Are you overwhelmed by the sheer number of website builders available today? From Webnote to Weebly, and from Squarespace to Wix, it can feel like there are endless options. Each platform boasts unique templates, user-friendly interfaces, and innovative features, but how do you decide which is right for you? In this guide, we’ll help you navigate the sea of choices, ensuring you select a website builder that perfectly aligns with your business goals and creative vision.
Why do you need a website builder?
For small business owners or creatives, having an online presence is non-negotiable in today’s digital age. Website builders offer a cost-effective and time-efficient way to establish that presence without the need for advanced coding skills. For web developers, the right tool can streamline the design process, allowing more time for enhancing user experience and functionality.
But with so many options, picking the best website builder can be tricky. You want to avoid tools that are too complex or fail to meet your expectations. So, how do you find the right one?
Which website builder is right for me?
Before making a decision and investing in a website builder, it’s crucial to understand what you want your website to accomplish. By focusing on your goals and the essential features your site needs, you can save time, money, and frustration. Here are some steps to guide you in choosing the right website builder.
1. Identify Your Website’s Goals
What is the primary purpose of your website? Are you creating a personal blog, a portfolio, an online store, or a service-based business website? Having a clear vision for your site will help you choose a platform that supports your specific needs.
For instance, if you need an e-commerce store, platforms like Shopify or Squarespace might be ideal. For a portfolio site, Squarespace or Wix offers visually appealing templates that can showcase your work beautifully.
2. Sketch a Basic Design
Begin by sketching out a basic design or structure for your site. This doesn’t need to be detailed but should give you an idea of how many pages you want, what content will be featured, and the layout.
Also, take a look at your competitors’ websites to see what’s working for them. This can give you inspiration, but more importantly, it shows how you can improve on their design to make your site stand out.
3. List Essential Features
Next, write down a list of key features your website needs. Consider whether you’ll require:
- Image galleries for showcasing portfolios or products.
- Contact forms for gathering leads or customer inquiries.
- E-commerce integration if you plan to sell products or services.
- Blogging capabilities for sharing regular updates or articles.
- SEO tools for improving your search engine ranking.
It’s also important to think about future growth. Will your website need additional features in the future? For example, as your business expands, you might want to add an online store or advanced scheduling options.
4. How Often Will You Update the Site?
Do you plan to regularly update your website with new content? If so, you need a platform that allows you to manage updates easily. Website builders like Wix and Squarespace have simple content management systems (CMS) that let you update your site without coding.
Likewise, think about how often you’ll want to refresh your design or add new features. Some platforms, like Webflow, offer complete flexibility, allowing you to redesign or tweak features as often as needed. Others, like Squarespace, might have limitations on how much you can customise once the initial design is chosen.
5. Try Before You Commit
Most website builders offer drag-and-drop interfaces, meaning you won’t need to code to create your site. Additionally, many platforms provide free trials or limited free versions so you can test them out before subscribing. This allows you to experiment with different options and see which builder feels the most intuitive for your needs.
Here are some trial periods offered by popular website builders:
- Carrd: Free for basic single-page websites.
- Squarespace: 14-day free trial.
- Wix: Free plan with premium options.
- Webflow: Free for up to two projects.
What kind of websites can be built using Website-Builders?
Website builders have revolutionised how individuals and businesses establish their online presence. With a wide range of templates catering to various industries, these platforms allow users to create stunning websites with minimal effort and no coding experience required. But with so many options on the market, which one is right for you? Here’s a breakdown of some distinguished website builders – Squarespace, Wix, Carrd, and Webflow – highlighting their strengths and weaknesses to help you make an informed decision.
Squarespace: the Elegant Choice
Squarespace is one of the most well-known website builders and is often compared to Apple for its sleek, intuitive design and thoughtful features. It’s perfect for users who want a polished, professional site without the hassle of complex customizations.
Pros:
- Extensive template selection: The latest update has introduced more templates, and every template can now access the same feature set, adding flexibility.
- Customizable layout: You can edit properties like height, padding, margins, and background colours directly within the editor.
- Improved fonts and colours: Squarespace’s recent updates allow users to set a base font, add custom fonts, and choose from a broader colour palette.
- Integrations: Squarespace seamlessly integrates with platforms like Amazon (affiliate tracking), Mailchimp (email marketing), and Acuity Scheduling (online booking), among others.
- Mobile optimization: Websites created on Squarespace are automatically optimized for mobile devices, saving you time.
