Affordable Price (You can pay once)

☑️ Frequent Updates

Visit Site

Go to Godaddy

Starting Price = $12/Yr

Ecom Possible = Yes

Free Trial = Yes

Pricing Structure

If you went for the Basic plan ($10/Mo), then you won’t be getting their SEO functionality, if you want the best out of this builder we recommend skipping the Standard $10.5/Mo plan and going for the Premium Plan ($15/Mo). We love the fact that the price difference of these plans is not as wide as other service providers, which not only encourages the buyer to go for the Premium or the E-commerce plan, but also shows that they are an established company not interested in short-term gains, but long term domination. Oh, by the way, the E-commerce Plan goes for $17/Mo.

What people say about GoDaddy

In reviews, users praise the ease of use and affordability of GoDaddy Website Builder. However, some users have mentioned that the platform can be limited in terms of design customization options and features compared to other website builders. While GoDaddy offers a range of templates to choose from, they may not be as modern or visually appealing as those offered by other website builders. Additionally, the platform may be easy to use for beginners, but it may not be suitable for more advanced users or businesses looking for more robust features and functionality.

GoDaddy TradeOffs

While the platform provides a range of customizable templates, compared to other options on the list, it may not be suitable for businesses looking for more advanced customization options. Another drawback could be that the platform does not provide many third-party integrations, which may limit its functionality for some businesses.

4. Elementor (for WordPress)

Elementor is a popular website builder that allows you to create visually stunning and functional WordPress websites without writing code. Think drag-and-drop simplicity with a WYSIWYG interface that lets you see the end result while you work. And don’t let the ease fool you, this is a pro-level tool for serious webpreneurs looking to make a long-term impact. WordPress powers almost 40% of sites on the entire internet, and Elementor is by far the most popular go-to builder (and now also a hosting platform) for WordPress sites. enabling web creators to build professional, pixel-perfect websites with an intuitive visual builder. You can Quickly create modern websites for your clients or your business with complete control over every piece.

Compared to Square Space, Wix, and GoDaddy, Elementor is a steal and more versatile and powerful, with frequent updates to keep your website tight. On the other side, Wix and GoDaddy are more beginner-friendly and may have easier website templates to use. It comes loaded with pre-made templates designed by the web design gods, saving you time and effort. Installing it is a breeze through your WordPress Dashboard, just select “Open with Elementor” when creating a new page and goodbye to traditional WordPress tools. If you’re too serious you can also interact, inspect and have control over the code.

With Elementtor’s drag-and-drop editor, you can easily design your pages without any coding knowledge. Just grab elements and drop ’em where you want ’em. Elementor ensures that your website looks great on all devices, including desktop, tablet, and mobile. Elementor gives you entire control over your site by providing a plethora of customizable widgets such as text, photos, buttons, and more. You can quickly add these widgets to your pages and edit them to match the layout of your website. It is also fully compatible with WooCommerce, allowing you to easily integrate an online store into your WordPress website. Elementor also offers a large community of web designers from all around the world who create amazing websites.

Elementor
Build Professional Websites

🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑
4.1 XRLN Rating

Stand out features

☑️ Complete Design Control

☑️ Affordable Price (You can pay once)

☑️ Frequent Updates

Visit Site

Go to Elementor

Starting Price = $59/Yr

Ecom Possible = Yes

Free Trial = Free Version

Pricing Structure

Elementor has both free and paid versions. The free version is limited in terms of design options and features. It provides you with over 40+ free widgets and a bunch of templates while the paid version starts at $59/Yr for the Personal Plan (1 Website) and goes up to $399/Yr for the Agency plan (1000 Websites). All plans include 100+ Basic & Pro Widgets and 300+ Basic & Pro Templates. The most popular plan is the Expert Plan which comes in at $199/Yr and is capped at 25 Pro Websites. Learn more about Elementor’s Pricing.

What people say about Elementor

User comments on Elementor are mostly positive, with users praising its ease of use, versatility, and range of design options available. Some users have complained that the platform is difficult to understand, particularly if you have no prior expertise with website builders, but Elementor excites folks, especially those looking for a powerful tool at a relatively affordable price. Check out Elementor’s Trust Pilot Rating.

