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Buyer's Guide: Website Builder
This description is provided by the seller.
Pros and Cons are compiled from review feedback and grouped into themes to provide an easy-to-understand summary of user reviews.
Users appreciate the ease of use of Canva, benefiting from its user-friendly interface and extensive templates.
Users love the variety and accessibility of templates, making design easy and affordable for everyone.
Users love Canva for its user-friendly features, making professional design accessible and efficient for everyone.
Users find Canva's limited features frustrating, especially for professional printing and font selection, hindering effective design integration.
Users find the limited options for graph creation and bulk design frustrating, impacting their design flexibility.
Users find Canva expensive as many desired features require a premium membership, limiting access to essential tools.
This description is provided by the seller.
Pros and Cons are compiled from review feedback and grouped into themes to provide an easy-to-understand summary of user reviews.
Users find Google Workspace to be easy to use, with seamless access to all necessary platforms for productivity.
Users value the seamless team collaboration across Google Workspace tools, enhancing organization and communication effortlessly.
Users value the seamless integrations of Google Workspace, enhancing efficiency and user management across various tools.
Users express frustration over missing features, like needed AI tools and basic email options, limiting usability for small teams.
Users feel that Google Workspace has limited features, which hinders collaboration and meeting customization options.
Users find Google Workspace lacking features for freelancers, with fewer advanced options than competitors like Zoom or Teams.
This description is provided by the seller.
Pros and Cons are compiled from review feedback and grouped into themes to provide an easy-to-understand summary of user reviews.
Users enjoy the ease of use of Webflow, appreciating its intuitive design and fast publishing capabilities.
Users appreciate the design flexibility of Webflow, enabling quick, customized website creation without extensive coding.
Users value the fast building speed of Webflow, enabling quick section and page creation with ease.
Users find the learning curve steep, requiring assistance and adjustment to the interface before comfortable use.
Users find Webflow's limited features frustrating, especially regarding CMS, e-commerce, and complex content management.
Users note that Webflow has missing features like CMS nesting limitations and restricted file uploads, affecting flexibility.
This description is provided by the seller.
Pros and Cons are compiled from review feedback and grouped into themes to provide an easy-to-understand summary of user reviews.
Users love the extensive feature set of HighLevel, appreciating its organization and community support for business growth.
Users appreciate the helpfulness of HighLevel's responsive team and innovative features that meet diverse business needs.
Users praise the exceptional customer support of HighLevel, highlighting its importance for business growth and success.
Users find that the steep learning curve of HighLevel can complicate initial usage, despite eventual ease of learning.
Users notice a lack of missing features, particularly with dialer functionality and website enhancements on HighLevel.
Users find the steep learning curve challenging, requiring consistent effort to master HighLevel's many features and updates.
This description is provided by the seller.
Pros and Cons are compiled from review feedback and grouped into themes to provide an easy-to-understand summary of user reviews.
Users praise Wix for its ease of use, enabling quick website creation without any technical expertise required.
Users benefit from the easy creation of websites with Wix, making it perfect for beginners in web design.
Users value the user-friendly features of Wix, making website creation accessible and efficient for everyone.
Users find limited customization frustrating, needing to rebuild content and manage multiple device formats without responsiveness.
Users find Wix's pricing to be expensive, especially for newcomers and due to unclear renewal terms.
Users feel the pricing issues with Wix are high and unclear, especially for newcomers and subscription renewals.
This description is provided by the seller.
Pros and Cons are compiled from review feedback and grouped into themes to provide an easy-to-understand summary of user reviews.
Users value the ease of use of HubSpot Content Hub, streamlining tasks for better efficiency and relationship building.
Users love the easy content management with drag and drop features for customizing websites and campaigns.
Users love the beautiful interface and AI features of HubSpot Content Hub, enhancing their content creation experience.
Users find the limited customization options of HubSpot Content Hub hinder their ability to meet specific needs effectively.
Users find there's a notable learning curve with HubSpot Content Hub, making it less user-friendly for the less tech-savvy.
Users find the lack of customization in HubSpot Content Hub restrictive, especially for templates and deployment.
This description is provided by the seller.
Pros and Cons are compiled from review feedback and grouped into themes to provide an easy-to-understand summary of user reviews.
Users love the ease of use of Wix Studio Enterprise, enabling effortless website creation even for non-tech-savvy clients.
Users rave about the modern and visually stunning design capabilities of Wix Studio Enterprise, making web creation effortless.
Users appreciate the creative freedom and professional precision of Wix Studio, enabling effortless and impressive website building.
Users find limited customization with Wix Studio Enterprise, especially when using templates and for advanced development needs.
