Starting a new adventure? Let’s find the best website builder for you.
Adventure time.
So you have a business idea, eh? Not bad. We like where your head is at and we want to help you take it to the next level.
If you’ve been around for more than 15 minutes, we’re sure you’ve realized that a website is a must in the gig-economy. But “oh no,” you say, “I don’t know how to code.” Cool, neither do we. But we do know a thing or two about website builders, we have advised many a client on them, and are happy to share some of our key take-aways. Welcome to our top three website builders for new and small businesses.
Oh, and before we forget, we were not compensated in any form by these companies. The following thoughts are 100% our personal opinions from our own advising experience. No conflicts of interest, we promise.
If you’re looking for ease of use, options, and affordability, it’s hard to beat the SquareSpace trifecta. The company offers a wide range of monthly packages suitable for both the novice and seasoned professional.
If you opt for the upper echelons of Squarespace subscription packages, you will also receive access to a whole slew of plugins—the kind plugins that make running your site substantially easier. This is especially true for e-commerce websites, where the gift of integration keeps on giving. Squarespace allows business to link both online payment processors, like Stripe, and in-person POS systems, like Square, directly to their site. Whether via a pop-up shop or strictly over the internet, syncing your revenue streams allows you to keep moving product and making that business adventure a reality—without having to worry about logistical headaches. Depending on your subscription, you may even be able to sell directly via Facebook and Instagram.
Sadly, once a sale is made and the adrenaline rush dies down, you still have to run the books and figure out annoying details like sales tax—or do you? Upgraded versions of Squarespace will sync to Quick Books and TaxJar, letting the accounting professionals handle the majority of your book-keeping needs. Now, as with any addition plugins, you will need to create an account with those outside companies, but, in our experience, it’s usually a worthwhile endeavor.
And for our more savvy social media friends, Squarespace is also affiliated with Bio Site and allows you to automatically generate a Bio Site link for your website. If you’re new to Bio Site concept, you can check ours out here. We think they’re pretty nifty.
Squarespace is also the easiest to use of the three builders on this list. Even if you’ve never worked on a website before, Squarespace’s intuitive interface and vast library of tutorial videos allows even the novice to find success.
Ease of use , along with Squarespace’s competitive pricing and enormous room for e-commerce growth, lands it in our number one spot.
Coming in strong at our number 2:
WordPress is far from the new kid on the block. They’ve been in the game a long time and have the credentials and customer support system to show for it. WordPress’s design software is world class and fairly easy to use (with the help of plugins), so every small business should be able to design a site that looks great (even without a comp-sci degree).
WordPress also offers super affordable (and free version) packages, though these won’t be super helpful if you’re looking to sell products products or services online. Additionally, with the cheaper price tags comes more restrictions—like no access to plugins—which will make your site construction process a bit more complicated.
However, the slightly more expensive WordPress packages are perfect for growing your enterprise online, and even come equipped with Google analytics integration (to help track engagement online) and Advanced SEO (Search Engine Optimization) tools. Advanced SEO will let you control when how your website appears in places like Google or Bing as well as in hyperlink previews. In a world where everyone’s fighting for clicks, being able to design an attractive SEO can be a game-changer.
Like we said, WordPress is a world class company in the web design space and would be a great place to design your new website. It’s a close race, but SquareSpace is a few bucks cheaper on average (for business subscriptions), and we like their plugin flexibility on their less expensive plans, which is why we gave them the nod over WordPress.
Another solid choice at number 3:
Wix is certainly another titan in the web development game, used by the likes of Deloitte, Lyft, and Hilton—just to name a few.
As you would expect, Wix also boasts most of the same e-commerce friendly features outlined above. In addition to being an e-commerce work horse, Wix is also well-equipped for certain industry niches. For example, they offer tools specifically designed for hotel reservation booking, fitness appointment scheduling, and online restaurant ordering. That’s not to say you can’t also do all of these with Squarespace or WordPress, but the process may be a bit more tedious and require some additional plug-ins.
From businesses small to large to enormous, Wix has a lot to offer. However, with this mighty potential also comes a slightly higher price tag. We know that many of the startups we advise have razor thin margins in the beginning, and a few dollars here or there may make the difference. That’s what led us to hail Wix as an extremely appealing option, but still relegate it to our number three spot. With that said, every venture’s priorities are different, and, depending on yours, Wix may be the best option for you.
And our dark-horse pick:
Shopify is the same animal, but a different beast. We thought it deserved its own article, so we gave it one here.
A final word of advice.
As always, we aren’t the end-all authority on, well, anything really, but especially not website builders. The marketplace is fairly saturated, and we’re confident that there are plenty of other great options out there. That said, our advice comes from real world experience with actual small businesses. We’ve seen others make their dreams a reality on these platforms, and we can’t wait to see where your business adventure takes you. Once you hit it big, maybe send a gift or something? The whole staff loves Jordans, please and thank you.
As always, feel free to Ask Triumph with any additional questions and consider Supporting the Team.
All views expressed in the article are opinions of the author and should not be misconstrued as professional consulting or legal advice. Users are responsible for verifying all information before taking action, and Triumph Group LLC is not responsible for any outcomes. Pursue subjects at your own risk. Seriously, man. It’s your life.