Elementor TradeOffs

As of now, the biggest headache with Elementor seems to be its support. Not only is it the main complaint from users, but we’ve also put it to the test and found that the Elementor or Elementor PRO support team falls short in handling most queries. Although the situation is improving, some users have previously noticed delayed loading times (related to DOM size), particularly on websites with a lot of content and elements. Also, the free edition of Elementor offers limited design options and functionality, so you may need to switch to the paid version to get the most out of it.

5. Weebly (eCommerce by Square)

Weebly, (acquired by Square in 2018), is hailed as one of the best website builders. Its popularity is due to its low cost, flexibility, and ease of use, thanks to its drag-and-drop editor. The integration with Square brings e-commerce capabilities, making it ideal for small businesses and entrepreneurs. If you’re looking to create an eCommerce store, this could be your bet. With hundreds of mobile-responsive themes to choose from, Weebly’s website-building process is simple and intuitive. The grid-based design may limit customization, but its generous 500MB storage even for the Free Plan and bandwidth, email, and social media marketing tools make up for it. And if you change your mind about your theme, you can switch and still keep your content – a rare feature among website builders.

Who should use Weebly, you may wonder? It’s a great option for small businesses, entrepreneurs, bloggers, creatives, and e-commerce sellers, especially beginners. The editor is one of the simplest to use, and the minimal learning curve results in visually appealing sites. However, keep in mind that its ease of use limits the add-ons and design versatility, and it may not have the range of options or mobile customization that Wix or Elementor has. However, in our testing, we never found these constraints to be limiting. But, for a high-octane web designer, it may be a different story. Weebly is an excellent option for those who are limited in terms of their time investment, and its commerce options surpass those of competitors like Wix and Squarespace.

Weebly’s prices are similar to other builders but with a generous free plan option and an ad-free $12 per month plan that includes analytics and commerce. With the ability to download site files, Weebly is a suitable option for those looking for a quick and straightforward website setup with powerful e-commerce capabilities.

Weebly
Best for E-commerce

🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑
3.9 XRLN Rating

Stand out features

☑️ Simple Setup Process

☑️ E-commerce First

☑️ Acquired by Square

Visit Site

Go to Weebly

Starting Price = Free

Ecom Possible = Yes

Free Trial = Free Version

Pricing Structure

Weebly’s prices are comparable to competitors like Wix or Squarespace, but its free plan option is one of the most generous among free website builders. The free plan consists of the Domain with Weebly Branding (this might be unusable though), but the Connect Plan allows you to connect a custom domain for $10/Mo. Probably the best-intended plan is the Pro plan (Below the Business Plan – $25/Mo) which goes for $12/Mo when paid annually. This will give you unlimited storage, no ads, a shopping cart, and so on. Check out the full pricing table.

What people say about Weebly

Weebly has a whopping 4.3 Rating on Capterra, which is hard to come by and shows exceptional user satisfaction. Overall we can see users’ reports about how It is simple and easy to understand and website speeds seem respectable. And mostly users have been able to create UX-friendly sites. Weebly is also rumored to be a great fit for bloggers.

Weebly TradeOffs

The pricing structure of Weebly can be confusing for some users, as the monthly plan pricing is only calculated assuming you’d pay annually. There have also been concerns raised about potential hidden expenses. The free plan includes a Weebly advertisement on the bottom of the website and a Weebly subdomain, which may not be recognizable to customers and therefore may not be ideal for established projects or websites. Additionally, some users have reported difficulty in obtaining efficient customer service.

Best E-commerce Website Builder

[although some of the above can be used for e-commerce, these are the specialized ones]

6. Shopify

Shopify holds the keys to 10% of the US e-commerce kingdom, as a highly regarded website builder that equips merchants with shopping carts and marketing tools for starting, scaling, and mastering their own online (and offline) ventures. When you hear the words “E-commerce,” you’re almost certainly going to hear “Shopify” next. Their business knowledge is founded on the experiences of millions of merchants on the platform, allowing them to foresee and build the traits necessary not just to power commerce today, but also to influence and define the industry’s future. Unlike some of the other planet-like alternatives, such as Wix or Squarespace, Shopify has had a laser-focused approach to being an e-commerce platform since its creation in 2006, rather than merely adding e-commerce capabilities as a recent addition.