Users find limited features in Wix Studio, wishing for more capabilities to enhance their design experience.
Users find Wix Studio has limited options for advanced design and integrations, requiring workaround solutions for complex needs.
This description is provided by the seller.
Pros and Cons are compiled from review feedback and grouped into themes to provide an easy-to-understand summary of user reviews.
Users appreciate the ease of use of CRMOne, enabling quick adoption and efficient management of tasks.
Users value the efficient lead management in CRMOne, which automates follow-ups and streamlines customer interactions.
Users value the personalized customer journey management in CRMOne, enhancing targeted communication and engagement effectively.
Users find the learning curve challenging, requiring time and expertise for setup and customization.
Users find limited customization options in CRMOne, restricting advanced users from fully tailoring the software to their needs.
Users find the steep learning curve of CRMOne challenging, particularly for mastering advanced features and settings.
This description is provided by the seller.
Pros and Cons are compiled from review feedback and grouped into themes to provide an easy-to-understand summary of user reviews.
Users enjoy the ease of use with WordPress.com, appreciating its intuitive design and helpful templates for site management.
Users value the superior plugin integration of WordPress.com, facilitating enhanced functionality and customization for their sites.
Users highlight the easy creation features of WordPress.com, enabling seamless website setup and content management for everyone.
Users express frustration with plugin issues, citing frequent updates and compatibility challenges that hinder site performance.
Users find WordPress.com expensive due to mandatory upgrades for basic features and limitations on free plans.
Users struggle with limited customization on WordPress.com, restricting their ability to create tailored content and features.
This description is provided by the seller.
Pros and Cons are compiled from review feedback and grouped into themes to provide an easy-to-understand summary of user reviews.
Users love the ease of use of Duda, appreciating its quick setup and user-friendly interface.
Users commend Duda for its outstanding customer support, which significantly enhances their experience and confidence in the platform.
Users enjoy the easy creation process with Duda, enabling efficient updates and custom-quality websites for their clients.
Users find limited customization options in Duda, affecting their ability to fully tailor their websites.
Users note the limited features of Duda, especially in integrations, templates, and mobile optimization capabilities.
Users find Duda lacking in missing features, particularly in templates and customization options for content.
This description is provided by the seller.
Pros and Cons are compiled from review feedback and grouped into themes to provide an easy-to-understand summary of user reviews.
Users love the ease of use of Squarespace, making website creation simple even for beginners.
Users love the easy customization of Squarespace, allowing unique, user-friendly website designs without coding experience.
Users love the beautifully crafted templates of Squarespace, appreciating their design flexibility and user-friendly interface.
Users desire more customization options in Squarespace, feeling limited in design control and layout choices.
Users express frustration over poor customer support, leaving them unable to resolve critical issues affecting their businesses.
Users struggle with integration issues for external services, limiting functionality and flexibility in Squarespace.
This description is provided by the seller.
Pros and Cons are compiled from review feedback and grouped into themes to provide an easy-to-understand summary of user reviews.
Users find Hostinger's platform to be easy to navigate, offering versatile features and reliable support for all needs.
Users commend Hostinger for its responsive customer support, highlighting friendly and knowledgeable assistance readily available.
Users highly value the affordable pricing of Hostinger, enabling quality hosting for startups and small businesses.
Users experience inconsistent customer support, with limited options and delays in resolving complex issues effectively.
Users dislike the expensive yearly payment plans of Hostinger, seeking more flexible and affordable options.
Users express concern over high costs and limited payment flexibility due to Hostinger's yearly payment plans.
This description is provided by the seller.
Pros and Cons are compiled from review feedback and grouped into themes to provide an easy-to-understand summary of user reviews.
Users appreciate the user-friendly drag and drop interface of GoDaddy Website Builder, making website creation accessible to all.
Users love the drag-and-drop functionality of GoDaddy Website Builder, enabling easy website creation for everyone.
Users find the ease of use of GoDaddy Website Builder remarkable, enabling effortless site creation for all skill levels.
Users feel the limited customization options restrict their ability to tailor websites to individual needs.
Users find the limited chat functionality in GoDaddy Website Builder to be a notable drawback in usability.
Users find the expensive subscriptions of GoDaddy confusing and burdened with unnecessary upgrade prompts and ads.
This description is provided by the seller.
Pros and Cons are compiled from review feedback and grouped into themes to provide an easy-to-understand summary of user reviews.
Users praise the fantastic customer support of Divi for being quick, helpful, and responsive to needs.
Users find Divi to be intuitive and user-friendly, offering a robust and versatile website building experience.
