In 2017, entrepreneurs and small business owners alike are launches businesses through instant websites every day. With so many websites sprouting on the internet on a daily basis, technology has met their needs with new solutions for novice webmasters to create their site with ease and a fresh, modern look.
Yes, website builders have been a good friend to those who do not want to have a website professionally designed. However, the value of a properly coded, professionally designed website can never be understated.
Website builders come in handy for people who perhaps don’t have the money to employ a website design company or design freelancer. But which website builder is the best and which one will fit your needs?
We’ve done the research for you and have compiled the ultimate website builder comparison guide.
What It Is
Website builders are a tool that will let you create a website and design it how you want (within their templates). They let you add different elements to a variety of pages using a sort of drag and drop building experience.
You’ll build the site visually without having to embed codes or worry about HTML issues. You can simply take the images, colors, text blocks, and lists you like and edit them how you see fit.
Let’s take a closer look at our website builder comparison guide to help you find the right fit.
Wix and the Website Builder Comparison Guide
Wix is the grandfather of all website builders. It’s one of the most popular choices in the world of DIY website building. It comes with premium plans and free options that will offer you many tools to help you get your site up and running.
Wix uses the drag and drop interface. You’ll select what you want on your web page and then simply drag those items on to the page where you want them to appear. It’s a fairly easy process, and the Wix interface is pretty easy to understand.
You’ll get to choose from an array of templates that cover everything from blogging to eCommerce. You can even build a magazine publication on one of their templates.
Wix does offer a lot of options when it comes to add-ons, which is why it lands first on our website builder comparison guide. Regardless of what you need to integrate on your website, Wix has probably figured out a pretty seamless approach for what you need.
However, most users who are just starting their site won’t need all of the high-end features that Wix uses. Sometimes it can over complicate things and might seem like a bit of overkill for people.
Squarespace
If you need to display a portfolio, creative website, or blog-oriented business then Squarespace might be the best fit for you. If you need to create a gallery to showcase and sell your work, then this is a good fit for you.
When it comes to a website builder comparison, Squarespace can claim the spot as the best option for photography projects, media, and other creative work ventures. The templates are clean and minimal.
Having said that, they do rely on beautiful images and photography to make the site look professional. If you’ve got plenty of said images, then you’re in the clear. They offer some clean typography as well.
They are the more expensive option, especially if you want an eCommerce site. Their plans range between $26 a month to $40. They come with free domains and no transaction fee.
Otherwise, you can choose either the $12 fee per month or the $18 a month plan. The $18 is unlimited on how many projects and posts you can make.
The biggest flaw in the Squarespace world is that there is no free plan like its website builder comparison option on Wix. The pricing is up there when it comes to website builders, but it is pretty good at what it does if you need to create a portfolio-style site.
Virb
Next up is Virb. If you’re still reading this, then you are most likely really serious about getting your website up and going quickly and in an affordable matter. If you’re still skeptical, read more about some professional website development options.
Virb is an enterprise-grade web hosting company that has its roots deep in GoDaddy (they own it). This is a good and bad thing. The good: it is backed by a huge web hosting company which means your site and speed will be strong.
The bad: after Virb was acquired by GoDaddy, there have been almost no new features or innovations. Virb is basically where it was when it started in terms features and design.
Virb does offer the easy drag and drop editor option and is pretty easy to use. It’s not great for eCommerce sites though, and it should be used for pretty simple business sites. There is just one plan, and it’s $10 a month.
With that ten bucks, you’ll get as many pages and as much storage to fill as you want. It does come with some SEO features. You also can’t pay a larger annual fee, they require that everyone subscribe to the $10 monthly billing option.
For Your Consideration
When choosing what website builder you want to use for your site, consider this website builder comparison guide. As you can see, not all sites and templates are created equally.
Our vote is to go with a professional service if you have the money to do so. You will save yourself a lot of stress and your website will be the ultimate professional online calling card for your business.
However, the DIY options are fantastic for those who are starting out and want to get their site up and running.
Remember
Virb is a little dated and is low on features. They aren’t keeping up and certainly can’t compete with it’s Wix and Squarespace counterparts. Squarespace is a great option, however, it is higher in cost and might not fit in your budget.
Wix and Weebly seem to be pretty similar in terms of features offered and payment plans. Their free plans are ad-supported and though and there isn’t much storage that comes with it.
However, Wix lies at the top of the list because of its integration abilities and more diverse template options.
For more tips, tricks, and resources to find whatever you need to get your business going, learn more here.