Best Website Builders In 2024
Editorial Note: This content has been independently collected by the Forbes Advisor team and is offered on a non-advised basis. This content is not part of the comparison service provided by RunPath Regulatory Services. Forbes Advisor may earn a commission on sales made from partner links on this page, but that doesn’t affect our editors’ opinions or evaluations.
Thanks to website builders, creating your website without any coding knowledge is easier than ever. Most users prefer using a website builder because it includes all the features to create a blog, build an online store, and add necessary SEO. On top of all that, the best website builders are usually affordable, include hosting, and use a drag-and-drop site editor.
Forbes Advisor tested and reviewed 10 website builders to help you choose the best for your needs.
- Featured Partners
- List Of Best Website Builders
- Weebly
- GoDaddy
- IONOS
- Squarespace
- HostGator
- Wix
- Shopify
- WordPress.org
- Format
- Hostinger
- Comparison Of Best Website Builder
- What is a Website Builder?
- How Does A Web Builder Work?
- How to Choose the Best Website Builder
- How Much Does it Cost to Build a Website?
- Tips to Build a Successful Website
- Transferring Your Site to a New Website Builder
- Do I Need a Website Builder?
- More Website Building Essentials
- Featured Partners
- Methodology: How We Choose The Best Website Builder
- More Website Builder Resources
Featured Partners
1
Shopify
Price starting from
INR 1499 per month
E-commerce in entry-level plan
Yes
Inclusions
Free SSL certificate
2
GoDaddy
Price starting from
INR 249 ($2.97) per month
Free Trial
Yes
Inclusions
Unlimited social media platforms, Free SSL certificate
3
IONOS
Price starting from
INR 83.72 ($1) per month
E-commerce in entry-level plan
Add-on
Inclusions
Free domain, SSL, and email address
4
Hostinger Website Builder
Price starting from
INR 129 per month
Money-Back Guarantee
30 days
Inclusions
Free domain name and email
List Of Best Website Builders
- Weebly: Best Website Builder Overall
- GoDaddy: Best Website Builder for Service Providers
- IONOS: Best Website Builder for Startups
- Squarespace: Best Website Builder for Creatives
- HostGator: Best Website Builder for Simplicity
- Wix: Best Website Builder for Code-free Customizations
- Shopify: Best Website Builder for Dropshipping
- WordPress.org: Best for Versatility
- Format: Best for Photographers
- Hostinger: Best for affordability
Best website builder overall
Weebly
Starting price
Free, or around INR 839.66 ($10) p/m (billed annually)
Drag-and-drop editor
Yes
E-commerce in entry-level plan
Yes
Starting price
Free, or around INR 839.66 ($10) p/m (billed annually)
Drag-and-drop editor
Yes
E-commerce in entry-level plan
Yes
Weebly is in the top spot for being one of the best website builders because of its low cost, flexibility, and ease of use. In 2018, Square acquired Weebly, which combined the power of Weebly’s drag-and-drop editor for site building and Square’s e-commerce prowess. Now, you can create a small business website with Weebly’s popular editor or choose an online store and build it using Square’s no-frills e-commerce site builder.
Even if you choose to build a website with Weebly, you can add shopping cart functionality later. Plus, Weebly gives you hundreds of stylish theme designs (that are mobile-responsive) to get you started. You can choose a design based on industry or simply select one you like. Adding elements, such as text boxes and buttons, is easy enough, but you’re locked into designing on a grid, so you’re limited on how much you can customize your site.
Weebly is generous with its storage and bandwidth, and it includes features to help you build an audience through email and social media marketing tools.
Standout feature: If you don’t like your Weebly theme, even after adding your content, you can switch themes, and your content stays. This is an uncommon feature for most website builders.
Who Should Use It: Weebly is one of the best website builders for small businesses, entrepreneurs, bloggers, creatives, and e-commerce sellers. Put plainly, it’s an excellent choice for anyone—especially beginners. Its intuitive site editor takes little time to learn, and the themes it includes ensure your site will look like a pro designed it.
