Constructing an internet site could be each essentially the most thrilling and essentially the most daunting a part of beginning a brand new enterprise. It means diving into a brand new world of risk, whereas additionally managing the technical and design components that go into constructing your personal web site.
For example, you’ll want to think about what the location will appear to be, the way you’ll arrange merchandise on the web page, and what pages and sub-pages you’ll create. You’ll additionally want to make sure the checkout course of works easily. That may be quite a bit to juggle on high of selecting an internet site builder to make your web site a actuality.
The excellent news is that there are inexpensive web site builders that cater to small enterprise house owners such as you, and the method could be as easy or as concerned as you’d prefer it to be.
What to search for in an internet site builder
There are a lot of web site builders on the market that can assist you construct an ecommerce website in your on-line retailer—however not all web site builder software program is created equal.
We evaluated the greatest ecommerce web site builders particularly for small companies, primarily based on 4 standards: worth level, ease of use, variety of options, and degree of customization provided.
These standards are greatest to think about for those who’re simply getting began and don’t wish to get slowed down by an internet site builder with a steep studying curve. In addition they are indication of scalability—as your store grows, you’ll desire a website builder that may scale with you.
Value
Affordability is necessary for any software program buy, but it surely’s particularly essential whenever you’re simply beginning a brand new enterprise. In any case, within the progress section, you’ll must maintain prices as little as doable. There’s all the time a tradeoff between free and paid web site builders.
For instance, some distributors supply paid perks like elite hosting companies and high-quality templates, whereas different distributors supply free area identify internet hosting for the primary yr and low-cost plans in the event that they’re advert supported.
Ease of use
Chances are you’ll know HTML just like the again of your hand. Or, you might choose a drag-and-drop editor that does the entire coding for you. Both method, web site builders needs to be straightforward to make use of not solely in the beginning, but in addition as you proceed to replace your website’s look and content material. We checked out how straightforward every web site builder platform really makes it to create your on-line retailer, with or with out net design experience.
Options
Past the essential capabilities of constructing an internet site, what number of extra options does your web site builder instrument supply?
Be sure you have a look at what sort of buyer assist choices the corporate supplies, in addition to how cost processing works. Nice buyer assist (an in depth data base, clear tutorials, or reside chat assist) will make your web site constructing journey a lot simpler, whereas having a cost processor you may depend on will improve gross sales.
Stage of customization
Whereas most web site builders supply some degree of customization, many are extraordinarily restricted within the artistic flexibility they provide. This will pose a problem for a enterprise trying to spotlight its distinctive model. We checked out how inflexible every web site builder is, in addition to which design choices they provide, to make your retailer stand out.
The most effective web site builders for small companies
Let us take a look at among the high ecommerce platforms you need to use to construct an internet site:
1. Shopify
Greatest all-in-one ecommerce web site builder for small companies
As you begin this course of, you may suppose constructing an internet site and promoting merchandise on-line are totally different steps, with totally different instruments. Nevertheless, there’s a giant distinction between tacking commerce options (itemizing merchandise, accepting funds, monitoring stock, fulfilling orders, and many others.) onto an present web site, and utilizing an internet site builder that features these options natively.
When you really are simply on the lookout for an internet site builder, you may not want the entire extra commerce instruments. But when your purpose is to create a thriving ecommerce enterprise from the beginning, Shopify could also be the most effective website builder for you.
Shopify is an all-inclusive subscription-based commerce instrument that’s excellent for on-line shops of any dimension, at any stage. It’s designed to develop with you. It helps you get arrange with a customized area identify and hosting companies, has excessive storage and bandwidth allowances, and presents free advertising options for social media, e-mail advertising, web site chat, and extra. Plus, Shopify helps you promote by on-line websites to extend your attain and gross sales.
Shopify is without doubt one of the high website builders for many enterprise house owners more often than not, for these causes:
- Simplicity. It’s straightforward for anybody to get began on Shopify, and it stays straightforward to make use of as you scale. You may go beneath the hood if you wish to, however you may as well preserve, customise, and scale your retailer with out studying to code.
