Which Website Builder Should I Use?

You have already decided that you should create a website. Now, you’re trying to figure out how to go about the process of building the website of your dreams. The question is, which website builder will help you run a successful and effective website? This blog post will give you the information you need, so you can make an informed selection.

WordPress

Pros

WordPress is one of the most popular website builders around–and for a good reason. There are tens of thousands of WordPress themes that website owners can choose from. There are also many different types of websites you can run on WordPress. There are so many options that as of March 2018, WordPress powered over 30% of all websites. If you put in the work, WordPress is an excellent tool where you can fully customize your website.

It’s important to note that WordPress is more of a content management system, rather than a website builder. This is why it is especially great for those who would like to start a blog. You can track your website traffic, see how your visitors ended up on your website, and see more helpful insights to better your website. You can also use many different plugins and tools with WordPress to help optimize your website for search engines. There are also countless other plugins that can be installed for free and can make your website far more dynamic and interesting, without the need to hire a developer or know coding. They even have an app where you can write, edit, and publish content to your website.

This platform is also extremely affordable compared to the other options on this list. There is a free option, but it does limit your abilities on the platform. Depending on which type of website you are running, (blog, business website, or e-commerce) you will spend between $3 to $45 per month.

Cons

As mentioned above, WordPress is considered more of a content management system than a website builder. While WordPress is a great platform to run any type of website on, when it comes to actually building the website, there are other website builders that are more user-friendly. There is a bit of a learning curve when it comes to building a website with WordPress. You can always start your website on another platform while learning how to build a website, and then move your website to WordPress at a later date. Once you learn how to fully-utilize WordPress, you will have great control over the way your website looks and runs, making the learning curve worth it.

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Wix

Pros

Wix is another extremely popular website builder. It hosts about 100 million users as it is very easy to use. One of the greatest perks to using Wix is that it is very simply to design and launch your website. You can likely create something that works for your needs without having to hire a developer.

There is a free option offered on Wix, just like WordPress. When you upgrade, you will be spending anywhere from $11 to $35 per month depending on the type of website you need. You also have the option to edit your photos using Wix’s editor tool.

Cons

It can be somewhat difficult to alter the appearance of your website, if you don’t know how to use HTML, CSS, JavaScript and other types of code. Also, your options for tracking website visitors and optimizing your website for SEO can be a bit more difficult than with a platform like WordPress. Wix should be seen strictly as a website builder, rather than a content management tool like WordPress. This is not the best platform to build a personal blog on, but is great for e-commerce websites. Also, Wix does not have a significant number of plugins to easily install on your website.

Squarespace

Pros

Squarespace is a very user-friendly website builder that uses templates which look custom. Their e-commerce plan, in particular, is excellent. This is the perfect website builder for someone who is willing to give up some control over how their website looks to save some time building their website.

Cons

Unfortunately, Squarespace does not offer a free version of their website builder. It is also one of the most expensive website builders out there. The least expensive option for Squarespace is $12 per month, while WordPress is only $3 [or free]. After your first year on Squarespace, you have to pay for your domain which will typically range from $20 to $70 per month. Also, there are fewer than 1,000 templates to choose from. Other platforms have far more templates to consider when building a website.

Weebly

Pros

Weebly is the second best-priced website builder on this list after WordPress. After their free option, their lowest rate is $5 per month. This platform mostly focuses on e-commerce websites, as they have partnered with Square, the cash register app. Weebly is also very blog-friendly and offers free statistics for your website.

Cons

Weebly’s websites are not customizable on mobile devices. Having a mobile-friendly website is very important for the overall effectiveness of a website and for search engine rankings. They also have fewer themes than other website builders on this list. Some report that Weebly has poor site uptime and speed, so that may be something to consider when choosing your website builder.

Which is the Best?

The least expensive website builder that has the greatest flexibility is WordPress. You can choose between running a blog, having a business website, or making money with an e-commerce site. WordPress is also great if you are practicing SEO tactics with their great Yoast SEO plugin. Their insights tool is far more superior than the other website builders on this list. As mentioned above, there is a learning curve with WordPress, but once you have your custom website, you will see that it’s worth it. Also, if you don’t mind spending a little money, you can always hire a developer to build your WordPress website for you.

If you still have questions about which website builder to use, feel free to contact us by filling out the form below.