- Easy to use
- Affordable plans
- e-commerce options available
- Unlimited storage & bandwidth
- Hundreds of free stylish themes
- 300+ apps
- Limited customization
- Limited live chat and phone support
Best website builder for service providers
GoDaddy
Starting price
INR 249 p/m (billed annually)
Drag-and-drop editor
Yes
E-commerce in entry-level plan
No
Starting price
INR 249 p/m (billed annually)
Drag-and-drop editor
Yes
E-commerce in entry-level plan
No
Designing a site with GoDaddy’s website builder requires zero technical skill—all you have to do is answer a few questions about the purpose of your site, and you’ll get a prebuilt site ready for customization. You can also choose a template you like and add your content through the drag-and-drop editor. GoDaddy doesn’t offer as many design options as some of GoDaddy’s competitors, but the templates are clean and professional.
The all-in-one domain registrar, web host, and site builder include features to help you with marketing and SEO. Upgrading to an e-commerce site is easy, too, and starts at INR 1249.12 ($14.99) per month (billed annually) with a long-term contract.
Standout feature: GoDaddy uses Artificial Design Intelligence to design a site based on your needs. It will even add stock images related to your site or business theme.
Who should use it: GoDaddy offers features specifically for small businesses and online stores. Many marketing and SEO tools are built into the editor or dashboard, but not all come with your monthly plan.
- Low introductory pricing
- Free 30-day trial
- Very beginner-friendly editing interface
- Built-in appointment booking
- Modern themes
- Unmetered bandwidth
- 24/7 customer support
- Built-in email marketing automation
- No e-commerce feature on entry-level plan
- Does not include a free domain name
- Pricing increases upon renewal
- Limited customization
- Limited app market
GoDaddy’s feature-rich Basic plan suits most businesses looking to build a professional website. The most significant difference between the plans is the number of emails you can send monthly. All plans come with built-in email marketing that enables you to capture leads on your site and automatically send email campaigns. However, the Basic plan has a maximum of 100 emails sent per month, whereas the Standard plan has a maximum of 500, and the Premium plan allows for 25,000.
Best website builder for startups
IONOS
Starting price
Around INR 83.97 ($1) p/m, then around INR 1,511.38 ($18) p/m (billed annually)
Drag-and-drop editor
Yes
E-commerce in entry-level plan
Add-on
Starting price
Around INR 83.97 ($1) p/m, then around INR 1,511.38 ($18) p/m (billed annually)
Drag-and-drop editor
Yes
E-commerce in entry-level plan
Add-on
IONOS is better known as a web host, but its website builder, MyWebsite, competes with some of the most popular standalone builders. The interface is intuitive, and the drag-and-drop functionality makes it easy for anyone to use. New users get a deep discount on the first year with IONOS, and renewals aren’t that pricey, which is INR 499.98 ($6 per month, if paid annually).
What isn’t immediately apparent is that the lowest-priced plan still includes IONOS ads (usually done on free website builder plans). So, you’ll have to upgrade to the Plus plan to eliminate them. The low-priced plan is somewhat limiting with features—you don’t get the multilingual translation feature, parallax scrolling, or photo galleries. No business apps for added functionality either, so you’ll have to upgrade if you want to add apps for reviews or booking, for example.
Standout feature: The IONOS Pro plan allows you to create personalized content for specific visitors. For example, first-time visitors will see something different than return visitors. You can also set it up to display content differently based on sales, holidays, or other events.
Who should use it: If you’re willing to pay more for the mid or top-tier IONOS plan, this website builder could work well for a small business website.