- Efficiency. Shopify’s web site constructing expertise presents super-fast load occasions and the best-performing checkout on the net. You don’t want separate hosting in your area, and also you don’t must hook up a third-party checkout instrument. Shopify’s built-in buying cart is world class.
- Omnichannel. Shopify’s web site builder permits you to promote wherever your clients are. Shopify is all the time serving to retailers deliver their merchandise to new markets. We not too long ago launched the TikTok gross sales channel and supply a Store Pay plus Fb and Instagram partnership. There’s no want for intensive add ons or plug-ins.
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- Value: Shopify presents a free trial so you may mess around with its web site builder with out having to pay upfront. After that, Fundamental Shopify is $39 per thirty days (greatest for brand spanking new companies, like yours), Shopify is $105 per thirty days (greatest for a rising enterprise with one retail store), and Superior Shopify is $399 per thirty days (greatest for rising companies with two or extra retail outlets).
- Ease of use: Shopify’s website-building instruments are extremely intuitive, and for those who need assistance you may flip to the intensive assist middle, discussion board, or 24/7 assist.
- Options: Nice buyer assist obtainable 24/7 by way of reside chat, telephone, and e-mail; greater than 100 superbly designed mobile-friendly themes; SEO; stock administration; free SSL certificates; an app retailer with greater than 4,000 simply built-in instruments; reporting and analytics; a useful cell app.
- Stage of customization: Every web site template on Shopify is definitely customizable, and if you need full management, you’ll all the time have entry to the HTML and CSS of your website.
- Instance: Take a look at Greens Metal Premium Drinkware to see Shopify in motion.
2. Massive Cartel
When you’re an artist all for promoting your work on-line however desire a customized area as an different to Etsy, Massive Cartel is for you. It’s straightforward to make use of and arrange, and it’s made by artists, so the founders have already thought-about something you may must promote your work on the net.
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- Value: Massive Cartel is free for as much as 5 merchandise, so for those who’re an artist simply beginning to promote your work on-line, this may very well be an excellent possibility for you. After that, Platinum (50 merchandise) is $9.99 per thirty days and Diamond (500 merchandise) is $19.99 per thirty days.
- Ease of use: It’s very straightforward (and fast!) to arrange your personal web site with BigCartel. When you’re trying to develop your corporation over time although, it’s arduous to scale this to extra channels than simply net.
- Options: Buyer assist is offered by e-mail seven days every week, 8 a.m. to six p.m. ET; as much as 5 images of every product; free themes you may customise (plus code entry); make gross sales each on-line and in particular person; use a customized area; supply promotions; hook up Google Analytics; cargo and stock monitoring; gross sales tax auto pilot; bulk enhancing.
- Stage of customization: Use one among BigCartel’s pre-baked themes to arrange your website in a pinch, or design all the factor your self with full code entry.
- Instance: Check out The Feebles Store to see what a Massive Cartel retailer appears like IRL. The Feebles Store makes use of Stripe as its cost processor.
3. Wix
A well-liked web site builder, Wix presents myriad totally different pricing plans primarily based on what you want. It falls brief on stock monitoring, and lots of ecommerce options require an improve to the best tier of plan. Wix ADI, its net design intelligence system, can construct an internet site for you in minutes with just a bit details about your corporation.
Nonetheless, Wix does have choices for plans, subscriptions, and recurring funds, so for those who promote a product clients subscribe to, this builder is perhaps excellent for you.
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- Value: Wix differentiates its commonplace web site plans from its ecommerce plans. Since you’ll want to just accept and course of funds, you’ll need to go along with one among its enterprise and ecommerce plans. Enterprise Fundamental is $27 per thirty days, Enterprise Limitless is $32 per thirty days, and Enterprise VIP is $59 per thirty days. Wix will refund the price of any premium plan, so long as you cancel inside 14 days of upgrading.
- Ease of use: The user-friendly drag-and-drop editor makes Wix a straightforward instrument to make use of.
