In today’s digital age, businesses need a website for many reasons. From establishing a digital presence to reaching a wider audience and everything in between, a website empowers brands to create a digital identity. That said, most small and medium-sized businesses are not equipped to build a website in-house and do not have the budget to outsource web development to third parties and agencies. While the costs depend on many factors, it can cost anything between $1000 and $145,000 to build and maintain a website with an agency on average. This is where a website builder can help.  

But what do we mean by a website builder and what is the best website builder in the market? Finding answers to these questions can become tricky, especially when you aren’t from the industry.  

This article explains what website builders are and examines how to pick the best website builders for your business.  

 Without further ado, let’s begin.  

What is a Website Builder?

A website builder is a user-friendly platform or tool that enables users to build websites without coding skills. These tools include several drag-and-drop functions, pre-designed themes, and templates with other customisable features to help users build high-quality websites.  

Why is Website Builder Useful for Small Businesses?

Typically, building a website using a website builder can cost around $50 to $500 which is significantly cheaper than creating a website from scratch via an agency or an experienced freelancer. While there is no doubt that website builders offer cost benefits, it is worth noting that you will have to pay more to unlock premium features.  

Website builders allow users to build websites without coding or programming skills. These no-code or low-code platforms make life simpler for small businesses that are looking to launch a website without stretching the budget.  

So, in a nutshell, these tools are budget-friendly, intuitive, and user-friendly, paving the way for seamless website development.  

How to Choose a Website Builder

With so many website builders, it is easy to get confused and wonder how to choose a website builder to design your company website. So, how does one decide what is the best platform to build a website? Well, it depends on several factors including your requirements, budget, sector, etc.  

Let’s explore some of the key factors to consider while choosing a website builder for your business.  

1. Objective and Requirement

First things first. Before you start, it is crucial to define the objective of building a website. It is easier to find the right tool once you figure out the purpose of building a website and the different features you need.  

Now, determine your design experience. If you are new to the game with no design experience, you should opt for a website builder that offers an array of templates and simple drag-and-drop design functions. Create a website that aligns with your requirements. For instance, an e-commerce website requires additional features including payment gateway integration, a shopping cart, and more compared to a normal website.  

2. Ease of use

Website builders are indeed intuitive and user-friendly, but you may still need to find a tool that matches your level of experience. Find a site builder that has a user-friendly interface and a seamless user experience. The last thing you want is to scramble looking for assistance for minor roadblocks. Ideally, pick a do-it-yourself (DIY) website builder to build a website from scratch, especially if you have zero design experience.  

3. Themes and Templates 

Did you know that the average human attention span is just 8.25 seconds? This means that you have less than 9 seconds to impress your audience and potential customers when they browse through your website. Therefore, it is very important to pick a website builder that gives you an assortment of customisable themes and templates to choose from. You should be able to tweak the layout, colour scheme, fonts, and other aesthetic elements according to your brand’s style and preferences.  

4. Mobile Responsiveness

The latest data suggests that over 60% of web traffic comes from mobile indicating the importance of creating a mobile-responsive website. Even Google has loved mobile responsive websites since 2015, prioritising them over non-responsive sites. While mobile phone usage continues to move in an upward trajectory, even tablets, laptops, and other devices are becoming increasingly popular. Therefore, you should choose a website builder that allows you to create a mobile-responsive website suitable for all devices.  

5. Scalability and Migration

What is the best platform to build a website? We recommend looking at website builders that allow you to scale the site based on your business growth. It is important to understand that you may need to migrate your existing website to a new host or a different plan at some point, especially when the current features aren’t enough to handle the growing traffic and demands of your expanding business. Opt for a website builder that comes with suitable migration options, enabling you to migrate your site if and when required.  

6. SEO Features 

What is the point of building a beautiful website if your audience cannot find it online? This is why you need a website builder that offers a wide selection of SEO tools and features. It should include different SEO features that streamline on-page optimisation allowing you to update meta descriptions and meta titles.  image alt tags, and more.  

7. Budget

Do not bite more than you can chew. This means that pick a website builder within your budget also taking into the domain registration and hosting costs. Although you can start building a website for free, you may need to pay around $5 to $50/month for additional features. Go through the pricing plans of different platforms before you pick one.  

8. Customer Support

Although most website builders are easy to use, you may get stuck somewhere at some stage. For instance, you are unable to customise a certain section of a theme or perhaps unable to locate certain features.  This is where you will need additional support or professional assistance. Choose a website builder that offers round-the-clock customer support that tends to your queries immediately.  

Parting Words

Creating a website from scratch was nearly impossible for someone with no coding experience a couple of decades ago. Things have changed drastically over the last decade thanks to the arrival of easy-to-use no-code website builders. While coding is an essential skill in today’s day and age, it isn’t a dealbreaker anymore to design and build a website. 

So, what is the best way to create a website? We are slightly biased toward DIY website builders, especially for small businesses and brands working with shoestring budgets. We hope you can use these website builder tips to pick the right tool for your business site.  

Frequently Asked Questions

How is it better to build a website using a website builder than coding? 

Coding is one of the most important skills one can have up their sleeves in today’s tech-driven world. That said, thanks to their versatility, ease of use, and intuitive functions, website builders have emerged as a great way to design and create websites, particularly for those with zero to limited design and coding experience.  

Can I use my own domain with a website builder?  

Yes, most website builders allow you to use your own domain. However, you may need to buy a premium plan for this feature.  

How long should it take to build a basic website with a website builder?  

It can take anything between two to six weeks to build a basic website (6-8 pages) using a website builder.  

Can I migrate my website to another website builder?  

Yes, almost all website builders allow you to import web content from your current builder to the new builder. That said, please note that you may not be able to import design, themes, and templates from one site builder to another.Â