Website builders are a handy solution for individuals and small businesses who want to start a website without hiring a developer. Finding the best website builder can be tricky. How do you know which one is right for you?
Tools like Wix, Elementor, GoDaddy and Shopify make it easier than ever to create a website without the need for web development experience. Website builders have been around for quite a while and modern builders have grown popular due to their ease of use. Unlike the modular feel we get from WordPress, these website builders typically offer an all-in-one solution for building a website.
TRUiC Research Evaluated All These Big Players:
Generally the user can select an available domain name within the platform and then the tool will guide you through a series of questions. TRUiC research recently produced a highly informative guide on how users can build a website within a short space of time using these tools.
Wix: a good introductory website builder
This popular cloud-based website builder offers ease of use combined with a powerful set of features. As a fully hosted platform, users will get access to hundreds of templates from which to choose the website’s design. Each template is editable and the website builder operates on an intuitive drag-and-drop principle. The website builder comes with a built-in artificial design intelligence, known as Wix ADI, that helps with the design of sites.
Aside from the templates, free and paid apps are available to use on the website. These apps allow users to add new features and functionality to sites. Some of these apps are created by Wix, but others are created by third-party developers.
The free plan offers limited bandwidth and storage and serves as a “test drive” for the drag-and-drop website builder. It does not include a domain name, necessitating users to upgrade to a premium plan if they want to keep their website. Free SSL comes with all Wix plans, but you need to turn it on for your website. Both free and Connect Domain plans will show Wix branded ads on the website, forcing an upgrade to the Combo or Unlimited plan to remove these ads.
GoDaddy: website building on the go
One of the largest domain name and hosting service providers in the world, GoDaddy offers a simple online website builder that includes hosting. Coming pre-loaded with several ready to use blocks, the website builder makes use of a drag-and-drop interface and has an integrated photo library with professional images from Getty Photography. Users have the option of uploading and using their own images. An added benefit is that the GoDaddy website builder allows users to work on their websites from their mobile phone or tablet, however users may be disappointed that this website builder is not as feature rich as most others. It offers a limited set of features with fewer design opinions and it can become quite difficult to move your website from GoDaddy Website Builder to another website builder like WordPress.
Elementor: control all aspects of website design
An all-in-one WordPress website builder that allows users to control every aspect of website design from one platform. It comes with a flexible and simple visual editor that makes it easy to use, even without design experience. The main advantage of the platform lies in the fact that users do not have to switch between various screens to design or to make changes and updates. All the content, including header, footer and website content are editable from the same page. With over 300+ templates that can be customized and a responsive mobile editor Elementor provides various marketing integrations that most website owners use. Elementor does not come with a “White Label” option and some reviewers have expressed the opinion that the UI is a bit on the dated side, making some of the features hard to find and use.
Shopify: best for e-commerce
As a website builder that was specifically designed for online stores and e-commerce websites, Shopify powers more than half a million businesses and has over a million active users. Shopify is a fully hosted solution, taking the hassle of managing software, installing updates and keeping backups out of the user’s hands. An integrated payment solution allows for the payment of goods and services via credit card, but users can add third-party payment gateways.
Shopify comes fully loaded with an inventory management system, marketing solutions and hundreds of website designs to choose from. Making use of drag-and-drop interface, the website builder makes it easy to update and manage pages. Integration with WordPress is possible, but if users ever want to move their website away from Shopify they may find it difficult to do so.
Overall Takeaway
Typically closed website builder platforms lock the user in and make it harder to switch, if we had to pick on the list to avoid, it would have to be Wix. While the website designer works beautifully, they have an aggressive upsell policy that makes switching away incredibly hard. WordPress website builders, like Elementor, gives users full ownership of their content, but may be a bit trickier to use. Regardless of the website builder you may settle on, one thing is certain: a well-designed website is crucial for entrepreneurs to succeed.
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