When you put “Dropshipping” into the YouTube search bar, you’ll see Shopify referenced frequently among the results. Because of its user-friendly design, numerous in-built functionality, and interoperability with third-party applications and plugins, Shopify is often regarded as an ideal platform for drop shipping. Shopify’s platform, like most other commerce-focused builders, emphasizes your product and sales information, helping you through the setup process with simplicity. Shopify’s simplified procedure assures you won’t miss a vital step, covering inventory, customer data, tax and shipping rates, and more, regardless of your degree of retail expertise. Of course, Shopify offers 24/7 phone and chat assistance, as well as an active online community forum.

Shopify
Best for E-commerce

🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗
4.7 XRLN Rating

Stand out features

☑️ Point of sale

☑️ Online Store that Scales with you

☑️ 70+ Payment Gateways

Visit Site

Go to Shopify

Starting Price = $24/Mo

Ecom Possible = Yes

Free Trial = 14 Days

Pricing Structure

Shopify offers three plans – Basic, Shopify, and Advanced – with the Basic plan costing $24/Mo (if you choose the annual plan) plus transaction fees for each sale made on the store. The Basic plan already comes with several features such as unlimited product sales, 24/7 support, discount codes, abandoned cart recovery, marketing automation, and more. The main difference between the plans is the transaction fee, which decreases as you upgrade to a higher plan. Shopify’s plans are more attractive as the Basic plan already comes with all the features needed for an online store and allows for reducing transaction fees by upgrading to a higher plan. Shopify also offers a 14-day free trial.

What people say about Shopify

Shopify impressed us with a 4.5 Capterra Rating and an outstanding 4.5 G2 rating. Users are also impressed with Shopify’s simplistic setup approach and robust notification system. We’ve looked at some comments mentioning that Shopify is both powerful and simple to use, which is the biggest struggle of platforms that want to secure their users with a lot of features.

Shopify TradeOffs

There are not many tradeoffs when it comes to Shopify, it’s a great value product and we recommend you use it if you’re looking for a robust e-commerce solution. We’d like to mention that although the Shopify ecosystem is well integrated, The editor is a point-and-click navigation tool rather than a standard drag-and-drop editor, which may raise the learning curve for certain users. And it’s tough to switch to another platform if you were to change your mind mid-development. Shopify could also be daunting for those used to Wix ADI or any prepopulated starting point.

7. BigCommerce

BigCommerce is a NASDAQ-listed e-commerce platform that offers retailers software as a service. It lives true to its moniker as a wonderful alternative for medium to large-scale online shops that may profit from the lack of transaction costs and the ability to provide an endless number of product versions. The platform of the organization covers online shop design, search engine optimization, hosting, marketing, and security for small to large enterprises. Although the site builder is less user-friendly than Shopify, the commitment to understanding the editor can yield considerable savings.

BigCommerce has a number of customizable themes that are simple to use and mobile-friendly, ensuring that your business looks fantastic on any screen size. BigCommerce includes built-in SEO tools that make it simple to optimize your store for search engines, resulting in more traffic and revenue. It also integrates with virtually all major payment processors, like PayPal, Stripe, and others, making it simple to collect payments from your consumers. BigCommerce offers robust inventory management solutions to assist you in keeping track of your stock levels and avoiding overselling. Its order management system is intended to make managing orders, shipping, and returns simple.

BigCommerce
Best for Scale

🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑
3.9 XRLN Rating

Stand out features

☑️ Super Scalable

☑️ Secure and Reliable

☑️ Excellent Support

Visit Site

Go to BigCommerce

Starting Price = $30/Mo

Ecom Possible = Yes

Free Trial = 30 Days

Pricing Structure

BigCommerce’s pricing is on par with Shopify, with three tiers – $30 (Standard), $80 (Plus), and $300 (Pro) – but the benefits vary. The entry-level $30 plan offers unlimited users, bandwidth, storage, products, and no transaction fees, with the option to link to eBay, Google Shopping, and Amazon. The pricing becomes complicated with sales thresholds – Standard supports annual sales less than $50,000, Plus up to $150,000, and Pro up to $400,000. This means the more sales you generate, the more you save on transaction fees, but you’ll need to upgrade to a higher plan when sales surpass certain thresholds.