- Multiple language translations
- Excellent user reviews
- 24/7 customer support
- Privacy and analytic tools included
- Personalized content available
- Low monthly fees
- Ads on the lowest-priced plan
- Limited, dated templates
- No membership sites
Best website builder for creatives
Squarespace
Starting price
Around INR 1343.45 ($16) p/m (billed annually)
Drag-and-drop editor
Yes
E-commerce in entry-level plan
No
Starting price
Around INR 1343.45 ($16) p/m (billed annually)
Drag-and-drop editor
Yes
E-commerce in entry-level plan
No
Squarespace is one of the most popular and best website builders because it has valuable features. You can create an online store, blog, portfolio, small business, or membership site. The editor is user-friendly, but it may take a while to learn the location of menus and features. It’s a cross between a drag-and-drop editor and a point-and-click editor.
Squarespace is known for its templates—the website builder has won design awards. Most of the templates are minimalistic, bold, and modern, and they’re all created by professional designers. They’re also mobile-responsive, so you don’t have to design another site just for mobile users.
Standout feature: Squarespace lets you enable accelerated mobile pages (AMP), which lightens the load of blog pages. Reducing the size of images, using a specific font, and removing custom code speed up mobile phone loading time.
Who should use it: Squarespace is one of the best website builders for creatives—photographers, designers, and other artists would do well with a Squarespace design. It’s also a good choice for an online store, especially with specialty features like the limited availability labels.
- Stunning, modern designs
- User-friendly editor
- AMP formatting available
- Limited availability of labels for e-commerce
- Good amount of apps for added functionality
- No e-commerce feature on entry-level plan
- Limited customer support
- Lacks design and customization freedom
- More expensive than most website builders
Best website builder for simplicity
HostGator
Starting price
Around INR 406.39 ($4.84) p/m (billed annually)
Drag-and-drop editor
Yes
E-commerce in entry-level plan
Yes
Starting price
Around INR 406.39 ($4.84) p/m (billed annually)
Drag-and-drop editor
Yes
E-commerce in entry-level plan
Yes
HostGator is one of the most affordable options among the best website builders. The editor itself is simple to use. The drag-and-drop editor is intuitive and allows you to drag an element anywhere on your page.
There’s no need to get separate marketing tools for your site, as HostGator includes email marketing campaign features and lead capture forms. You can even add an online store to your site with the lowest-priced plan, but you’re limited to three products.
Something about HostGator’s templates seems decades older than those of its competitors. Many are too minimal (large images with a button in the center) and have little design. Another take on this is that it gives you a blank slate to make it uniquely yours.
Standout feature: HostGator includes a helpful tutorial on how to use its editor. Although many other website builders have the same feature, HostGator’s is exceptionally detailed, so you likely won’t need to contact customer support.
Who should use it: We’d suggest HostGator for personal projects, blogs, or a simple small business website. It’s affordable and offers an easy-to-use editor, but it lacks template options.
- 24/7 customer support
- Affordable plans
- Sell online with any plan
- Email marketing tools included
- Easy-to-use editor
- Renewal rates are double or more
- No appointment booking features on lowest priced plan
- Added transaction fee for low- and mid-priced e-commerce plans
Best website builder for code-free customizations
Wix
Starting price
INR 199 p/m (billed annually)
Drag-and-drop editor
Yes
E-commerce in entry-level plan
No
Starting price
INR 199 p/m (billed annually)
Drag-and-drop editor
Yes
E-commerce in entry-level plan
No
Wix is one of the most popular website builders because it offers something for everyone. You can use the free plan to create a website, but you’ll be on a subdomain with Wix display ads. The lowest-priced plan is a bit limiting, but you can access many free apps to extend your site’s functionality.
You’ll get SEO and analytics tools on the higher-tier plans, an events calendar, and a logo maker. E-commerce plans offer even more, but they’re also a bit pricey.
Standout feature: Wix offers one of the most extensive template libraries for an all-in-one website builder. There are more than 900 designer-created templates. Not all are winners—some look very dated—but most are modern and fit for multiple industries.
Who should use it: Wix is an excellent option for new small business owners, especially those who want to try running an online store. Although the e-commerce plans seem pricey, Wix’s plans are comparable to competitors.
