If you’ve ever built a new house, you quickly realize there are a lot of decisions to make. One of the first is choosing where you’re going to build. Your dream house can soon become a nightmare if it’s on a bad lot. Small business owners can face the same issue when building their dream website. Which website platform should you choose? Start by considering these choices to help you make the right decision for your small business.

Nearly two-thirds of small businesses have a website. One of the reasons is the availability of do-it-yourself website builders. Here are some of these website platforms:

WordPress

WordPress reports that they are the most popular online publishing platform powering more than 28 percent of the web. The WordPress.com network welcomes over 409 million people viewing more than 15.5 billion pages each month

• Advantages – The basic website platform is free and includes 350 pre-designed themes to help you set it up. Your site will be mobile friendly. They also offer premium upgrades for a fee. These include: custom domain, anti-spam software, search engine optimization (SEO), and analytics.
• Disadvantages – In their review of this website platform, Mashable suggests that the learning curve may be stiff if you are not tech-savvy, especially when adding functionality using plug-ins. It is helpful if you understand some HTML code.

Squarespace

Since their founding in 2003, Squarespace has launched millions of websites on their platform.

• Advantages – Website Builder Expert ranks it as the most design-oriented website builder. They offer flexible styling and are mobile friendly. And they offer 24/7 support with one-hour email response turnaround time.
• Disadvantages – While the website platform offers a 14-day free trial period, the monthly fee starts at $18 for business websites. That includes customized URL and analytics. More expensive options offer e-commerce options.

Weebly

Weebly powers over 50 million user-friendly websites. They were acquired by Square in 2018.

• Advantages – Website Builder Expert says it is probably one of the easiest to use website builders on the market today. It’s drag and drop features make it user friendly, even for less technical users. They have over 40 responsive templates with popular pages like Home, About, and Contact Us.
• Disadvantages – While you can customize elements like font in the templates, you will need some knowledge of coding to make more extensive changes. They do offer a free plan but with limited features. Their professional option for business starts at $12 a month.

Wix

Wix reports having over 150 million users across 190 countries.

• Advantages – This is a free website builder with over 500 drag-and-drop templates. Website Builder Expert calls it the most innovative website builder among its competitors. They offer artificial design intelligence that can build the website for you. Help buttons and email/phone support are available.
• Disadvantages – The free version includes advertisement but you can upgrade to eliminate them. Their recommended plan for entrepreneurs starts at $17 a month.

Make sure your dream website starts off in the right place by carefully considering which website platform best meets your needs. Decide for yourself whether these DIY website builders are right for your small business.

Learn more about Sparklight Advertising and how our marketing experts will engage your audience that will provide your small business a strong digital presence.