8 Best Website Builders for Small Business Owners

In an age where first impressions are often made online, can you afford to have a mediocre digital footprint? Did you know that 75% of a company’s credibility is based on website design?

In today’s digital landscape, establishing a robust online presence isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity. Whether you’re a small business owner, an artist showcasing a portfolio, or a blogger sharing thoughts, the right website builder can be your gateway to connecting with a global audience.

Dive into this article as we unravel the best website builders available today, assessing their features, benefits, and ease of use. Prepare to craft a site that not only looks professional but also enhances your brand’s credibility.

Website Builders Overview

Squarespace

4.5/5

Best for Small Business

• 4 plans, $16 – $49 per month
• Modern, mobile-responsive templates
• User-friendly editor for diverse website types

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Web.com

4.3/5

Best for Variety of Supporting Tools

• 4 plans, $4.95 – $19.95 per month for the first year
• Website building with hosting and a free domain
• Advanced eCommerce features and integrations (built-in CRM)

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Shopify

4.2/5

Best for Ecommerce and Dropshipping

• 3 plans, $39 – $399 per month
• Point-and-click navigation tailored for e-commerce ventures
• Extensive themes, payment options, and an app store

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Weebly

4.2/5

Best for Affordability

• Free plan, 3 paid plans $10 – $26 per month
• Mobile-responsive themes with easy theme switch
• Supports major payment gateways

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GoDaddy Builder

4.1/5

Best All-in-One Solution

• Free plan, 4 paid plans, $11.99 – $24.99
• Integrated domain registrar, web host, and site builder
• Zero technical skill needed with prebuilt customization options

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WordPress

4.1/5

Best for Customization

• Free plan, 4 paid plans, $4 – $45 per month
• Flexibility and customization options for building websites
• Library of plugins and themes for advanced design and functionality

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IONOS

4/5

Best AI Website Generator

• 4 plans, $24 – $90 per month
• Intuitive drag-and-drop builder with an easy-to-use interface
• Advanced customization options with AI website generator

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Wix

4/5

Best for Beginners

• Free plan, 5 paid plans, $16 to custom quote per month
• Over 900 designer-created templates
• Extremely beginner-friendly with drag-and-drop editing tools

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Read our interview with Felix Norton for key insights on improving your online presence through expert website design techniques!

1. Squarespace

• Value: Good
• Help and Support: Average
• Usability: Excellent
• Customer Satisfaction: Average

Features and Pricing

Squarespace presents a quartet of website builder plans, each beginning with a 14-day free trial:

1. Personal Plan: Priced at $16 per month (billed annually), it features a mobile-optimized website, website templates, and a complimentary domain name for one year.
2. Business Plan: At $23 per month (billed annually), this plan adds advanced website analytics, fully integrated e-commerce capabilities, and checkout on your domain.
3. Basic Commerce Plan: Starting at $27 per month (billed annually), it includes merchandising tools.
4. Advanced Commerce Plan: Priced at $49 per month (billed annually), it provides advanced shipping and discounting options, along with the ability to sell subscriptions.

Squarespace is known for its stunning, modern templates created by professional designers, which are all mobile-responsive. Its standout feature is the ability to enable accelerated mobile pages (AMP) for faster loading times on mobile devices.

Squarespace also excels in marketing tools and offers integrations with third-party apps. Users can easily set up online stores with built-in shopping carts, inventory management, and other e-commerce tools.

However, it’s worth noting that Squarespace does not offer free plans, and some e-commerce plans have transaction fees.

Pros and Cons

Why We Choose It

Squarespace is a top pick for its stunning, user-friendly design and pro templates. Ideal for creatives and businesses, its design and e-commerce strengths offset minor limitations.

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2. Web.com

• Value: Good
• Help and Support: Good
• Usability: Good
• Customer Satisfaction: Excellent

Features and Pricing

Web.com offers four website builder plans tailored to various needs:

1. Website Plan: Starts at $4.95/month for the first year, then renews at $15.99/month. It includes website builder, domain, domain privacy, business email, SSL, and one hour of expert design support.
2. Website + Marketing Plan: Priced at $7.95/month for the first year, renewing at $21.99/month. This plan adds social and email marketing tools, service selling capabilities, and an AI copywriting tool.
3. Online Store Plan: Begins at $13.95/month for the first year, then renews at $29.99/month. It offers an online store with secure checkout and the ability to sell on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram.
4. Online Marketplace Plan: At $19.95/month for the first year, renewing at $44.99/month. This plan provides the ability to sell on various online marketplaces, including Amazon, eBay, and Etsy, along with bulk editing and automation tools. Both the Online Store and Online Marketplace plans come with a free domain name.

