Are you looking to build a website? If you want to retain some control, you might not want a fully coded site and that’s an understandable choice… The thing is, retaining control comes at a cost and a price. You need to find the best website platform or builder that aligns with your business’s goals and needs, fits your budget, works with your existing business processes and software.
Finding the best website platform can be tiresome, especially with so many options, but it doesn’t have to be as difficult. In this review, I have shortlisted the best website platforms, including tips on looking for a good website platform.
Over the years, I’ve worked on almost every website platform available. I can say with complete confidence that this comprehensive list of website platforms will help guide you as you choose a builder that will allow your business to grow.
How To Choose The Best Website Platform
When browsing for the best website platforms for small businesses, there are seven criteria that’ll ease your search and eliminate the chances of getting a website that doesn’t suit your goals and needs.
Criteria for Choosing The Best Website Platform
Determine the Website’s Purpose and Goals
The first step in choosing a website platform is to determine the purpose and goals of your website. Do you need a simple blog or a more complex website with multiple pages and features? Understanding the purpose and goals of your website will help you choose a platform that is suitable for your needs.
Consider Scalability of the Website Platform
It is important to choose a website platform that is scalable and can grow with your business. This means choosing a platform that can handle increased traffic and additional features as your business expands.
Consider How SEO-friendly The Website Platform Is
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is essential for driving traffic to your website. Therefore, it is important to choose a website platform that is SEO-friendly and allows for easy optimization of website content, meta tags, and other SEO elements.
Make Sure The Website Platform Has Developer Access
If you want to customize your website or add advanced features, you need a website platform that offers developer access. This means choosing a platform that allows for customization of the code or integration with third-party tools and services.
Consider the Design & Functionality of the Website Platform
The design and functionality of your website are critical to its success. Therefore, it is important to choose a website platform that offers a wide range of design options and functionality, such as responsive design, social media integration, and Ecommerce capabilities.
Consider the Cost of the Website Platform
Website platform costs can vary significantly, so it is important to consider the cost of the platform and any additional costs such as hosting, maintenance, and updates. Choose a platform that fits your budget and offers good value for money.
Consider Website Maintenance Requirements
Websites require regular maintenance to ensure they are secure, up-to-date, and functioning correctly. Choose a platform that has good support, regular updates, and security features to minimize the need for ongoing maintenance.
Choosing the best website platform requires careful consideration of your website’s purpose, scalability, SEO-friendliness, developer access, design, functionality, cost, and maintenance requirements. By taking these factors into account, you can choose a platform that meets your needs, achieves your goals, and delivers a high-quality user experience.
Do you plan on selling digital or physical products online?
Click here to explore the most popular website platforms for small Ecommerce businesses.
WordPress for Small Businesses
WordPress is a popular content management system (CMS) that powers over 40% of all websites on the internet. It is an open-source platform that allows users to create and manage websites with ease. WordPress is well-suited for small businesses, offering a wide range of customization options and integrations with third-party tools and services.
Woocommerce is built on Wordpress. You can always add Woocommerce to your Wordpress site as your business grows & evolves. Click here to Woocommerce to learn more about Wordpress for Ecommerce.
WordPress Pros
- User-friendly interface with intuitive navigation
- Mobile-responsive design
- Full access to the code for developers to customize
WordPress Cons
- May require technical knowledge to fully customize
- Security and maintenance can be a challenge for non-technical users
- Pricing can be higher compared to other website builders
- Limited customer support for free plans
WordPress Pricing
WordPress is free to use, but you will need to purchase a domain name and hosting service to set up your website. The cost of hosting and domain registration can vary depending on your needs and budget.
Small Businesses That Benefit From WordPress
WordPress is an excellent tool for small businesses that need a flexible and scalable platform. It is well-suited for businesses that require customization and integration with third-party tools and services.
5 Frequently Asked Questions About WordPress
Is WordPress free?
Yes, WordPress is free to use, but you will need to purchase hosting and a domain name to set up your website.
Which languages does WordPress support?
WordPress is available in over 70 languages.
Does WordPress offer good value for money?
Yes, WordPress offers excellent value for money, with a wide range of customization options and integrations available.
Is WordPress good for SEO?
Yes, WordPress offers good SEO optimization tools, including plugins for creating SEO-friendly URLs, meta tags, and alt text for images.
Is WordPress good for non-technical users?
Yes, WordPress is user-friendly and easy to use, but may require some technical knowledge to fully customize.
Why Migrate from Wordpress to Showit?
Stefanie Morris Co. regularly migrates clients to Showit for its user-friendly drag-and-drop interface, creative design options, and excellent customer support. Contact us today for a website migration free quote.