- Options: Wix web sites lack stock administration instruments, so if that’s one thing you realize you’re going to rely upon, you might wish to look elsewhere. For full ecommerce entry, you’ll wish to go along with the Enterprise Limitless or Enterprise VIP plan, because the Fundamental plan is missing in superior options like dropshipping and tax automation. Premium options for the higher degree plans embrace: drag-and-drop web site builder; recurring cost choices; 24/7 buyer care; automated tax; dropshipping; search-engine-optimized pages; buying integrations with Fb, eBay, Instagram, and Google Procuring.
- Stage of customization: Use the drag-and-drop builder to customise one among 800 templates. Each aspect of any template is customizable.
- Instance: Take a look at Mantra Lovers.
4. Squarespace
One of many high web site builders on the market, Squarespace is thought for its easy, superbly designed web site themes. This can be a nice possibility if you wish to construct a website rapidly and customise little or no. Squarespace can also be a sensible choice for those who promote companies along with bodily gadgets.
For instance, a day spa may want a spot for shoppers to ebook companies and buy or subscribe to the gadgets their therapists use after a remedy. Squarespace designs already operate properly and look stunning, so typically, you gained’t must do a lot legwork to create an exquisite web site quick.
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- Value: The Fundamental Commerce plan is $27 per thirty days, and the Superior Commerce plan is $46 per thirty days. You may save 30% on plans by committing for one yr.
- Ease of use: Squarespace is a reasonably easy web site builder to make use of, and for those who need assistance, the corporate presents webinars, a assist middle, and a group discussion board.
- Options: Drag-and-drop builder; customizable templates; responsive design and picture scaling; promote bodily items or companies; no restrict on the variety of merchandise in your store; product catalogs; submit buy e-mail sequences; stock administration and low stock notifications; Stripe and Paypal integrations; subscriptions.
- Stage of customization: All templates are customizable by way of the Squarespace editor, and if in case you have coding data, you may as well pop into the code. Take into account that for those who do select a Squarespace theme, you gained’t be capable to customise right down to the web page degree—the kinds you select might be constant website broad, which provides you much less flexibility total.
- Instance: Style and equipment model Flora Salvaje runs on Squarespace.
5. GoDaddy
GoDaddy is a well known web site builder used to create portfolios, ecommerce shops, service-based enterprise websites, and extra. It’s beginner-friendly drag-and-drop builder makes use of synthetic intelligence to design your web site rapidly, taking the knowledge you present to customise your website in minutes.
One disadvantage of GoDaddy web sites is that the designs are fairly fundamental. They’re all clear and trendy, however GoDaddy’s interface is for easy designs. If you wish to construct an internet retailer, you’ll have to make use of a separate on-line retailer builder for double the value as the primary builder.
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- Value: If you’d like ecommerce performance, you’ll must pay $16.99 per thirty days for the Commerce plan or $29.99 per thirty days for the Commerce Plus plan. It can save you between 31% and 33% in your subscription by paying yearly. GoDaddy additionally presents a seven-day free trial.
- Ease of use: GoDaddy’s web site builder presents a pleasant and simple enhancing expertise for freshmen with out coding expertise.
- Options: Over 100 mobile-friendly templates; integrations with social media websites like Instagram and Fb; a number of cost choices equivalent to Google Pay and Venmo; integrates with Sq. POS (level of sale) to attach retail and on-line companies.
- Stage of customization: All templates are customizable. GoDaddy’s designs are fundamental and can’t be absolutely custom-made to create distinctive experiences on-line.
- Instance: She Strikes Mountains Attire is constructed on GoDaddy.
6. Duda
Duda is a design-forward web site builder for many who need a lovely web site and depend on templates. You may create web sites quick, construct widgets, and model your website. Duda is a little more costly than your common website builder, with plans beginning at $14 per thirty days.
Duda was initially constructed for businesses, however has since adopted options for anybody to make use of. For instance, you get entry to a spread of free widgets, or you may construct one your self so as to add distinctive capabilities to your web site. You get a good quantity of artistic energy inside every template, which is nice for freshmen not assured of their web site constructing abilities.