Web.com’s user-friendly platform is budget-friendly and ideal for individuals and small businesses seeking a quick website solution. It features a drag-and-drop interface for easy template customization, access to a vast library of stock photos, pre-designed building blocks, and custom code blocks for a tailored website. The platform’s responsive templates ensure websites look great on any device.

Pros and Cons

Why We Choose It

Web.com is ideal for small businesses and individuals wanting an affordable, simple website builder with eCommerce and many website management tools. While it might miss some advanced features, its all-in-one approach simplifies website creation.

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3. Shopify

• Value: Average
• Help and Support: Average
• Usability: Excellent
• Customer Satisfaction: Average

Pricing and Features

Shopify is primarily an e-commerce website builder known for its built-in shopping carts and marketing features designed to facilitate online selling. While there are only nine free e-commerce templates available, premium templates can be purchased for an average cost of $100. The platform offers a point-and-click editor rather than a true drag-and-drop interface, which may have a slight learning curve.

Key Features:

• Payment gateway integration with over 100 options.
• Order management tools, including tracking shipping and fulfillment.
• Marketing tools such as email campaigns, discount codes, and social media integrations.

Shopify provides a 3-day free trial before its pricing plans come into effect, starting at $29 per month for the Basic plan, $79 per month for the Shopify plan, and $299 per month for the Advanced plan. While it may be pricier than some other platforms, Shopify’s quality features justify the cost. A three-month trial at $1 per month for select plans allows users to test Shopify extensively.

Pros and Cons

Why We Choose It

Shopify is ideal for eCommerce and dropshipping businesses with its extensive features, 100+ payment integrations, and user-friendly interface. Though pricier than some, it’s perfect for scalable online stores with advanced capabilities.

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4. Weebly

• Value: Excellent
• Help and Support: Average
• Usability: Good
• Customer Satisfaction: Average

Pricing and Features

Weebly is a budget-friendly, user-friendly website builder renowned for its versatility. Post-Square acquisition in 2018, it integrated Square’s e-commerce capabilities, making it suitable for both small business websites and online stores. Weebly boasts a rich selection of mobile-responsive themes, categorized by industry or personal style.

Their free plan includes an SSL certificate, e-commerce tools, SEO, lead capture, and Instagram integration. For premium options:

1. Personal: $10/month (billed annually) adds custom domain support, shipping features, and pop-up notifications.
2. Professional: At $12/month (billed annually), it offers advanced analytics, a free domain, and phone support.
3. Performance: Priced at $26/month (billed annually), it provides PayPal payments, item reviews, abandoned cart emails, and in-depth e-commerce insights.

Weebly’s editor is user-friendly but follows a grid-based design, limiting extensive customization. Nonetheless, it offers ample storage, bandwidth, and tools for email and social media marketing. Plus, you can add shopping cart functionality at any time.

Pros and Cons

Why We Choose It

Weebly provides essential ecommerce and an intuitive builder at low or no cost. While there’s limited customization and some customer support issues, it’s a solid, budget-friendly website option.

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5. GoDaddy

• Value: Good
• Help and Support: Excellent
• Usability: Good
• Customer Satisfaction: Good

Pricing and Features

GoDaddy Website Builder offers a free option for basic websites, upgradable to four paid plans:

1. Basic: Starting at $9.99/month (billed annually at $11.99/month after the first year), it includes a custom domain, limited social media connectivity, and appointment scheduling.
2. Standard: Priced at $10.49/month (billed annually at $15.99/month after the first year), it adds SEO tools and enhanced social features, excluding e-commerce capabilities.
3. Premium: At $14.99/month (billed annually at $21.99/month after the first year), it provides advanced appointment features and unlimited social posting, still lacking e-commerce.
4. Ecommerce: For $16.99/month (billed annually at $24.99/month after the first year), this plan offers basic e-commerce functionality.