Showit for Small Businesses
Showit is a website builder that offers a user-friendly drag-and-drop interface, creative design options, and excellent customer support. Showit is well-suited for small businesses, allowing users to create beautiful and responsive websites without any coding or technical knowledge.
Showit Pros
- User-friendly drag-and-drop interface
- Mobile-responsive design
- Excellent customer support available
- Customizable SEO settings
Showit Cons
- Limited Ecommerce capabilities
- Pricing can be higher compared to other website builders
- Limited integration with third-party tools and services
Showit Pricing
Showit offers a range of pricing plans to suit different budgets and needs. Prices start at $24 per month for the basic plan and go up to $49 per month for the advanced plan.
Small Businesses That Benefit From Showit
Showit is an excellent tool for small businesses that want to create a high-quality and professional website without any coding or technical knowledge. It is well-suited for businesses that want creative design options and a user-friendly interface.
5 Frequently Asked Questions About Showit
Is Showit free?
Showit offers a free trial for those who want to test out the platform.
Which languages does Showit support?
Showit is available in English only.
Does Showit offer good value for money?
Yes, Showit offers excellent value for money, with a range of features and customization options available to suit different business needs.
Is Showit good for SEO?
Yes, Showit offers customizable SEO settings, including features for creating SEO-friendly URLs, meta tags, and alt text for images.
Is Showit good for Ecommerce?
Showit is not well-suited for Ecommerce businesses as it has limited Ecommerce capabilities and integrations.
Showit & Ecommerce
While many website designers will recommend you use Shopify or another service with Showit for ecommerce functionality, you should know that it will cause havoc for SEO and your Facebook/Instagram shopping! Showit is built on Wordpress and can be modified to use Woocommerce.
Why Migrate to Showit?
Stefanie Morris Co. regularly migrates clients to Showit for its user-friendly drag-and-drop interface, creative design options, and excellent customer support. Contact us today for a website migration free quote.
Squarespace for Small Businesses
Squarespace is a website builder that offers a range of modern and stylish templates. It is well-suited for small businesses, offering a user-friendly interface and a range of customization options.
Squarespace Pros
- User-friendly interface with intuitive navigation
- Mobile-responsive design
- 24/7 customer support available
- Built-in analytics and SEO optimization tools
Squarespace Cons
- Limited customization options compared to other website builders
- Pricing can be higher compared to other website builders
- Limited integration with third-party tools and services
Squarespace Pricing
Squarespace offers a range of pricing plans to suit different budgets and needs. Prices start at $16 per month for the personal plan and go up to $54 per month for the advanced plan.
Small Businesses That Benefit From Squarespace
Squarespace is an excellent tool for small businesses that want a modern and stylish website with a user-friendly interface. It is well-suited for businesses that don’t require extensive customization or integration with third-party tools and services.
5 Frequently Asked Questions About Squarespace
Is Squarespace free?
Squarespace offers a free trial for those who want to test out the platform.
Which languages does Squarespace support?
Squarespace is available in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Dutch.
Does Squarespace offer good value for money?
Yes, Squarespace offers excellent value for money, with a range of features and customization options available to suit different business needs.
Is Squarespace good for SEO?
Yes…but it’s hard to configure correctly. Squarespace offers built-in analytics and SEO optimization tools, including features for creating SEO-friendly URLs, meta tags, and alt text for images.
Is Squarespace good for Ecommerce?
Squarespace offers built-in Ecommerce capabilities, making it well-suited for small Ecommerce businesses.
Squarespace as an Ecommerce Platform
Read more about Squarespace as an ecommerce platform.
Why Migrate from Squarespace to Showit?
Stefanie Morris Co. regularly migrates clients to Showit for its user-friendly drag-and-drop interface, creative design options, and excellent customer support. Contact us today for a website migration free quote.
If you’re using either of the next two “website builders” below, it’s time for a glow-up. Let’s get you migrated to Showit!
ProPhoto for Small Businesses
ProPhoto is a website builder that is specifically designed for photographers.
I don’t like it…look like a professional and use Showit.
ProPhoto Cons
- Not suitable for non-photography content
- May require technical knowledge to fully customize
- Pricing can be higher compared to other website builders
- Limited integration with third-party tools and services
ProPhoto Pricing
ProPhoto offers a range of pricing plans to suit different budgets and needs. Prices start at $249 for a one-time purchase, with additional options for hosting and support available at an extra cost.
Small Businesses That Benefit From ProPhoto
ProPhoto is a tool for professional photographers and videographers who want to cheap out from using Wordpress or Showit.
5 Frequently Asked Questions About ProPhoto
Is ProPhoto free?
