The best website builders are easy-to-use programs that make it easy for anyone to create their own website. Previously, websites were written manually by computer programmers in complicated computer code. This required anyone building a website to be knowledgable in computer code and code-editing, or to hire someone who was. Today, this is no longer the case. Today there is a wide array of website-building programs which make manual computer code and computer editing unnecessary. With these programs, any Joe Bloggs, no matter what his computer-literacy level, can easily construct a fully-functional, attractive website. In addition, to ensure you have a reliable internet presence, most of these tools integrate a reliable hosting package as well.
A website builder makes the possibility of a webpage available to virtually anyone. These websites can not only advertise a product, but also showcase a blog, a service, incorporate e-commerce functionality, or even help you organise text and content.
The best website builders incorporate the following:
Typically users begin their site construction by selection from a wide array of pre-designed website templates. These templates offer various structures, styles and vibes which you can mix and match according to your preferences. They may also vary in functionality. Some templates are designed with attractive galleries for photography or design websites, others with multi-media plug-ins for musicians, performers or sales presentations.
Once you've chosen a template, organise the look and feel of your website by uploading photo-galleries, texts, or video content. These user-friendly programs make it easy to design the entire look of your website, from colour-scheme to layout and type-size to font. They also make it easy to incorporate blogs, forums, and even flash elements into your website. There's no longer need to hire an expensive designer and web-developer to construct your website for you.
When comparing website builders, be sure to take into consideration the goal of your website. If your end-goal is a sleek, professional online store entirely customised to fit your brand, then you should be looking for ecommerce-tailored website builders. Website novices looking for a simple, attractive blog or basic site should seek out a website builder with easy-to-use interface and well-designed templates. You should also keep your eyes peeled for drag-and-drop features. These allow for quick and easy construction, without knowing any HMTL code at all. Also, find out how many different templates are offered to avoid a "cookie-cutter" look. Graphics options and even video placement can be helpful features on a website builder. Moreover, those who are expecting high volumes of traffic to their blog should certainly ensure that their website builder provides hosting options.
For more tech-savvy individuals, features such as URL redirect services, MIME Types, and FTP Managers and File Managers are most likely essential. These features allow you to have complete control of the internal structure of your website, web-pages and content. And for those looking for software and scripts, keep your eyes peeled for PERL support and Website Backup support. Expect all of these features and more to come completely free with any website builder tool.
The benefits of website-building software only remain present if the software works the way it should. If your website builder is malfunctioning, if the interface is frozen, or if the tools aren't responsive, you're going to be in need of some good, reliable customer support. It's vital that whatever website builder you choose, they offer you excellent customer service. This should begin with a strong FAQ section and other easy-to-find informational sources on their company website. In fact, many include step-by-step video tutorials to guide you through any tough patches.
If you can't find the answers or assistance you're looking for in writing, you should be able to reach a support representative around the clock. Most free website builder companies provide live-chat, email and phone support; all operational during regular business hours. The best companies provide phone chat and email support 24/7, to ensure that no matter what kind of pickle you find yourself in, you have someone standing by to help you out. Many also include forums so that customers can help customers, and also find guidance from forum monitors.
A top choice for individuals and SMEs alike, Wix’s editor is powerful without being overwhelming. It offers nearly 1,000 attractive templates, and the customer support is great. Ultimately, Wix is easily one of the best website builders out there.
IONOS is a reliable e-commerce website builder geared toward small business owners. With IONOS, creating a website is hassle-free—even if you've never done it before. You can easily cross-sell and upsell products on individual product pages to boost your profits, and you get a comprehensive abandoned cart recovery feature (which not all website builders offer).
It's easy to scale your business with IONOS, and even sell across the most popular social networks and marketplaces, such as Facebook, Instagram, Google Shopping, and Amazon. It has a limited number of templates (we counted 19), but they're all well-designed and built for mobile responsiveness.
Why we chose IONOS: IONOS is a top choice if you want to build an e-commerce store fast. Its subscription fees (even for the premium plans) are quite affordable, especially in the first 6-12 months. After this period, subscription fees increase but IONOS is transparent with its pricing—no nasty surprises.
Our experience: We found IONOS' dashboard, known as the Presence Suite, to be an intuitive system for managing your website and online presence. Plus, the website builder is specifically designed for beginners, so it's pretty easy to figure out.
The GoDaddy website builder offers hassle-free website creation solutions. It uses a basic, section-based editor without true drag-and-drop functionality, which means that design flexibility is a bit limited. But marketing, ecommerce, and other tools are available, prices are competitive, customer service is excellent, and the management panel is well designed.