- Free plan available
- 900+ designer-made templates
- 250+ apps available
- Easy to use
- 24/7 customer support
- Dropshipping features
- Limited storage
- No SEO and analytics tools for low-tier plan
- Pricey e-commerce plans
Best website builder for dropshipping
Shopify
Starting price
Free, INR 20 for the first month, then INR 1,499 p/m (billed annually)
Drag-and-drop editor
No
E-commerce in entry-level plan
Yes
Starting price
Free, INR 20 for the first month, then INR 1,499 p/m (billed annually)
Drag-and-drop editor
No
E-commerce in entry-level plan
Yes
Shopify is primarily an e-commerce website builder. The paid plans have built-in shopping carts and marketing features to help you sell online. There are only nine free e-commerce templates from which you can choose. If you don’t mind paying, dozens of premium templates are available.
The editor isn’t an actual drag-and-drop editor, which may add to the learning curve a bit. It’s more point-and-click navigation, but it’s easy enough to figure out and use after you spend some time with the tools.
Standout feature: Shopify allows users to get started for INR 20 for the first month to get hands-on experience building their e-commerce site. Then, users can choose from any premium plans offered by Shopify as per their requirements.
The Basic plan costs INR 1,499 per month, allowing you to add a buy button to a site you own, a Tumblr blog, or sell in person with the Shopify point-of-sale mobile app.
Who should use it: Only serious e-commerce small businesses should consider Shopify. It’s meant for building online stores, not just websites. It’s also an ideal solution for brick-and-mortar businesses that want to sell inventory online.
- Dropshipping options available
- Only 9 free online store templates
- Pay lower transaction fees with higher-tier plans
- 24/7 customer support
- Most templates are premium and cost extra
- No automatic image optimization
- Expensive plans
BEST FOR VERSATILITY
WordPress.org
Starting price
Free
Drag-and-drop editor
Yes
E-commerce in entry-level plan
Add-on
Starting price
Free
Drag-and-drop editor
Yes
E-commerce in entry-level plan
Add-on
First, we’d like to be clear that the WordPress we’re recommending here is the open-source, free content management system (CMS) from WordPress.org, not the site builder of the same name at WordPress.com. The popular CMS is also among the best website builders because of its flexibility and freedom.
It’s important to know that if you use WordPress to create a website, you must secure web hosting separately. Several (more than 8,000) free WordPress themes are available, and you can find many paid themes.
On its own, WordPress’ site builder is easy to use, but it sticks to the bare minimum elements. There are tens of thousands of plugins you can add to extend the functionality of your site, and many are free to use.
Standout feature: You won’t find a more customizable website builder than WordPress. The only caveat is that you may need to hire a freelancer to help code your website to make it do what you want or learn how to use the right combination of plugins to get what you want.
Who should use it: WordPress isn’t complicated to use by any means, but it isn’t as easy as the all-in-one website builders. If you have some tech know-how and want a customized website with web hosting, then WordPress is good for you—whether you want an info-only site or an online store.
- Free to use
- 8,000+ free themes available
- Fully customizable
- 50,000+ plugins
- Slight learning curve
- No web hosting is included
- No security included
- No free domain
WordPress is a free, open-source content management system (CMS). However, that does not mean it won’t cost anything to build and maintain a professional WordPress website. Not only do you need to secure web hosting from a third party, but you also need to purchase a domain name and an SSL certificate. On top of that, businesses also often end up paying for premium themes and plugins.
BEST FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS
Format
Starting price
Free, or around INR 671.72 ($8) p/m (billed annually)
Drag-and-drop editor
Yes
E-commerce (low-priced plan)
Add-on
Starting price
Free, or around INR 671.72 ($8) p/m (billed annually)
Drag-and-drop editor
Yes
E-commerce (low-priced plan)
Add-on
Format is best suited for those who want to showcase their artwork online from hundreds of designs available to suit your needs, be it for mobile or desktop audiences. It comes with a free trial for 14 days for you to try out its editing features and then only choose to opt for its premium plans. There are three subscription plans to choose from, including the Basic plan starting at around INR 671.02 ($8), Pro at INR 922.66 ($11), and Pro Plus at INR 1,090.41 ($13) for the annual billing cycle.
