Website builders provide users without extensive development knowledge on how to build a website a basic platform for creating websites by utilizing templates with drag-and-drop capabilities to easily create and maintain a site. They often provide domain name offerings, search engine optimization, analytics, e-commerce plugins, and mobile web functionality. Website builders are used by businesses of all sizes and can range from promotional outlets for artists or personal websites to advanced e-commerce stores. Website builders are used in conjunction with hosting services to make the website accessible to others. Additionally, they can work side-by-side with solutions that provide video embedding, marketing and social media tools, web design, and content management tools to add depth and functionality to your website. There are also many free website builder solutions for those on a budget.
To qualify for inclusion in the Website Builder category, a product must:
- Offer a platform for creating a website
- Provide unique templates for website organization, navigation, and components (e.g. pages, widgets, etc.)
- Provide extensions for common website features such as blogs or multimedia
- Generate an accessible link or integrate with external hosting services
