5 Pro Website Builders to Help You Grow Your Business

Do you know how much a website can cost if you hire a web developer or designer? Between $5,000 to $10,000.

On the contrary, using a Website builder can cost you as little as $6 per month to a max of $50. It sounds ridiculously cheap, but that’s the truth. 

The advent of Website builders has wholly transformed the scope of the digital marketplace.

A decade ago, only prominent established players could afford a website, as creating and managing one was pretty costly. 

But with these self-building web tools, anyone can own their site without denting their pockets. Back in 2010, the number of websites was approximately 210 million.

Today, this number has risen to 1.8 billion. What do you think contributed to this sudden and massive increase?

The answer is obvious; Website builders!

Before we dive into the technicalities of which builder to choose and compare them, let us first understand what the hype is all about! 

What Are Website Builders? The Knights in Shining Armour

Website builders are tools that allow users to create their sites without any coding experience.

It provides a convenient solution for those who cannot afford big-shot developers and designers due to time and budget limitations.

There are mainly 2 types of builders:

1. Offline website builders: This builder comes in the form of downloadable software, and you can use it to design your site on your personal computer even when you are dont have an internet connection.
2. Online website builders: This builder is web-based, and to create and design a website on it, you need to be online. Any changes you make are uploaded directly to the website provider’s server.

For freelancers to small bootstrapped businesses, website builders are a blessing in disguise as it helps them to set up their digital business without much investment.

The drag-and-drop, user-friendly interfaces that these builders feature offer plenty of customization and flexibility for newbies.

However, due to an influx of building tools, it can be challenging to distinguish between the best and the worst tools.

Furthermore, as entrepreneurs have little technical knowledge regarding websites, selecting the best builder can be a tough decision. 

To make it easy for you, we have highlighted features that a suitable website builder contains and also the 5 best builders currently topping the market:

What Essential Feature does a Good Site Builder Have?

With more than 90 website building technologies in the market, how can you know which one is the perfect fit for you?

The answer is that there is no one size fits all concept when it comes to designing websites. For each individual or company, the best website builder will differ depending on their specific needs.

However, there are some features that all optimal builders should have. These include but are not limited to:

• Ease of Use: These builders are mainly for beginners and non-tech users, so they should be easy to use. They should have user-friendly drag-and-drop builders, flexible customization options, and self-explanatory editing tools.

• Pricing: As it is a competitive market, website builders should offer value for money. Features such as free domains, business email, and affordable eCommerce features are a bonus.

• Tools: All builders should at least provide a broad selection of professional templates, and there should be flexibility to add advanced features such as Google Analytics, 3rd party marketing, CRMs, etc.

• Customer Care: No matter how user-friendly a builder is, beginners will always have questions. So a 24/7 helpdesk should be available when needed.

• Data ownership: Most beginners don’t know how crucial this is. But in the digital industry, privacy policy and terms of service are 2 things you need to be very careful about. Ensure that the builder doesn’t own your data and allows efficient switching if you ever need to invest in a new builder.

That being said, by researching and testing numerous website builders based on the features above, we came across the 5 best players in the market.

We are mentioning them below with their pros, cons, and pricing so that you can choose the one that suits you best

1. The Game Changer: Wix Site Builder

Wix has hosted over 200 million users and is one of the most user-friendly builders we have come across.

It is the most significant player in the current website building industry and the most reliable one. By merging usability with creative freedom, Wix makes website building easy for beginners.

Wix Pros:

Here are the things we like the most about this builder:

• The best feature of Wix is its vast app market and templates. The choices it offers are versatile, contemporary, and pre-built. 
• The flexibility is also beyond par. You do not have to sacrifice customizability as there are no feature or element limitations.
• Integration is slick and smooth, and you can add 3rd-party plug-ins with a single click.
• Wix premium plan provides you free domain names for the first year
• Social media integration is also available
• SEO Wiz tool helps you in optimizing your website for search engines
• Security is top-notch as Wix offers an SSL certificate and an autosave feature which automatic\cally creates backups.

