Businesses of all sizes need a website where they can showcase their products and services, as well as communicate with the public. To create a website, many companies use platforms called website builders, which allow you to create anything from a simple one page website to a professional and affordable web store. coding or web design. Every business will need a website for slightly different reasons, and not every website builder is perfect in every scenario. For example, some website builders are better suited for musicians, photographers, or creators building a portfolio. For small businesses, the main concern will likely be budget. Fortunately, there are many great free and affordable options that allow small businesses to build fully functional websites with all the features they could possibly need. Here's our overview of the best small business website builders:
1 Wix
The most complete website builderEcommerce functionality: yes | Website reinforcement and visitor analysis: Yes | Free domain: yes | Unlimited bandwidth: yes Versatile and intuitive platform. Hundreds of simple models. Has a free basic plan Customer service not available 24/7 Wix is one of the most comprehensive website builders we've come across. With such a variety of features, it's no wonder Wix is the go-to platform for over 150 million registered users. The free version provides a basic service with limited bandwidth and storage (500 MB). However, by opting for one of the paid plans, such as the Business Basic package for e-commerce at €17/month (annual subscription), you will get unlimited bandwidth and 20 GB of storage, a free domain for one year, coupons from Google Ads and more. There's also a 14-day money-back guarantee if things don't work out. The Wix website builder works on the simple drag and drop principle, offering hundreds of attractive and customizable design options, tools. It also includes features such as an image editor, animations, video backgrounds, and first-party and third-party applications. Businesses can also take advantage of additional tools like Wix Turbo, Wix Bookings, Wix Restaurants, and Wix Hotels.
2. Weebly
Easy website creation for any small business.Ecommerce functionality: yes | Free SSL: Yes | Free domain: yes | Google Ads: €100 Lots of powerful features Hundreds of stylish models. Free option available Editor lacks some customization options Weebly is another power player in the website builder market, notable for its extensive offering that includes a free tier with Weebly-branded ads, as well as a range of paid plans for various budgets and businesses. The free plan limits you to 500MB of storage space, but the paid plans, starting with the Pro plan at €12/month (paid annually), remove these restrictions. With the Pro plan, you'll also get access to a free domain, €100 Google Ads credit, SEO tools, advanced site statistics, phone customer service, and online store support containing up to 25 items. If that's not enough, the powerful $25/mo Business plan removes the limitation on the number of items and adds more high-end features like coupon codes, item reviews, a shipping calculator, etc. Like Wix, Weebly is a drag-and-drop editing platform, which is exceptionally easy to use, even for beginners. We only had a few things to choose from, around the lack of certain customization options and the missing global undo feature. That being said, there are plenty of professionally designed templates suitable for any type of business, as well as access to free images for your website.
3.BigCommerce
Ideal for developing e-commerce activities.Ecommerce functionality: yes | Free SSL: Yes | Free domain: yes | Unlimited Bandwidth and Storage: Yes Fully Customizable Feature Rich 3 Months Free More expensive than the competition. BigCommerce has all the necessary tools and features to help you build, maintain, and grow your eCommerce website. The WYSIWYG editor is limited to just seven free templates, but others can be picked up via the theme store for around €145. Starting at €29.95/month, BigCommerce can hardly be called cheap, but this deep and high quality is definitely worth it. The standard package includes hundreds of built-in features, including a branded online store, dedicated SSL, coupons, discounts, gift cards, product reviews, social/marketplace integrations, a point of sale, a blog, a mobile app BigCommerce, 24/7 live support and more. If you're not sure if this platform is right for you, there's a 15-day free trial, plus three months of free BigCommerce after your trial ends, if you end up pulling the trigger on a subscription.
4 Squarespace
The best value for small e-commerce businesses.Ecommerce functionality: yes | Free SSL: Yes | Free domain: yes | Unlimited Bandwidth and Storage - Yes Simple Website Builder Beautifully designed templates Lots of features and options Interface is a bit minimalist. Unlike some competitors, Squarespace doesn't offer a free plan, but at $12/month, their cheapest plan is more than generous. You will have access to unlimited storage and bandwidth, an SSL certificate, SEO features, image/video galleries, smart image optimization, a professional online store, CDN support to optimize performance, free fonts, a free domain for a year and more. However, this package does not include an online store. If that's what you're looking for, you'll need the €18/month business plan (billed annually) or one of the €26/month business plans. The drag and drop editor is exceptionally easy to master, allowing you to customize every element of your website. It may seem a bit basic, but you can choose from a multitude of beautiful models that you can modify as you wish. All users can take advantage of the 14-day free trial before deciding on any of the pricing plans.