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- Value: Duda has three pricing tiers: Fundamental ($14 per thirty days), Crew ($22 per thirty days), and Company ($44 per thirty days). It can save you 25% in your plan when paying yearly.
- Ease of use: Duda takes minutes to enroll in and begin constructing on. It presents a drag-and-drop builder to customise your template with none technical data.
- Options: Duda comes with a ton of design options, equivalent to an in-app photograph editor and over 100 font kinds. It additionally enables you to create widgets to show tailor-made experiences for guests. You may simply set off pop-up messages and promos primarily based on numerous components, equivalent to location or habits.
- Stage of customization: Its web site builder is made to design quick. However you may’t customise an excessive amount of outdoors of your template.
- Instance: Japan Mobility makes use of Duda as a content material administration system for its web site.
7. Webflow
Webflow is a strong DIY web site builder with professional-grade customization choices. Typically cited as a superior WordPress different, Webflow supplies quite a lot of options designed to get you up and working with a versatile, absolutely custom-made web site. You aren’t confined to its pre-designed templates, providing complicated performance to builders and net designers who wish to create with out limitations.
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- Value: Webflow enables you to construct an internet site at no cost, however you’ll have to purchase a plan to go reside. It presents ecommerce website plans that begin at $29 per thirty days for Normal, $74 per thirty days for Plus, and $212 per thirty days for Superior. It can save you as much as 30% by paying yearly.
- Ease of use: After signing up, you’ll get entry to greater than 25 curated templates. You may select the most effective one which meets your corporation sort. Including content material to your website is extremely straightforward. When you find yourself able to publish adjustments, you are able to do it with one click on. Webflow presents reside previews so there aren’t any surprises as soon as your website is revealed.
- Options: Helps you to collaborate with colleagues on any web site design; tracks model historical past so you may see who modified what and when; could be optimized for search engine optimization with none extra plug-ins.
- Stage of customization: There aren’t any limits to what you may create inside Webflow. You may construct web site interactions, web page transitions, and animations visually. If you wish to break outdoors your consolation zone, Webflow is the web site builder for you.
- Instance: Shift runs on Webflow.
8. Weebly
Some small enterprise house owners are on the lookout for free web site builders to assist them maintain prices low. Weebly is without doubt one of the few website builders with a very free plan that features a free area, so for those who don’t want your personal area and don’t thoughts the adverts, that is your best option.
Weebly is a fundamental web site builder for private web sites for bloggers, freelancer portfolios, or easy buying carts if you wish to promote merchandise. When you do determine to improve, Weebly has inexpensive plans, and it is very easy to make use of.
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- Value: Weebly presents a free fundamental ecommerce account. The Private plan is $13 per thirty days, or $10 per thirty days billed yearly. The Skilled plan is $16 per thirty days, or $12 per thirty days billed yearly. The Efficiency plan is $29 per thirty days, or $26 per thirty days billed yearly.
- Ease of use: It’s straightforward to arrange and customise an internet site on Weebly, and no prior technical data is critical.
- Options: Drag-and-drop interface; customizable themes; bulk product editor; coupon creator for promotions; cell optimization; delivery instrument with actual time charges; superior stock administration; product search; integrations with PayPal, Stripe, and Sq.; auto tax instrument.
- Stage of customization: Weebly’s drag-and-drop builder makes it fairly straightforward to begin with a theme and customise it along with your model’s colours, customized fonts, video backgrounds, and animation. If you wish to dive into the code, the choice to mess around with HTML and CSS is offered too.
- Instance: Take a look at Nature’s Kindle to see Weebly in motion.
9. Volusion
Volusion presents nice information insights into how your store is performing. It’s received its personal built-in analytics instruments and might combine with companions like Fullstory and Google Analytics so you may glean the entire info you should develop your corporation.
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- Value: Volusion has a 14-day free trial. After that, the Private plan is $35 per thirty days, the Skilled plan is $79 per thirty days, and the Marketing strategy is $209 per thirty days.