Standout Feature: Artists get all the features they need to set up their online portfolio, including Lightroom, Capture One integration, copyright protections, SSL security, high-resolution images, hosted video, client contracts, gallery password protection, client galleries, and file transfers.
Who should use it: Artists looking to set up an online portfolio and sell it on the marketplace.
- Affordable pricing
- Intuitive dashboard
- Beginner-friendly
- Integrated SEO tools
- Some customizations require coding knowledge
BEST FOR AFFORDABILITY
Hostinger
Starting price
INR 149 p/m + 3 months free (billed annually)
Drag-and-drop editor
Yes
E-commerce in entry-level plan
No
Starting price
INR 149 p/m + 3 months free (billed annually)
Drag-and-drop editor
Yes
E-commerce in entry-level plan
No
Hostinger offers a website builder with one of the lowest introductory prices. You must agree to a four-year contract to take advantage of the low cost. You’ll get your choice of 150 templates to get you started on your website. The designs are clean and rely on hero images to anchor the designs.
The drag-and-drop editor is simple and includes essential elements for building a website for personal or professional use. The low-priced plan does not include a shopping cart feature, but Hostinger also offers e-commerce plans.
Standout feature: Hostinger offers a new tool for importing an existing website to its platform. The tool pulls content from the site into its builder, so you can quickly and easily plug it into a new design.
Who should use it: Hostinger seems like a good fit for first-time website creators who don’t plan to add a lot of content. Its editor is straightforward to use, and the price is attractive. You’ll have to register your domain on your own, and it’s a long commitment to get the low price.
- Cheapest website builder
- Includes SEO tools
- AI-powered website creator
- Marketing integration
- 150 templates
- Free domain name
- Long-term contract required for a low price
- Renewal cost is high
Comparison Of Best Website Builder
Pricing and plans of the best website builder are accurate as of Oct. 7, 2024
What is a Website Builder?
A website builder is a platform that offers a drag-and-drop interface that makes it easy for users with little to no coding experience to create a website. These platforms generally offer integrated storage for photos and videos, options for adding a custom domain, hosting capabilities, pre-built themes, and more. Third-party integrations are also often available, allowing you to add elements such as shopping carts and lead capture tools. Advanced plans may include custom email addresses and SEO analytics tools for next-level marketing campaigns.
Note: There are two types of website builders—online and offline. An offline website builder is software that you download to create the website on your personal computer. Online website builders are web-based and allow you to create and edit your website directly on the company’s server. This article focuses on online website builders such as Squarespace, Wix, and Weebly.
There is no magical one-size-fits-all approach to choosing the best website builder. You need to find the right balance of cost and features to fulfill your needs. Choosing a platform is only one piece of the puzzle when building a website. You must also consider hosting costs, domain names, SEO analytics, custom email options, graphic design, and more. Consider hiring a content manager to update your site regularly, keeping it fresh for new visitors.
How Does A Web Builder Work?
A website builder converts your drag-and-drop commands into code. The company can host your website or connect to your hosting provider. Most website builders offer a selection of themes or templates suitable for different types of websites.
For example, a portfolio would use a different template than an e-commerce store. Once you select a template, you can customize many of the features. Depending on the website builder, this includes elements like typeface, layout, text size, and images. You can also add contact forms and embed videos.
While coding is often optional for many of the most popular web builders, most platforms allow users to customize HTML and CSS to suit their needs.
How to Choose the Best Website Builder
Determine Your Needs
Ask yourself some questions to help narrow things down:
- Do you just need to display information, or should site visitors be able to interact with the pages?
- Are you planning to sell products or services or capture the contact information of potential customers?
- Will you be managing your site yourself or working with a third-party service provider?
- Are you willing to pay extra for more features?
- How much customization do you want in terms of layout and design?