GoDaddy Builder boasts a user-friendly editor, a vast selection of mobile-responsive templates, and a free domain with annual plans. Its robust e-commerce support is a standout feature, catering to online retailers. While some add-ons come at an extra cost, the overall combination of features and competitive pricing makes GoDaddy Website Builder a compelling choice.

Pros and Cons

Why We Choose It

GoDaddy offers an integrated domain registrar, web host, and site builder with a user-friendly interface, extensive templates, and strong e-commerce. With 24/7 support, it’s ideal for beginners and small businesses.

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6. WordPress

• Value: Good
• Help and Support: Average
• Usability: Average
• Customer Satisfaction: Good

Pricing and Features

WordPress, a popular website builder for businesses of all sizes, offers a range of plans:

1. Free Plan: Includes basic features, but charges a 10% fee on site payments and displays ads.
2. Personal Plan ($4/month annually): Provides a free domain for a year, no ads, email support, and an 8% payment fee.
3. Premium Plan ($8/month annually): Offers live chat support, premium themes, WordAds monetization, style customization, 4% transaction fees, 4K video support, and more.
4. Business Plan ($25/month annually): Allows plugin and theme installation, unlimited bandwidth, 2% transaction fees (regular) and 0% (WooCommerce), SEO tools, and advanced technical features.
5. Commerce Plan ($45/month): Designed for robust e-commerce features.
6. Enterprise Plan (Custom Pricing): Tailored solutions starting at $25,000 annually.

The builder provides an extensive library of themes and plugins, allowing users to customize their websites with ease. Its intuitive drag-and-drop editor simplifies the design process, making it accessible to even those without coding experience. SEO optimization tools, mobile responsiveness, and robust security features are also included in the package. Whether you’re a blogger, small business owner, or a larger enterprise, the WordPress Builder has pricing and features to suit your needs.

Pros and Cons

Why We Choose It

We recommend WordPress for its deep customization options, vast integrations, diverse plugins, and strong SEO capabilities. Perfect for all, from bloggers to enterprises, it’s budget-friendly with a range of pricing, including a free plan.

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7. IONOS

• Value: Excellent
• Help and Support: Excellent
• Usability: Good
• Customer Satisfaction: Good

Pricing and Features

IONOS, primarily known for web hosting services, offers the MyWebsite website builder, competing with top standalone builders. It features an intuitive interface with drag-and-drop functionality, making it user-friendly for all skill levels.

Focusing on online store options, there are four plans available:

1. Starter Plan: Starts at $6/month for six months, then $24/month. Includes listing up to 500 products, a one-year domain, and basic e-commerce capabilities.
2. Plus Plan: Priced at $1/month for six months, then $30/month. Offers listing up to 5,000 products, along with site analytics, Google Ads and Shopping integration, a mobile app for shop management, and more.
3. Pro Plan: Costs $35/month for six months, then $60/month. Allows listing up to 10,000 products, offering favorites, wish lists, product filters, and advanced SEO tools.
4. Expert Plan: Priced at $45/month for six months, then $90/month, this plan offers unlimited product listings.

IONOS provides an initial discount for new users, enhancing affordability. However, the lowest-priced plan includes IONOS ads, which may be a drawback. Upgrading to the Plus plan removes ads and unlocks advanced features. The basic plan lacks business apps, requiring an upgrade for features like reviews or booking integration.

A standout feature of the IONOS Pro plan is personalized content creation for specific visitors, offering tailored experiences. For small business websites, especially with e-commerce needs, the mid- or top-tier IONOS plans are worth considering.

One of the features of the IONOS offering is their AI Website Generator. With this innovative tool, users can generate a unique, fully customizable website. By entering a few simple details, the AI-driven platform can craft a search engine-optimized website, complete with relevant text and images. What’s even better? This AI Website Generator is included free in all MyWebsite Now plans, setting IONOS apart in the saturated market of website builders.

Pros and Cons

Why We Choose It

We recommend IONOS Website Builder for its affordability and key features, ideal for small businesses. Its competitive rates, comprehensive tools, and reliable support are standout features. Plus, its scalable plans ensure growth-friendly upgrades, including e-commerce capabilities.