Wix Cons:

Here are a few areas where Wix needs to improve

• Even though there are numerous templates, its impossible to switch between them once you go live
• Slow loading speed 
• Mobile response time also lags

Pricing

1. Free plan:  For those who wish to jump the bandwagon without investing money. Once satisfied with the free plan, you can later decide to go for paid versions.
2. Premium plan: The basics of these plans start from 4.5$ a month and go up to 35$ for VIP e-commerce business. If you want to up your digital game, opt for these and climb high up the ladder.

Wix provides a 14 Days Trial. You can try it now and cancel any time if you are not satisfied.

2. Bigcommerce Website Builder: Making it Big 

If you want to make a big online store, then  Bigcommerce is all you need.

Thanks to this easy-to-use platform, your online business can thrive and scale without rocket science.

Leading names such as Kodak and Toyota started off using Bigcommerce. In addition, the range of customizable options and product additions it provides is commendable.

With it, you can easily design and even market your online store.

Bigcommerce Pros:

Here are the things we like the most about this builder:

• First, you can add products easily. Plus, there is no limit to the number of variants you can add.
• The SEO feature ensures that your store ranks highly in the search engine.
• There is no transaction fee and no hidden cost. Unlike other ecommerce builders, you can grow with Bigcommerce without paying a lot for high-volume transactions.
• You can quickly scale your business as Bigcommerce expand its option as you grow. So it’s suitable for both small and big retailers.
• It offers safe payment gateways and is integrated with numerous reliable companies like PayPal.
• It also offers blogging functionality and integrating options with third-party apps.
• The professional reports and product review functionality it provides are insightful.

Bigcommerce Cons:

Here are a few areas where Bigcommerce needs to improve:

• Limits on yearly sales, so if you exceed the threshold, you are automatically upgraded to more expensive plans.
• Limitations with the editor and RSS feeds aren’t facilitated. 
• The themes are very similar, and typefaces options are also minimal.

Pricing

1. Standard: this costs $29.95 and offers you basic selling features 

1. Plus: This costs $79.95 and has in-built marketing options, which lead to more conversions.
2. Pro: Costing $299.95 per month, it provides a more comprehensive set of features to scale your business.
3. Enterprise: This plan is geared more towards corporations, and pricing is tailored according to a business’s needs

Bigcommerce provides a 14-Day Free Trial. You can try it now and cancel any time if you are not satisfied.

 3. Best in Ecommerce: Shopify Website Builder

Shopify, with more than 1 million users and a vast ecommerce space, is the best Ecommerce builder. The potential to earn here is limitless. The ready-made digital shops it provides are easy to customize, and you can tweak them to your heart’s content. It is an ideal platform for newbies who wish to launch and run their online stores without any technical hassle.

Shopify Pros:

Here are the things we like the most about this builder:

• First, the user-friendly interface makes it accessible to anyone. The beginner’s guide is also beneficial and helps the user at every step.
• The store is fully responsive, and loading times are also worth mentioning. 
• You can add 1-15 Staff accounts depending on the plan you choose.
• The Reporting options are plentiful and helpful in harnessing growth.
• Third-party real-time shipping is a paid add-on that can help in tracking orders.
• Transaction and credit card fees are affordable and decrease if you opt for advanced plans.
• Shipping discounts are pretty generous. 
• Custom pricing based on a country is also available for Advanced and Shopify Plus plans.

Shopify Cons:

Here are a few areas where Shopify needs to improve:

1. The biggest disadvantage of Shopify is that it charges transaction fees
2. Limited design and customization options
3. Email Hosting is not offered
4. Marketing Automation is also not available 

Pricing

1. Basic: Ideal for beginners with limited in-person sales. Costs $29/month
2. Shopify: This plan can accommodate increasing sales if you have a growing business. Costs $79/month
3. Advanced Shopify: Best for corporations that value advanced reporting features. Costs $299/month

Even though Shopify doesn’t offer free plans, there is a free trial  option which you can take for 14 day

And you are not required to input credit card details, so opt for it now!

