Need to build a business website, but unsure if you want to spend the money on a professional independent web developer or unfamiliar agency? That’s why business website builders exist — to help you build your own site without going full-on DIY, or full-on outsourcing.
In this business website builder guide, we’ll go over some of the top options in the industry. By the time we’re through, you’ll have a good idea of which provider is the best fit based on your needs and resources. Enjoy!
StudioPress is our top choice for folks seeking a WordPress-compatible website builder. They bundle their services into two straightforward packages: “Content” for content-focused business websites and “Commerce” for online stores.
Total Cost: $24 to $37/month
If you choose to use StudioPress, you’ll get access to a variety of streamlined features that work easily with their mobile-optimized themes. StudioPress’ user-base is still fairly small, with just over 200,000 users to date — but we focus on quality over quantity. We love what StudioPress is doing and look forward to watching them grow!
Weebly earns a high ranking for much different reasons than StudioPress. They offer a variety of plans at very different price points, so they’re able to accommodate a wider range of circumstances. Whether you’re looking to start a medium-large scale online store or a simple website to represent your brand, they have a package with the right features and price point.
Total Cost: Free to $38/month when paid annually. Weebly doesn’t list their month-to-month prices.
Weebly’s free version is also a nice perk. Although we wouldn’t recommend building a business website on it, it’s a great way to tell whether or not you enjoy using their basic platform. Plus, Weebly isn’t limited to WordPress, so it’s a viable option for a larger number of folks — hence their user-base of 40 million.
Squarespace has expanded their reach by leaps and bounds over the last few years. Their gorgeous, modern themes are being used by millions.
Total Cost: $12 to $46/month.
Their 24/7 customer support is also a big selling point, but keep in mind that Squarespace is a rapidly growing operation so the quality of that support is hit or miss. Rather than diving in head-first, we recommend leveraging their free trial to determine whether or not they’re the right provider for you.
Wix has gained a larger user-base than any other website builder on this list. Over 100 million folks across the world have taken advantage of their low prices and easy drag-and-drop design platform.
Total Cost: Free to $25/month. Wix also offers Yearly Savings Plans which can save you up to 45%, but they don’t list the exact price differences on their site.
Like most website builders out there, Wix has gotten mixed reviews. It’s VERY common for folks to get frustrated with these platforms because they go in expecting to create a masterpiece in minutes. Is it easy to create a basic landing page on Wix? Yes. But for anything more, you’re going to have to invest some time.
Jimdo’s free version is easily the most generous in the industry — a surprisingly complete website builder rather than a narrow preview. While there are a few small downsides to working with Jimdo (learn more in our review), their user-friendly platform has attracted millions of users and earned them hundreds of glowing reviews since they started in 2010.
Total Cost: Free to $20/month when paid annually. Unfortunately, Jimdo doesn’t offer a month-to-month option.
One thing to keep in mind is that Jimdo’s online stores don’t currently match the level of sophistication of other providers like Weebly. They lack many extra features like gift cards and abandoned cart recovery, which can make a big difference in your sales. Also, they’re currently only set up to accept payment via PayPal (no credit cards).
No matter which provider you choose, business website builders are significantly less expensive than hiring a professional designer to build your site. Most of the time the outsourcing process requires more time and money because you’re working with smaller operations.
Built-in apps, widgets, and dashboards can make managing your website a lot less demanding and more productive.
Most of these providers have extensive customer service solutions. Some of them are available 24/7 to help you with any problems that might come your way.
Website builders can make the process of selling physical or digital products online much easier, with tons of advanced feature options.
There are tons of freelancers and agencies that specialize in web design on these platforms. So, for example, if you run into trouble with a core SquareSpace theme, you could work with an independent SquareSpace-specific design agency for much more personalized support.
The templates these platforms offer can be somewhat restrictive. Some allow to you customize the theme coding, but many others don’t.
The number of design, app and widget options can be intimidating to some folks. Deciding on a color scheme is hard enough, much more trying to decide which of the dozens of “contact form” widgets are the best choice.
The ideal platform for bloggers is still WordPress, and while most website builders make it possible to add a blog to your store or site, finding one to match your style and monetization goals can be rough. That’s why we love StudioPress — they’re the only full-on WordPress solution.
It’s difficult to pick one favorite out of this list because no single provider is right for all of our readers. There’s quite a bit of nuance involved, and sometimes the only way to tell which website builder is the best fit for you is to them out yourself.
That said, StudioPress earns our #1 ranking for their generous packages, incredible SEO functionalities and specialized WordPress support. We think they’re the best long-term solution if you want to take online marketing really seriously. However, if you’re not planning on using WordPress for your business website, Weebly is a great alternative with even lower rates than StudioPress. Either way, you’ll be in good hands!