- Do you need to create any unique functionality like quizzes, forms, or newsletters?
Consider these elements when comparing products, and you’ll soon find a service that fits the bill.
Explore Key Features
A website builder simplifies and intuitively manages many of the complicated aspects of running a website. Here are some of the most common features.
- Drag-and-Drop Interface: Many website builders allow you to drag and drop the components of a web page to design it as if you are assembling a collage. This could include text, photos, video, or any other component on your web page. Each website builder offers different flexibility for customization options. Some companies use themes that are harder to adjust, while others allow you to customize almost every aspect of the web page with no coding whatsoever.
- Pictures and Video Storage: Website builders make it easy to upload images and videos. With Squarespace, for example, you’ll have access to an image gallery on your account. This way, you’ll be able to edit and remove photos and videos from different pages but still store them and refer to them in the future. Storage capabilities generally vary by subscription plan.
- Hosting and Domains: When you’re building a website, you need two components other than design: a website host and a domain name (the URL used to navigate to your site). Many website builders offer all three services. If you already own a domain name but want to use a different website builder (for example, you purchased your domain name through GoDaddy but wish to use Wix for design), you’ll have to migrate your domain to the new platform.
- Third-Party Integrations: Website builders make it easy to integrate third-party applications like social media feeds or shopping carts. Lead capture forms are another commonly used integration, allowing potential customers/clients to provide their information and dump it directly into your preferred CRM or data repository.
- Mobile Compatibility: Because so many people browse the web, mobile compatibility is an essential feature for any website. Many website builders integrate this feature automatically and allow you to view the mobile version of your website as you edit. Some can even automatically adjust the elements on your site so that a single design functions well on multiple devices.
- Business Email: Most website builders allow you to create a business email address with your domain name as the extension. Some always charge extra for this feature, while others offer one or two emails for free and charge for each additional email, so be sure to choose the best plan for your needs.
- Analytics and reporting: While many people use Google Analytics to assess traffic, most website builders come with their form of traffic analysis with easy-to-read reports that are best for beginners. This will give you information about which websites your traffic is coming from and how viewers found you. If you are actively trying to develop your SEO and expand the reach of your website, you may need to invest in specific software for analytics. However, for most individuals and small businesses, the insight available through their website builder is sufficient.
- SEO functionality: For the most part, website builders add SEO functionality in small ways. For example, you should be able to add meta tags and meta descriptions to blogs, change titles of web pages, and add image alternative text, all of which can help you rank content higher in search engine result pages (SERPs). The best website builders provide at least the basics for SEO and give you the power to modify your site as needed for SEO optimization.
- Ease of use and customer support: To be fair, ease of use is a subjective topic, but some website builders are objectively more straightforward to use. Those that offer drag-and-drop or WYSIWYG editors and templates are great for beginners who aren’t familiar with bare-bones site builders. When you run into an issue with building a website, having live support is best, and most website builders offer phone or live chat assistance. At the very least, it’s essential to choose a website builder that provides a comprehensive help center with answers to common questions (or a forum with an active community).
- Transferability: Although you’re likely not thinking about site migration, it’s something to consider when choosing a website builder. What if you build a site you like, but the site builder makes changes to its platform you don’t like? Can you transfer what you’ve built to another site builder? You should be able to transfer domains, but you need to create a list of your page URL names manually, download your site images, and copy your site’s content to create a new site. Templates and site structure won’t transfer automatically.
How Much Does it Cost to Build a Website?
Note: You should research the prices of all website design costs in order to get a complete picture of how much your site will cost.
Here’s a quick breakdown of the cost to build a website:
Tips to Build a Successful Website
Here are a few essential tips to help you create a successful site:
Design for Desktop and Mobile Devices
A mobile-responsive site automatically adjusts images, text, and design elements to display quickly and appropriately on a mobile phone. According to Google Analytics stats, more than 60% of traffic is mobile globally, so your site must be mobile-responsive.