4. Squarespace Website Builder: Best Templates in Town

With the most contemporary and up-to-date design, Squarespace is an ideal space for those who value creativity and aesthetics.

In addition, it is best for those who wish to showcase their work uniquely, such as artists, graphic designers, photographers, etc.

One last thing, Squarespace tops the market with its share of 1+ million sites so you can rely on it with your eyes closed.

Squarespace Pros

Here are some things we like about this website builder:

• First, it offers templates compatible with multiple devices, including tablets, smartphones, and desktops. 
• The mobile app is also very responsive. You can edit pages and perform essential eCommerce functions via the mobile application. 
• Its in-built features are pretty easy to understand, and the UX is smooth and flexible.
• It not only offers the highest number of the template but the designs are crafted for modern-day use,
• Squarespace’s Social Media Integration can link your website to over 20 social platforms.
• Squarespace follows SEO best practices and allows 3rd part marketing integration such as Mailchimp, etc. 

Squarespace Cons:

Here are a few areas where Squarespace needs to improve:

• It is overly manual, and no auto-save option
• More pricey compared to other builders
• Advanced marketing tools not available 
• 3rd-party apps integration is not supported

Pricing

1. Personal Business: Priced at $16, it offers everything users need to set up an essential yet full-fledged website. Unlike other builders
2. Business Plan: Priced at $26, it is best for businesses that are growing
3. Ecommerce Basic: Priced at $30, it provides growth potential for ecommerce shops that are already thriving  
4. Ecommerce Advanced: Priced at $46, it is a comprehensive package for corporations.

Squarespace provides a 14-Day Free Trial. You can try it now and cancel any time if you are not satisfied.

5. Weebly Website Builder: Highly Functional

Weebly has built over 50 million websites and is something beginners can rely on. Its free plan is popular amongst newbies as it has no cost at all.

Moreover, the 40-plus themes the platform offers are very intuitive. The UX is also super-friendly.

The best part about Weebly is that it allows building heavy sites with about 100 pages. Other website builders in the market don’t offer this option.

What I like about this website builder

• It offers many themes and is very responsive and adaptable to mobile devices.
• Users can invite other users to work on their website.
• The app center is impressive, with numerous paid and free apps. 3rd party integration is also swift
• Weebly offers the best free plan so newbies can digitize without spending even a penny.
• It offers the best value for money compared to other builders in the market, thanks to its affordable premium package.
• SEO guides it offers are beneficial, and the support center is also active
• Weebly Promote provides marketing as well. There are 3rd part integrations as well

Weebly Cons:

Here are a few areas where Weebly needs to improve:

• Flexibility is limited as users cannot move the elements freely.
• Multiple languages integration can be challenging. 
• SEO tools are only available for expensive plans

Pricing

1. Free: Cost zeros and provide essential features
2. Connect: Costs $5/month when paid annually and allies user to connect domain.
3. Pro: Priced at $12 per month, it gives you a free domain and has more professional features
4. Business: Costing $25, it features advanced e-commerce features for selling businesses

You can start with Weebly’s Free Plan Now and jump to paid plans if satisfied and require more features as you grow.

Build Your Way Up…

We hope by now you feel that launching a sleek website isn’t complicated as it seems. Be it a blogging, e-commerce shop, designer portfolio, or informative website, anything can be built quickly using website builders.

If you want to establish a solid online presence, lay the foundation of your website using the tools mentioned above. They are the best of the best and pretty affordable.

Instead of hiring a pro coder that can cost you an arm or leg, select an optimal site-building tool that matches your need and budget. And BAAM, you will get a THRIVING website within no time.

Isn’t it pretty simple! So what are you waiting for?

Get your free trial now and get Coding (oh, Sorry) Designing 😉 

Frequently Asked Questions