How to Choose the Best Website Platform for Your Business Website

What's the Best Website Builder?

If you have a small business and you're looking into getting a website, you have more than likely searched for what is the best website builder. I have personally worked in several popular website platforms, including Squarespace, Wix, Shopify, and Wordpress. While I have my preferences as a web designer, I want to give you some tips about website platforms that are available and how to pick the one that will work best for you.

What Are Your Website Needs?

First, decide what you want to accomplish through your website. Will your website be informational, do you plan to have an online store, or will you put out regular content like a blog?

Next, consider your time. How much time are you willing to put into building your website? Also, when do you want your website to be up and running?

Finally, what is your website budget? When considering costs associated with your website, this will include domain, hosting, themes or design charges, security, special apps or features, and ongoing annual or monthly fees. You may also want to consider the cost of setting up an email that is linked to your domain, something like [email protected].

Questions to Help You Along in the Decision-Making Process:

Here are some questions to guide you in deciding on a website platform:

What do you need on your website:

• Information
• E-commerce
• E-commerce that links to brick and mortar store inventory
• Blog or regular feed of information
• Online Course
• Other needs (list)

Time:

• How much time am I willing to put into learning a web design platform and selecting a design theme?
• How much time to do have to actually do the work of building the website?
• When do I want to launch my website?

Budget:

• What's your budget for
• Domain Name
• Monthly or Annual Hosting
• Theme or Designer Cost
• Security (content of your website determines need for this)
• Special Apps or Features
• *Renewal Fees (some of the items listed above will require annual fees)

Overview of Options

Here's an overview of some of the more popular website platform options available and a little about each:

• Wordpress – versatile and customizable through plug-ins
• Wix – overall popular website builder
• Squarespace – popular website builder and online store creator
• Shopify – go-to online store platform, now offers a very affordable Shopify lite plan to allow you to turn any website into an ecommerce site while having the benefits of Shopify ecommerce tools.
• BigCommerce – popular for online store setup, Shopify competitor
• WooCommerce – online store plugin for Wordpress sites
• Weebly – store and website builder
• GoDaddy – domain manager, website builder, allows you to create your website or store for free and then choose from a monthly subscription plan when you launch. Offers Wordpress install.
• Kajabi - Online course website builder
• Google Website Builder – “Let Google build your first website for free”
• Site123 – “By far the easiest free website builder”
• Network Solutions – website builder and eCommerce
• Square Online – online store and credit card processor
• Self-Hosted – purchase server space and install web software/CMS
• Web Designer – designs, hosts and/or maintains website

So How Do You Choose a Website Builder?

With all these considerations, what's the best option? After asking yourself the questions above, consider each platform and whether it helps you accomplish the goals you have for your website. Can you include all your information, can you get your site up and running within your timeline, and will it be within your budget?

Many platforms offer free trials. So, sign up for the free trials, get in the systems and play around. See if their platform makes sense to you when you navigate it and try to use it. If you plan to use a template, make sure you like the templates the platforms offer. Finally, choose the platform that is best for your business needs.