What people say about Bigcommerce

Users of BigCommerce appear to be content with what they get, while not being blown away. Most opinions are mediocre, and it appears that BigCommerce has room to grow and a gap to close. The common thread we hear is that Bigcommerce is truly designed to be scalable.

Bigcommerce TradeOffs

While BigCommerce is highly customizable, it does have limitations when it comes to customizing certain parts of the platform. The BigCommerce app store is smaller than some of its competitors, and it can be difficult to find the right app for your specific needs. BigCommerce charges higher transaction fees than some of its competitors, which can add up over time.

8. Hostinger Website Builder

Hostinger, similar to GoDaddy, started out as a hosting service provider. Formerly known as Zyro, Hostinger Website Builder offers a drag-and-drop experience with hundreds of templates to choose from, making it easy to add content, customize the look & feel, and publish the website quickly. It is considered beginner-friendly with clean templates, an affordable price, and a good server response time of only 43 milliseconds. Hostinger’s website builder is part of its Website Builder & Web Hosting package. Hostinger also provides dedicated plans for WordPress hosting. Overall Hostinger has seen improvement in its website features and design categories and received high marks for value for money and ease of use.

What distinguishes Hostinger is its low cost and web hosting features, which allow you to create a very functional website. Wix or Squarespace, for example, just could not achieve these types of load speeds right now. Hostinger may not be your greatest pick if you’re seeking more intuitive solutions and aesthetic marvels, but if you’re searching for plain speed and performance, this is a solid alternative.

Hostinger
Best for Speed

🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗
4.2 XRLN Rating

Stand out features

☑️ Lightning Speed

☑️ Robust Hosting

☑️ Super Affordable

Visit Site

Go to Hostinger

Starting Price = $7/Mo

Ecom Possible = Yes

Free Trial = 30 Days

Pricing Structure

Hostinger offers an All-In-One Solution plan called the Website Builder & Web Hosting package, priced at $2.79/Mo with the first three months free for a 48-month contract. If you’re simply looking for Hosting Solution Hostinger offers that separately. With the Single, Premium, and Business Plans cost a super fair price of $1.99/Mo, $2.79/Mo, and 3.99/Mo respectively. The Sigle Plan allows you to create one site and 100GB of bandwidth.

What people say about Hostinger

Overall, Hostinger Builder (Zyro) has received a mix of positive and negative reviews from users on different platforms and communities. The affordability of the website builder is one of the most highly praised aspects, as it offers a cost-effective solution for people who want to create a website. In addition, ease of use is also a popular feature among users. Most importantly though, the website builder is known for its speed, which is appreciated by users who want to get their website up and running quickly.

Hostinger TradeOffs

The level of features and capabilities offered by a website builder can vary based on the type of service provider. Typically, a company specializing solely in website builders will offer a superior product compared to a hosting company that provides it as an added service. This could result in limited e-commerce options and reduced SEO features, for example.

9. SendOwl (for Digital Products)

SendOwl is a London-based British firm that offers an internet platform for selling digital items and subscriptions. It was founded in 2010 with the goal of making it easier for businesses to sell digital products online. The reason it made it to our list is because of its consistency and pricing model. Sendowl provides safe product delivery and offers a mobile-optimized checkout system and one-click upsells. It can link with email lists such as Mailchimp and automate laborious operations. It provides various payment methods, bespoke (or rather industry-standard) checkout themes, and affiliate support. The site is very simple to use and charges a modest monthly price.

Sure some of the contenders in the above list support selling digital products but they are physical first services, to begin with. SendOwl is appropriate for enterprises of all sizes in the Digital Products Industry and has a fixed monthly price (if you don’t go for the free plan), making it a cost-effective choice for selling digital items online. Furthermore, with the built-in checkout builder, businesses can simply modify their already existing online store and improve their consumers’ overall user experience. Despite it providing a complete e-commerce system that handles everything from marketing to tax compliance. It takes just over 4 minutes to create a product description, bundles, and upsell possibilities without the requirement for support documentation. Product setup includes marketing and sharing options, enabling rapid sales on social media or on-site checkout by embedding the checkout page on a website. Free trial periods, subscription lengths, and discount codes, they’re all there.