Cons:
- Limited design flexibility: While Squarespace offers beautiful templates, they come with restrictions. You cannot design a site from scratch or switch templates once you’ve chosen one, limiting brand uniqueness.
Overview:
Squarespace is perfect for small business owners who want a beautifully designed website without spending too much time or effort. It offers all the essential features for a professional online presence, but it’s less suited for users who need extensive customizations or want a fully unique design. Find out if Squarespace is better than WordPress.
Wix: freedom and flexibility
Wix stands out for offering an unstructured editor, allowing users to place elements anywhere on the page. This gives users greater creative control and flexibility in designing their website.
Pros:
- Unstructured editor: Wix’s pixel-perfect editor gives you freedom to design your site exactly how you envision it.
- 500+ themes: Wix offers a variety of themes, some modern and clean, others a bit outdated, but there’s something for everyone.
- Custom website design: Unlike Squarespace, Wix allows you to build your website from scratch if you prefer, giving you more control over your design.
- Responsive themes: All themes are designed to look great on various screen sizes, including mobile devices.
Cons:
- Manual mobile adjustments: While Wix’s unstructured editor is flexible, you have to manually adjust elements for different screen sizes, which can be time-consuming.
- Editor glitches: The editor can sometimes be glitchy, especially when changing colours or themes.
Overview:
Wix is ideal for users who want creative freedom and are willing to invest time into making their site look exactly as they envision. It’s particularly well-suited for business owners who want a highly customized site but don’t want to dive into coding.
Webflow: the ultimate website builder for custom designs
Webflow is a unique website builder that offers complete creative freedom by seamlessly integrating HTML and CSS fundamentals into a visual editor. It’s perfect for users who want to design their website without shying away from the intricacies of web development. With Webflow, you can create a fully customized site, combining the ease of drag-and-drop design with the control of coding – minus the need to actually code.
Pros
- Full control over design and structure: Webflow gives you the flexibility to adjust every aspect of your site, from layout to typography, positioning, and more, allowing for truly custom designs.
- Educational resources: Webflow provides detailed, bite-sized video tutorials that walk users through its interface and features, making it easier to get started.
- Complex animations made easy: You can create sophisticated animations and interactions without writing any code, giving your site a premium, dynamic feel.
- Custom code support: For more advanced needs, Webflow allows users to embed and customize code, giving you the freedom to fine-tune your site’s functionality.
- Cloneable templates: Webflow offers access to a vast library of cloneable projects that can be used as templates, saving time in the design process.
- Growing community: Webflow’s growing community provides a wealth of resources, from tutorials to cloneable projects, ensuring users have plenty of support and inspiration.
Cons
- Steep learning curve: To use Webflow effectively, you need to understand web design basics like style hierarchy, the box model, positioning, and more. This makes it less accessible for beginners without design knowledge.
- Time-intensive setup: Even though Webflow eliminates the need for coding, the platform still requires a significant time investment, especially for users unfamiliar with design principles.
- Manual mobile optimisation: While Webflow offers mobile responsiveness, it’s up to the user to manually optimize the mobile version of their site. This can be time-consuming, particularly for those without experience in responsive design.
Overview
Webflow is an ideal website builder for designers and developers who crave total control over the look and feel of their site. It allows you to create dynamic, visually rich websites that have a premium touch, whether you’re designing a portfolio, e-commerce store, or corporate website. While there is a learning curve, the level of customisation available is unmatched, making it a worthwhile tool for those willing to invest the time.
So, what’s next?
Each website builder offers unique benefits, depending on your goals and needs. Whether you seek ease of use, customisation, or design flexibility, there’s a platform for you:
- Squarespace is perfect if you need a simple and professional site quickly. For more, see 7 Best Website Creators 2024.
- Wix provides more creative freedom. Discover its capabilities in In-Depth Review of Wix for Small Business Websites.
- Carrd suits simple, single-page sites. Learn more in Which Website-Builder is Right for You?.
- Webflow is ideal for advanced, premium designs. Explore Custom Websites vs Templates: A Comprehensive Comparison.
Choosing the right platform boils down to your priorities. If you need a website quickly, Squarespace is your best bet. If flexibility is more important and you’re willing to spend time on customisation, go with Wix. For single-page websites, Carrd is affordable and simple. But if you want full control and are focused on achieving a premium design, Webflow is the ultimate choice.