- Ease of use: Planning to make use of one among Volusion’s pre-baked themes? The net builder might be fairly straightforward to make use of. If you wish to fiddle with any design components, although, Volusion can get sophisticated rapidly.
- Options: Assist middle, telephone, and chat buyer assist; drag-and-drop builder; mobile-friendly themes; customized coupons and pricing for bespoke merchandise; cost integrations with Apple Pay, Stripe, and PayPal; recurring pricing for subscriptions; bulk order processing; zero transaction charges; integration with important instruments like Google Analytics, Fullstory, and Pinterest.
- Stage of customization: Volusion presents options irrespective of how snug you’re with coding. Select from paid and free themes, and customise them right down to the web page degree. You may customise the web page format with the drag-and-drop editor.
- Instance: Airframes Alaska runs on Volusion.
10. WordPress
What’s so highly effective about WordPress is how a lot artistic management you’ve. When you’re code savvy, you may create the entire thing your self. Since WordPress is an open-source software program, it is continuously being upgraded, so you may count on it to carry out at its greatest always. You may also add a Shopify Purchase Button to your WordPress web site to promote merchandise.
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- Value: WordPress presents a free model so you may try how all the pieces works, however to get full ecommerce performance you need to pay. The Marketing strategy is $25 per thirty days and the Commerce plan with WooCommerce is $45 per thirty days. WordPress presents per thirty days reductions for those who pay yearly.
- Ease of use: WordPress has a steep studying curve, so it may be troublesome to make use of at first. When you’ve mastered it, the quantity of customization, particularly if in case you have a weblog, is highly effective—it simply is dependent upon how a lot work you’re prepared to place in upfront.
- Options: In an effort to get the entire ecommerce options you want, you need to additionally arrange an ecommerce plug-in like WooCommerce, which is free; reside chat buyer assist; ecommerce plan consists of options like integration with Google Analytics, greater than 50,000 plug-ins, and delivery carriers, advertising and search engine optimization instruments, and cost choices in over 60 nations. Learn our Shopify vs. WooCommerce comparability and take a look at these WooCommerce options to see a extra detailed breakdown.
- Stage of customization: You may code your personal WordPress website if you wish to, however that requires a deep understanding of HTML. Fundamental customization is just a little tough for those who’re not tech savvy: you may add your brand, model colours, and model font fairly simply, however different adjustments require HTML data, and it’s straightforward to interrupt WordPress web sites in case your code is mistaken. WordPress might be essentially the most customizable instrument on the market, however for those who’re not code savvy and also you desire a extra custom-made product, you’ll seemingly need to pay somebody to create an internet site for you.
- Instance: The Home of Whisky is constructed on WordPress.
Discover the best web site builder in your particular wants
Your web site builder is what you’ll use to construct your on-line presence, whether or not that’s a easy portfolio or an entire enterprise web site with ecommerce performance. Identical to whenever you assess a spot to reside, you’ll must discover a residence in your on-line retailer primarily based in your present wants, whereas attempting to keep away from complications down the road.
When you’re simply trying to put up a touchdown web page with retailer hours and your telephone quantity, a free web site builder could also be excellent. However for those who’re trying to create an internet retailer the place you may join with clients, take into account constructing a stable basis proper from day one.
Greatest web site builder FAQ
What are the most effective web site builders for small companies?
- Shopify: Greatest in your all-inclusive commerce wants
- Massive Cartel: Greatest for artists
- Wix: Greatest drag and drop builder
- Squarespace: Greatest pre-designed templates
- Weebly: Greatest for portfolios
- Volusion: Greatest for information insights
- WordPress: Greatest for artistic management
What’s the greatest web site builder for ecommerce?
Shopify is the most effective total web site builder for ecommerce, as a result of it presents an all-inclusive commerce answer for companies of any dimension.
Which web site builder is best to make use of?
Shopify’s intuitive platform makes it straightforward to make use of even for these new to web site constructing.
Which free web site builder is greatest?
Weebly presents the most effective free web site builder.