SendOwl
Best for Digital Products

🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑
3.9 XRLN Rating

Stand out features

☑️ Clean Consistent Design

☑️ Digital Products

☑️ Checkout Embeds

Visit Site

Go to SendOwl

Starting Price = 5% Transaction Fee

Ecom Possible = Yes

Free Trial = 14 Days

Pricing Structure

SendOwl offers different pricing plans, with the option to choose the “Free” or the Monthly flat fees. Within the Free Plan you get up to 10GB of storage and a 5% cut of the sale goes to SendOwl. structure. As the business grows you can slowly switch to the more affordable options at that stage of your business, which is the starter plan ($15/Mo) and $0.4/Order gives you up to 100GB of storage. Of course, all plans give you the ability to accept payments through multiple gateways. The Pro plan for $39/Mo and the Premium Plan for $99/Mo give you 200GB and 1,000GB of storage respectively.

What people say about SendOwl

SendOwl generally has good overall ratings and is considered to be an easy-to-use and user-friendly platform for online businesses. The setup process is quick and painless, and the platform offers a broad range of features for sales, marketing, and payments. According to users, SendOwl is a good option for selling digital products and subscriptions, with a range of payment options including PayPal, Stripe, Apple Pay, and more.

Sendowl TradeOffs

Some disadvantages of SendOwl include a limited number of payment gateway options compared to other e-commerce platforms and design customization is kind of limited although in this sense you won’t need that a lot, as the whole point is a minimalistic standardized approach. Additionally, some users have reported that the platform’s customer support could be improved, with some finding it difficult to get help when they needed it.

10. Web.com

Web.com is a website builder and hosting company that offers a unique service of having expert designers build your website for you, in addition to its normal plans. This service, which costs $200, is optional but provides a valuable option for those who don’t want to build their website on their own. With Web.com, you can get a complete package that includes both building and hosting services, as well as an online store feature. When it comes to performance and site speed, other options like Hostinger might be more suitable. Despite this, Web.com still deserves to be included in the list of website builders due to its unique features and the overall appeal of the package.

Essential features like Web Hosting, Domains, Email and security are fully covered. On top of this, Web.com offers unique marketing and SEO tools tailored to the business type. According to Web.com’s website, the company has over 3 million customers and has been in business for over 20 years. They offer various plans and packages, including domain registration, website design, and e-commerce solutions, catering to both personal and business websites.

Web.com
Best for Hiring Devs

🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑
3.9 XRLN Rating

Stand out features

☑️ A Team will build your site

☑️ Native SEO Tools

☑️ Hosting Provided

Visit Site

Go to Web.com

Starting Price = $10/Mo

Ecom Possible = Yes

Free Trial = No

Pricing Structure

Web.com has several pricing plans for its website building and hosting services, including an Essential Plan starting at $10/Mo per month, a Business Plan starting at $20/Mo, and an E-commerce Plan starting at $25/Mo. These plans offer varying features such as unlimited storage, custom email addresses, and e-commerce capabilities. Compared to Wix and Squarespace, these pricings can be thought of as expensive, but remember that the difference in the plans offering when it comes to Web.com is massive.

What people say about Web.com

Web.com provides a functional solution overall, and clients appear satisfied with the outcomes. The majority of the spoken remarks cite exceptional support as one of the positive aspects of web.com. Advertising and SEO are also cited as positive qualities.

Web.com TradeOffs

One of the primary drawbacks of Web.com is that it may provide you with similar-looking templates to begin with, increasing the likelihood of your final product having a generic appearance. Some consumers have complained that getting in touch with customer support is difficult or takes too long. Although Web.com has made significant improvements over the years, there have been some notable flaws in the drag-and-drop builder itself.