ProPhoto offers a free trial for those who want to test out the platform.
Which languages does ProPhoto support?
ProPhoto is available in English, German, French, Spanish, and Italian.
Does ProPhoto offer good value for money?
I mean…
Is ProPhoto good for SEO?
Meh. Just use Wordpress or Showit like a professional.
Is ProPhoto good for non-photography content?
No, ProPhoto is specifically designed for photographers and is not well-suited for non-photography content.
Why Migrate from ProPhoto to Showit?
Stefanie Morris Co. regularly migrates ProPhoto to Showit for its user-friendly drag-and-drop interface, creative design options, and excellent customer support. Contact us today for a website migration free quote.
FloThemes for Small Businesses
FloThemes is a website builder. I don’t like it…look like a professional and use Showit.
FloThemes Cons
- Not suitable for non-photography or videography content
- May require technical knowledge to fully customize
- Pricing can be higher compared to other website builders
- Limited integration with third-party tools and services
FloThemes Pricing
FloThemes offers a range of pricing plans to suit different budgets and needs. Prices start at $159 for a one-time purchase, with additional options for hosting and support available at an extra cost.
Small Businesses That Benefit From FloThemes
FloThemes is a tool for professional photographers and videographers who want to cheap out from using Wordpress or Showit.
5 Frequently Asked Questions About FloThemes
Is FloThemes free?
FloThemes offers a free trial for those who want to test out the platform.
Which languages does FloThemes support?
FloThemes is available in English, German, French, and Spanish.
Does FloThemes offer good value for money?
I mean…
Is FloThemes good for SEO?
Meh. Just use Wordpress or Showit like a professional.
Is FloThemes good for non-photography or videography content?
No, FloThemes is specifically designed for photographers and videographers and is not well-suited for non-photography or videography content.
Why Migrate from FloThemes to Showit?
Stefanie Morris Co. regularly migrates clients to Showit for its user-friendly drag-and-drop interface, creative design options, and excellent customer support. Contact us today for a website migration free quote.
If you’re using either of the “website builders” below, WTF are you doing?! Stop that.
Weebly for Small Businesses
Weebly is a website builder.
Weebly Cons
- Limited customization options compared to other website builders
- Pricing can be higher compared to other website builders
- Limited integration with third-party tools and services
Weebly Pricing
Weebly offers a range of pricing plans to suit different budgets and needs. Prices start at $6 per month for the basic plan and go up to $26 per month for the advanced plan.
Small Businesses That Benefit From Weebly
Just skip this and go to Showit or Wordpress.
5 Frequently Asked Questions About Weebly
Is Weebly free?
Weebly offers a free trial for those who want to test out the platform.
Which languages does Weebly support?
Weebly is available in English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, Chinese, and Japanese.
Does Weebly offer good value for money?
Nah.
Is Weebly good for SEO?
No, not even a little.
Is Weebly good for non-Ecommerce content?
Absolutely not.
Why Migrate From Weebly to Showit?
Stefanie Morris Co. regularly migrates clients to Showit for its user-friendly drag-and-drop interface, creative design options, and excellent customer support. Contact us today for a website migration free quote.
Wix for Small Businesses
Wix is a website builder.
Wix Cons
- Limited customization options compared to other website builders
- Pricing can be higher compared to other website builders
- Limited integration with third-party tools and services
- You don’t own your domain
- The customer service is TERRIBLE
Wix Pricing
I don’t care.
Small Businesses That Benefit From Wix
None.
5 Frequently Asked Questions About Wix
Is Wix free?
Wix offers a free plan for those who want to test out the platform.
Which languages does Wix support?
Wix is available in English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Italian, Polish, Japanese, Dutch, Russian, Korean, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Turkish, and Chinese. Does it matter what languages they support since it’s the worst for SEO?
Does Wix offer good value for money?
Sure if you’re a church needing a quick website that doesn’t really convert users.
Is Wix good for SEO?
Absolutely not.
Is Wix good for non-Ecommerce content?
Not even a little bit.
Why Migrate from Wix to Showit?
Stefanie Morris Co. regularly migrates clients to Showit for its user-friendly drag-and-drop interface, creative design options, and excellent customer support. Contact us today for a website migration free quote.
Website Platform – Recap
Choosing the right website platform is crucial for the success of your online business. With so many options available, it can be overwhelming to decide on the best one. By considering the purpose and goals of your website, scalability, developer access, design, functionality, cost, and maintenance requirements, you can make an informed decision that will meet your business’s needs and budget.
If you already have a website and are curious about its SEO-friendliness, we encourage you to get a free site audit from our experts at Stefanie Morris Co. Contact us today to learn more.
