If you’re running a business or building a brand, online presence is something you can’t miss if your aim is to reach a broader audience. And when it’s about creating a website, selecting the right website design platform is the most challenging and important step.
So, a detailed study of each web design platform is a step that you can’t ignore if you want to work uninterrupted.
In this article, you’ll find a list of some of the best website builders for small businesses and brands. These web design platforms focus on user-friendly interface and easy customization. This makes them the best choice for small business owners.
Why a Small Business Should Have a Website?
Website is no longer an option for a business. If you are running a business it’s crucial to have a website to promote and keep yourself in competition.
Having a website allows a business to reach wider audience. You can sell your products around the world and earn. You earn credibility & trust of your customers and it becomes easier to launch your latest products. Above all it works as your 24/7 advertisement.
Website designing and development for a small businesses is however always a challenging part because of lesser knowledge of the subject and it’s always hard to find sources. The design and development cost is also higher if one has to built from scratch.
In this article we will cover how you can design a website that is affordable and best for small businesses.
Why DIY Websites are Best for Small Businesses?
DIY website builders allows entrepreneurs to create websites that look professional without any coding knowledge. They offer easy drag-and-drop interfaces, customizable templates, and a bundle of features designed to make the website creation process smoother. For small businesses, it’s a cost-effective solution to get their website ready in budget and faster.
So, using these DIY platforms do not only cut design & development cost but also helps in building websites that are modern, SEO friendly, fast and secure.
Top Website Design Platforms for Small Businesses
1. Wix
Wix is widely used and known for its flexibility and ease of use. This makes it a popular choice among small business owners. Websites are designed by simply drag and drop method.
It offers a vast library of over 900 customizable templates suitable for various industries. So if you are selling services or products, selling buns or running a five star hotel, Wix becomes one of the best options for you to design a website. Additionally, Wix provides built-in SEO tools to enhance your website’s visibility on search engines.
Key Features:
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Latest & extensive template collection​
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User-friendly drag-and-drop interface​
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Mobile optimization
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Build-in SEO tools
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App Market for additional functionalities​
The template market has designs for every industry. Even if you belong to travel, education, hospitality, medical or any of the profession or business you can thought of, Wix makes a perfect place to launch your website. For small business owners it’s really affordable to build their professional website with Wix.
Pricing :
Wix offers a free plan with basic features. Premium plans start at $17 per month, providing additional storage, bandwidth, and the removal of Wix ads.
2. Squarespace
Squarespace has one of the most trendy designs and high-quality templates. This makes it ideal for small businesses that talk creativity, innovation and uniqueness.
Along with super cool web designs, Squarespace offers an all-in-one solution, including domain registration, hosting, and e-commerce capabilities making it a perfect fit for all the exciting brands. Its focus is to provide responsive templates to ensure your website looks perfect on any device. ​
Key Features:
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High quality template designs that fits for all businesses.
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Integrated e-commerce functionalities​ for businesses selling online
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Comprehensive blogging tools​ to help bloggers grow and improve engagement
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24/7 customer support​ for their customers
Pricing :
Squarespace plans start at $16 per month, with a 14-day free trial available. Students can avail of a 50% discount on their first year. ​
3. Weebly
Weebly, now part of Square, offers a straightforward website building platform for small businesses with a focus on e-commerce integration. It’s particularly suitable for businesses looking to set up online stores quickly.
So those who are looking for quick and affordable website to sell their products online, Weebly provides a range of customizable templates and an intuitive drag-and-drop editor. ​
Key Features:
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Easy-to-use interface​ that even a non-technical can handle
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Integrated shopping cart and secure checkout​
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Modern designs & mobile-responsive themes​
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SEO and marketing tools​ to help promotion
Pricing :
Weebly offers a free plan with basic features. Paid plans start at $6 per month, providing additional features and removing Square ads.
4. Shopify
For businesses primarily focused on e-commerce, Shopify stands out as a perfect platform for website development. It offers a comprehensive set of tools to set up, manage, and scale an online store. With numerous templates and extensive app integrations, Shopify caters to various business needs.
It is capable of handling customer orders, shipping and taxes making it a perfect solution to design a complicated website in just a few clicks. It is one of the most suitable e-commerce platforms for small businesses as it supports almost all kinds of payments integration.
Key Features:
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Comprehensive e-commerce functionalities​
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Easy management of product catalogue and customer details.
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Multiple payment gateway integration
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Extensive app marketplace​
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24/7 customer support​
Pricing :
Shopify plans start at $29 per month, with a 14-day free trial available.​ In this you can use all the features available in platform to develop your e-commerce store.
5. WordPress
WordPress is the best platform for designing & developing modern and complex websites with ease. This makes it a perfect platform for bloggers, small businesses and even for large enterprises. No doubt, why it powers 43% of the total websites on web.
It is suitable for businesses that require more control over their website’s functionality and design. WordPress has a directory of vast array of themes and plugins and can cater to various business models. ​
This means you can design a perfect landing page and a full fledged E-store. Not only this, you can develop a travel website, hotel booking website, quiz and e-learning platforms with WordPress and available plugins.
With WooCommerce, you can design a full-fledged e-commerce website in a very less time and can also expand it’s fuctionality by using WooCommerce free and paid Addons.
Key Features:
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Extensive theme and plugin library​
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Built-in blogging capabilities​
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SEO and analytics tools​
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Community support​
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Regular updates and maintenance
- Focus on speed and security of a website
Pricing :
WordPress.com offers a free plan with basic features. Premium plans start at $4 per month, providing additional customization options and removing WordPress ads.​ However WordPress.org is completely free and an open-source CMS.
For businesses seeking professional assistance in customizing their WordPress site, collaborating with the best and affordable WordPress designer in USA can ensure a tailored and efficient online presence.​
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Website Design Platform
When selecting a website builder, consider the following aspects:
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Ease of Use: Ensure the platform offers an intuitive interface that aligns with your technical proficiency.​
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Customization: Look for platforms that provide flexibility in design to reflect your brand identity.​
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Scalability: Choose a platform that can grow with your business, accommodating increased traffic and additional features.​
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Support: Reliable customer support is essential for troubleshooting and assistance.​
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Cost: Evaluate the pricing plans to ensure they fit within your budget while offering the necessary features.
Conclusion
Selecting the right website design platform is a critical decision for small businesses aiming to establish a compelling online presence. Platforms like Wix, Shopify, WordPress, etc. simplifies the whole process and cut design and development cost to some extent for small businesses.
I hope this article helped you in finding a perfect platform to design a website for your small business. Good luck for your website. 🙂