Most modern site builders are mobile-responsive, but even those that are may be less than 100% perfect. Be sure to always preview your designs on both desktop and mobile screens of different sizes. If you notice any errors, you can adjust your designs by changing up element sizing or even removing some aspects on specific screen sizes.
Consider Prebuilt Templates and Themes
The terms theme and template are usually interchangeable. They are prebuilt page designs that usually include menu navigation with the most common pages (home, about, contact, blog), a header, and a footer. Most themes consist of sample imagery and text, which you can replace with your content. You can often customize the global template to meet your needs best.
Most site builders will have a variety of free and premium themes to choose from. Using these can help you get a well-designed site up and running much faster than if you were to build the site from scratch yourself. That said, not all themes are created equal. Be sure to preview all your pages to make sure there are no inconsistencies or errors as you add your content.
Add An SSL Certificate
A secure sockets layer (SSL) certificate is a file that encrypts data transfers to and from a website. So, when someone visits your secure website or enters information in any fields on your site (forms, username, password, credit card details), the SSL certificate keeps that data private. It’s essential to have that security on your site for the end user, and having an SSL certificate can also help to improve your ranking in search engines.
Read more: How Much Does An SSL Certificate Cost
Monetize Your Website
There are multiple reasons why you would want to build a website: for information purposes, to direct local traffic to your brick-and-mortar business, to create a brand, or to sell products or services. If you’re looking to make money with your website, there are just as many ways to do so.
E-commerce
One of the most obvious ways to make money online is to sell products on your website. If you go this route, you’ll want to choose one of the best e-commerce platforms or pick a website builder that offers e-commerce templates and built-in shopping carts. Third-party plugins can provide what you need to build an e-commerce site and market your products online. You also need to find a wholesale supplier or producer for the products you plan to sell and ways to market your products and brand. You may want to consider selling on marketplaces such as Amazon, eBay, or Walmart.com.
Affiliate Marketing
If you consider yourself an influencer in a particular industry and your website is aligned, look into affiliate marketing. You can review products or services and recommend your favorites on your site with an affiliate link. Companies with affiliate programs pay you for clicks or sales of their products or services.
Sell Online Courses
Another common way to monetize a website is to sell online courses or digital products. Often, entrepreneurs offer courses, e-books, and guides for a low price as a hook for prospects to sell them, followed by a more extensive package, such as a ticket to an in-person convention or a multi-course class. This works well if you’re an expert in your field and you can educate or coach others in the same industry.
Alternatively, you could offer memberships to your site for ongoing advice or courses. If you go with the membership option, make sure you choose a website builder that allows you to create password-enabled pages and process payments online.
Offer Ad Space
Selling space on your site for banner ads is something that will be more viable as your site matures. You need to grow your audience and page views before advertisers are willing to pay bigger bucks for real estate on your website. There are automated platforms you can use to offer ad space that advertisers bid on, or you can sell your site space directly to companies.
Transferring Your Site to a New Website Builder
Whether you’ve outgrown your current website builder or you’ve found a better deal elsewhere, you may find you need to transfer your domain name and website to another provider. The easiest site migration solution is if you use a commonly supported content management system (CMS), such as WordPress. Many website builders offer site migration services to move your entire site over to its servers.
Manually transferring a website from a DIY site builder is likely to fall on your shoulders, and you may need to recreate your site from scratch with a new template. For example, if you build a website using Squarespace, you won’t be able to migrate your existing site and design to, say, Wix.
Follow these steps to transfer your site to a new website builder:
- Sign up for a new web hosting provider or website builder
- Download backup files (sitemap, images, etc.)
- Create a list or take a snapshot of your website design for reference
- Find a similar template or design your website from scratch on your new site builder platform
- Transfer your email (if applicable) and domain to the new server and go live
It’s essential to keep in mind that domain transfers can take days or even weeks. During this time, your website will be offline. Make sure you give your website visitors plenty of notice of this downtime and stay in touch with them via your social media channels. You can then turn the transfer into a bit of a grand reopening if you’d like to boost traffic to your rehomed website.