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8. Wix

• Value: Good
• Help and Support: Good
• Usability: Good
• Customer Satisfaction: Good

Pricing and Features

Wix, a widely acclaimed website builder, is celebrated for its adaptability and user-friendly nature. It accommodates a diverse audience, rendering it a versatile choice for myriad website-building requirements.

Wix’s offerings include a free website builder for straightforward sites like blogs, alongside five paid website builder plans. The free plan allows users to craft a website but carries certain limitations, such as a subdomain and Wix-branded ads.

Their plans encompass:

1. Lite Plan ($16/month): Accommodates two collaborators with 2 GB storage, including a domain for one year but no e-commerce capabilities.
2. Core Plan ($27/month): Expands to five collaborators with 50 GB storage, along with basic e-commerce capabilities and site analytics.
3. Business Plan ($35/month): Extends to 10 collaborators with 100 GB storage, offering enhanced marketing tools and Wix’s Standard Ecommerce features.
4. Business Elite Plan ($159/month): Allows 15 collaborators with unlimited storage, delivering advanced marketing tools, site analytics, and ecommerce capabilities, plus an advanced developer platform.

Wix also caters to enterprises with custom Enterprise plans, available by quotation.

Wix supplements its core features with a plethora of free apps, allowing users to augment their website’s functionality. The higher-tier plans furnish valuable attributes such as SEO and analytics tools, an events calendar, and a logo maker. Furthermore, it offers e-commerce plans for those venturing into online retail, albeit at a higher price point.

Wix distinguishes itself with a vast template library comprising over 900 designer-created templates, predominantly modern and adaptable for various industries. It stands out as an exceptional choice for budding small business owners, particularly those contemplating an online store, with competitive e-commerce offerings.

Pros and Cons

Why We Choose It

We recommend Wix for its user-friendly design, versatility, and robust features. Ideal for beginners to developers, its App Market caters to varied site needs. With a notable free option and valuable premium plans, Wix ensures a professional online presence.

Explore Wix

How to Choose a Website Builder for a Small Business

Define Your Business Needs and Goals

Before selecting a website builder, clearly identify what you want your website to achieve. Do you need an online store, a blog, or a portfolio? Your specific needs will determine which features are essential. For instance, if you’re selling products, you might need secure payment options and inventory management.

Consider Your Budget

While many website builders offer basic versions for free, these often come with limitations. Determine how much you’re willing to spend on building and maintaining your website. Premium versions often provide advanced features, domain names, and eliminate platform branding.

Prioritize User-Friendliness

Especially if you’re not tech-savvy, you’ll want a website builder that’s intuitive and easy to use. Look for drag-and-drop functionality, simple editing tools, and readily available customer support.

Investigate SEO and Mobile Optimization

For your business to flourish online, your website must rank well on search engines. Choose a builder that supports search engine optimization (SEO) best practices. Additionally, with the rising use of mobile devices, ensure the platform automatically optimizes your site for mobile viewing.

Examine Templates and Customization Options

Aesthetics and branding are crucial. Opt for builders that provide a diverse range of professional-looking templates. Being able to customize these templates to align with your brand’s identity can set your business apart.

Evaluate E-commerce Capabilities (If Needed)

If your business will be selling products or services online, it’s essential to have robust e-commerce features. This includes secure payment gateways, shopping cart functionalities, and inventory tracking. Some website builders are specifically designed for e-commerce, so keep an eye out for those.

Check Integration and Plugin Options

A website builder that offers various integrations and plugins can enhance your site’s functionality. This could be in the form of email marketing tools, analytics, or social media integrations. These plugins can save time and provide automated solutions for various tasks.

Review Customer Support and Community Resources

When you run into issues or have questions, timely and helpful support can be invaluable. Consider platforms that offer 24/7 support, have active community forums, or provide an extensive knowledge base.

Read User Reviews and Testimonials

Real feedback from other small business owners can provide insights that you might not get from promotional materials. Look for reviews that mention the pros and cons, ease of use, and the quality of customer support.

Test Drive Before Committing

Many website builders offer free trials or basic versions. Utilize these to get a hands-on feel for the platform. Spend some time building a mock website to ensure it meets your needs and expectations before making a financial commitment.

Choosing the right website builder is a significant decision for your small business. Take the time to assess and compare options to ensure your website effectively supports your business goals.