Users love Divi for its intuitive design and powerful tools, making website creation easy and visually stunning.
Users experience slow performance with Divi, which hinders workflow and makes editing challenging.
Users find the slow loading of Divi frustrating, as it hinders their workflow and productivity.
Users find the subscription costs of Divi frustrating, preferring a one-time payment instead of recurring fees.
This description is provided by the seller.
Pros and Cons are compiled from review feedback and grouped into themes to provide an easy-to-understand summary of user reviews.
Users commend the ease of use of FlexiFunnels, highlighting its user-friendly interface and simple integration capabilities.
Users praise the outstanding customer support of FlexiFunnels, appreciating their responsiveness and genuine investment in user success.
Users love the easy creation process with drag-and-drop features and templates, enjoying an intuitive funnel building experience.
Users face a steep learning curve with FlexiFunnels, often requiring additional guidance for beginners to understand the platform.
Users highlight poor customer support, suggesting a need for more team members to improve the overall experience.
Users note a steep learning curve in FlexiFunnels, especially for beginners struggling with its technical aspects.
Businesses and individuals use website builders to create complex, well-designed websites independently without the need for coding or design skills. Website builder software varies greatly in terms of the scope and intention of the website. Businesses may use a website builder for a simple informational site or as an outlet through which to build a complex storefront full of multimedia content and unique features. Individuals may create simple sites to display their online portfolio of creative work. Website builders may offer a free plan or a free trial, but creating a custom domain name and using the full breadth of available services will require the purchase of a full plan.
Key Benefits of Website Builder Software
With a website builder, you can:
Businesses use website builder software for a variety of reasons, but the main motivation is to end up with a high-quality, responsive website for a fraction of the cost of outsourcing the work. There is a slight learning curve for anyone using the software, but the ease of use is a significant draw. If you run any type of business, your business plan should include building and maintaining a robust web presence. Products in this category can significantly lower the barrier to entry and provide your business with a feasible option which you can use to maintain control over every aspect of the process.
Save Money – Website builders tend to be much cheaper than hiring a team of designers and programmers. Solutions in this category can be priced as low as $4.50/month, which includes use of the website creator and domain hosting. There are also free website builders, although their features are understandably more limited than those included in paid options. Hiring a team to design, build, and host your site may cost you thousands of dollars. Website builder software is far cheaper no matter how you slice it. Inclusion of e-commerce tools and advanced capabilities will run you quite a bit more than a basic package, but fall well short of the fees associated with traditional methods of website building.
Website builders have improved in the breadth and scope of their features, to the point where you have the capability to build a site nearly indistinguishable from a custom-designed and programmed site for a fraction of the cost. You can build an e-commerce shop complete with payment gateway directly into your website without any coding skills.
Expediency – When you contract out your website to be built, you’re putting the timeline in the hands of an outside team. While you have the power to pressure them to follow a specific timeline, the fact remains that the completion of the website is entirely dependent on how quickly they work. Teams are subject to the whims of different motivations, individual workloads, and managerial direction. By employing the help of a website builder, you take back the power to create and publish your website. If you want to build out the entire site in a few days and feel confident that it’s a product worth publishing, then you possess the power to do so.
Professional Quality – If you lack the design and coding skills necessary to carry out a custom build of your site, website builders offer the drag-and-drop tools you need to create a high-quality website on your own. The templates available via website builders offer non-dev folks the opportunity to create a professional website with a user-friendly interface, something that was the exclusive purview of real coding geeks prior to the creation and widespread use of these tools. Creating an interactive site is much easier to do with these WYSIWYG website builders.
Ease of Use – There are a ton of reasons to use website builders, but the ease with which you can create a website is a vital one. A drag-and-drop website builder places the power to create a well-built, responsive website with non-coders and non-designers. Now you can create a website and boost your online presence without going through the arduous process of learning how to program or design.
Updated content – If you use a webmaster and outsource your website build, that means that every time you want to update your site, you need to go through a third party. By using a website builder, you have the power to update your website as you see fit whenever you’d like to. Your site becomes much more nimble and easily altered by using a website builder.
The primary users for website builders are small businesses and personal sites, as enterprise-level sites require a bit more of a robust architecture to deliver the type of performance expected of an enterprise company.
There is a wealth of different website builder software features. Website builder software often includes, but is not limited to, the following features.
Social Sharing – Most website builders contain built-in social sharing tools so that you can provide your website visitors the opportunity to share your content on their favorite social media outlets. As your website’s social shares increase, your traffic will follow suit, your site will have more value to advertisers, and other avenues of monetization will open up.