Featured Partners
1
Shopify
Price starting from
INR 1499 per month
E-commerce in entry-level plan
Yes
Inclusions
Free SSL certificate
2
GoDaddy
Price starting from
INR 249 ($2.97) per month
Free Trial
Yes
Inclusions
Unlimited social media platforms, Free SSL certificate
3
IONOS
Price starting from
INR 83.72 ($1) per month
E-commerce in entry-level plan
Add-on
Inclusions
Free domain, SSL, and email address
4
Hostinger Website Builder
Price starting from
INR 129 per month
Money-Back Guarantee
30 days
Inclusions
Free domain name and email
Do I Need a Website Builder?
If you want to create a website and don’t have experience coding, a website builder is the easiest way to do it. The other option is to build your website yourself, but this requires knowledge of coding or hiring a professional. The benefit of hiring someone is that you have complete control of how the website looks.
When you are working with a website builder, you will likely come across design challenges that the website builder needs to support. For example, let’s say you want a drop-down menu, but the theme you’re using doesn’t offer that feature. Or, you may love a particular template but find you’re not able to change the color theme.
Each website builder and each theme within it has different limitations, and you often only learn what they are as you go. If you don’t need complete creative control, you’ll find that the best website builders offer more than enough features to build a professional website.
More Website Building Essentials
Forbes Advisor has compiled a list of other services that you may need in order to get your website off the ground and thriving. Check out these guides for more essential information:
Featured Partners
1
Shopify
Price starting from
INR 1499 per month
E-commerce in entry-level plan
Yes
Inclusions
Free SSL certificate
2
GoDaddy
Price starting from
INR 249 ($2.97) per month
Free Trial
Yes
Inclusions
Unlimited social media platforms, Free SSL certificate
3
IONOS
Price starting from
INR 83.72 ($1) per month
E-commerce in entry-level plan
Add-on
Inclusions
Free domain, SSL, and email address
4
Hostinger Website Builder
Price starting from
INR 129 per month
Money-Back Guarantee
30 days
Inclusions
Free domain name and email
Methodology: How We Choose The Best Website Builder
To determine the best website builders for small businesses, Forbes Advisor considered more than 25 of the most popular providers in the space and narrowed it down to 15 to analyze across five primary categories for a total of 27 different metrics. These were then weighted to favor features that small business owners find valuable in a website builder.
Here are the key metrics we analyzed.
Pricing
To determine the best website builders for small businesses, we considered pricing and affordability. This includes not only low pricing but also the availability of different plans and contracts, value for price, and any money-back guarantees. We weighed pricing at 10% of the total score.
General Features
We analyzed the top website builders based on various features, including drag-and-drop site editors, storage and bandwidth limits, the availability of well-designed themes and templates, image libraries, e-commerce features, security, search engine optimization tools, and built-in marketing tools (e.g., lead capture forms, and automated email marketing). Features account for 30% of the total score.
Extras and Inclusions
In addition to the key features, we also looked at which providers offer money-saving extras, such as a free domain name, free SSL certificates, free business email, or free email marketing tools. These important add-ons account for 20% of the total score.
Third-Party User Reviews
To ensure our own experience aligns with real customers’ experiences, we looked at third-party user reviews. Then, we determined how others find each website builder, including what users commonly like and dislike. This accounts for 10% of the total score.
Expert Score
We used our firsthand experience building websites and using website builders to determine which are the best. This includes value for the price, whether or not there are any hidden fees or unforeseen expenses associated with confident website builders, customizable themes and templates, and how easy it is to build a site with its site editor. This accounts for 30% of the total score.
More Website Builder Resources
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Alternative Website Builder Options
Forbes Advisor adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. To the best of our knowledge, all content is accurate as of the date posted, though offers contained herein may no longer be available. The opinions expressed are the author’s alone and have not been provided, approved, or otherwise endorsed by our partners.