Best Code-Based Website Builder (Frameworks)

• Next.js is an open-source web development framework created by Vercel enabling React-based web applications with server-side rendering and generating static websites.
• Laravel is a free and open-source PHP web framework, created by Taylor Otwell and intended for the development of web applications following the model–view–controller architectural pattern and based on Symfony.
• Ruby on Rails is a server-side web application framework written in Ruby under the MIT License. Rails is a model–view–controller framework, that provides default structures for a database, a web service, and web pages
• Angular is a TypeScript-based, free, and open-source web application framework led by the Angular Team at Google and by a community of individuals and corporations. Angular is a complete rewrite from the same team that built AngularJS
• React is a free and open-source front-end JavaScript library for building user interfaces based on UI components. It is maintained by Meta and a community of individual developers and companies.

What is a Website Builder

A website builder is a platform that enables users to create, design, and publish a website without needing to have in-depth technical knowledge. It is a cost-effective and convenient way for individuals, small businesses, and startups to create a professional-looking website quickly and easily. It eliminates the need to learn to code or hire a web developer to build a website. Instead, you can use pre-designed templates, drag-and-drop elements, and a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor to create your website. The website builder takes care of the technical aspects, such as hosting and security, so that you can focus on creating a beautiful and functional website.

How do I choose the Best Website Builder?

When choosing a website builder, it is important to consider the following factors: Look for a website builder that is user-friendly and intuitive, with a straightforward and simple interface. Choose a website builder that offers a wide range of design templates that are customizable and look professional. Consider the features and functionality that are important for your website, such as e-commerce capabilities, SEO optimization, and mobile responsiveness. Look for a website builder that offers reliable and responsive customer support, including 24/7 assistance if needed. Consider the cost of using a website builder, including any recurring fees or upgrades.

When it comes to designing your website, it’s a good idea to take a look at what others are creating and use it as Web Design Inspiration for your own unique design. There is a virtually endless supply of creative ideas that you can incorporate to make your site stand out. By exploring the designs and features of other websites, you can gather ideas and determine what elements will work best for your own website.

What is the Best Website Builder for Small Businesses?

Our number one recommendation for small businesses is Wix, as it’s not only one of the most widely used platforms but has the most capabilities on the list. You won’t be disappointed with their excellent customer support and the balance between affordability and the result makes it one of the best builders out there.

Best Website Builder for Photographers?

Definitely Squarespace, Squarespace offers a range of portfolio templates designed specifically for photographers, allowing them to showcase their work in an elegant and professional manner. Squarespace provides a range of customization options, including customizable templates and a drag-and-drop editor, allowing photographers to create a unique website that reflects their brand and style.

What to Expect when Building an E-commerce Site

Building an online e-commerce store requires careful planning, design, development, marketing, and ongoing maintenance to be successful. The first step is to determine your target audience and the products or services you will offer, followed by registering your business and setting up the domain, products, payment, and shipping options. The design and development of the website are crucial, including creating a user-friendly and attractive website design, adding products and descriptions, and implementing security measures.

Marketing and promotion play a significant role in the success of your online store, including building an email list, implementing SEO strategies, utilizing social media, and running advertisements. Once the website is complete, it is time to launch and maintain it, which includes finalizing the website, testing it, launching it, and ongoing maintenance and updates. Remember, building an online e-commerce store requires effort and patience, but with the right steps and a focus on your goals, it can be a valuable platform for reaching a wider audience and growing your business.

How long does it actually take to build a website?

Building portfolios and landing pages could literally take minutes, while intricate e-commerce stores could take a journey spanning years, and anything else, in between.

From minutes up to years! The time it takes to build a website varies according to the sort of website you want. Working with a professional to develop a website can often take two to five months. This knowledge might help you decide whether to undertake the project on your own or employ a professional. We recommend setting aside one to two weeks to study the site on your own and with the help of your team, friends, and coworkers. A new point of view may substantially improve the design. During this stage, developers may make both large and little changes to the overall user experience, such as color schemes, text sizes, and micro-animations.

Conclusion

Here are some key takeaways:

• There is a clear builder that’s the perfect fit for you depending on the type of business you plan to run.
• Making a website pretty is not the number one priority.
• Website builders now offer advanced features and integrations, making them suitable for professional and business websites
• Page load speed and SEO matter, and highly affect the success/growth of your online business.
• Many website builders offer free or low-cost plans, making them an affordable option for small businesses and individuals.
• E-commerce? Shopify it. Small Business? Wix it. Artist? Squarespace it. Blogger? WordPress it.