E-Commerce Hosting – If your business revolves around selling a product, then an e-commerce feature set is key for your website builder. Some website builders allow you to build an online store directly into your site, complete with a payment gateway so that your website is truly a one-stop shop. E-commerce features will often require the payment of an additional monthly fee.
Email Hosting – Website builder software may include an email hosting option, which you can use to send all official website-related correspondence. An email address with your hosted domain name is an asset to your company and lends an air of professionalism to any and all business mail you send and receive.
Web Hosting – The majority of website builders contain hosting options to enable you to build and host your website through a single tool. If you outsource the build of a custom site, you have to deal with finding a proper web hosting service on which to house your site. A good web host may be difficult to find and adds another layer of complexity in terms of site maintenance, as web hosting services contain a separate basket of challenges.
Built-In Blog – Many website builders offer a blogging tool so you can write a blog directly within the application. Blogs are a vital traffic-driving tool for many websites who do not constantly churn out new content or product offerings. Built-in blogging tools facilitate the process of creating and maintaining your blog, which can be a major catalyst for boosting traffic numbers by providing a well of SEO-driven content.
Image Editing – Website builders often contain built-in image editing tools so that you can alter and enhance images you put up on the site. Image editing can make a huge difference between presenting a polished product and representing your business poorly online. The ubiquitous grainy image quality of ‘90s-era websites is not acceptable in the age of widely available photo editors and image editing tools. That tools of that ilk are built into these website builders means that there is even more opportunity to make your site look the best it possibly can.
Forms Builder – Website builder software enables you to build forms directly within the application instead of going to a third-party application. These forms can be valuable for signing up new members if your site is membership-driven or for soliciting and gathering information from your site visitors.
Preformatted Layouts – One of the best features of website builders is the variety of prebuilt site layouts that are available for you to select during your site build. These layouts are designed for different types of websites—some may be more design focused, while others draw attention to the products on the page. Building an e-commerce website requires different design and features than that of another business website, and a website creator may need different layouts for each.
Customization Options – Another fantastic feature of website builder software is the vast array of customization options that most offer. From different layouts featuring responsive design to multimedia content, there are a ton of options for you to choose from. While the options may not be as diverse as the number of options available to you with a web design company, which are limited only by the imagination and skill of the designers and programmers tasked with bringing your vision to life, there are solutions that offer a solid set of customization options. As customization becomes a key desire for businesses looking at website builders to create their sites, more website builders are allowing those with coding skills to create their own alterations to the templates and layouts provided by the software. One of the options available to those with coding knowledge is the ability to create a members area. This is valuable for membership sites, which require members to have a separate area walled off by a payment gateway.
Mobile Optimized – As an increasing percentage of all website visits are made on a mobile device, website builder software allows for the creation of a responsive, mobile-friendly site. The majority of the most popular website builders are HTML5-based, which means that it is easy to create a mobile-optimized site using the applications. Other sites that are not HTML5 based may offer a feature in which you can create a mobile-ready site.
While website builder software is a fantastic tool that opens the door for companies and individuals looking to build a legitimate online presence, it is not without issues. Some of the most glaring issues, issues which are addressed to varying degrees by different solutions, include the isolated nature of most builders, the lack of freedom associated with the free offerings, a tendency towards the generic, and the potential loss of SEO-driven content.
Isolated Solution – Website builder software tends to lack the ease of integration with analytics and third-party applications designed to enhance the capabilities of your website that custom-built sites may offer. More website builders are starting to offer integration with Google Analytics at the very least, but there are many other third-party analytics applications that you could use with a custom-built website to enable you to squeeze as much information and value out of your site as possible.
Lack of Domain Ownership – There are many website builders which offer a free domain site builder. A free website and free domain name sound fantastic, but the catch comes in the lack of ownership of your site. Should you want to switch over to a new domain, you’ll likely lose all of the SEO you’ve built into your content and have to start from scratch.
Lack of Originality – There are hundreds of millions of sites on the internet that have been designed and published using website builder software. While there are a variety of templates and customization options built into the quality website builders, the fact that so many sites are built using the same application means that your website will have the same feel as thousands of others. This is being addressed somewhat by newer website builders, which are allowing users to customize by uploading their own HTML code or by opening up the existing templates to extreme alterations, widening the breadth of arrangement possibilities.
Absence of SEO – Some website builders do not contain blogging tools or an option for users to build a blog within the site. This is a major drawback for SEO opportunities, as content is currently king when it comes to search engine results page (SERP) rankings. The more high-quality, relevant content that you can push out to your site’s visitors on a diverse range of high traffic keywords, the higher your site will appear in Google’s rankings and the larger share of traffic you will receive.
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