Every small business needs to have a web presence to survive and thrive in this digital era. If you’re starting a business for the first time, or you haven’t designed a website before, you may be confused trying to find the best small business website builder.
In this review…
- The best small business website builder
- WordPress
- Shopify
- Webflow
- Weebly
- Squarespace
- Compare small business website builders
The best small business website builder
Small business website builders are platforms that allow you to create a fully functioning website so you can start building an online presence for your small business. These platforms are generally easy to use, and even someone without web design experience can use one to build a professional site.
It’s important to remember that different website builders have different strengths, purposes, costs and functions. In order to build a successful website for your business, you must choose a website builder that ‘specialises’ in what you want to create.
For example, if you want to create a portfolio site for a new photography business, the website builder that’s best for you is going to be different to someone looking to sell products online. Here’s our top 5 best small business website builders, and what you should use them for…
1. WordPress
Great all-rounder, best for those with website experience.
Business plans from: £20.00 per month
Pros
- Excellent control over all aspects of your website.
- Some of the best and most-varied plugins available.
- Great SEO features.
- Very scalable.
Cons
- Much harder to learn and more time-intensive.
- Requires a good level of knowledge.
- Requires regular updates.
Main Features
- Thousands of themes and templates.
- A huge plugin library.
- Website builder and website hosting.
Why Choose This Website Builder?
WordPress is one of the best-known website builders and is a great choice for small businesses. It’s a great all-rounder for building an online store, starting a blog, or even just an informational company website.
If you want total control over your website and its features, WordPress is the way to go. However, as a result, you must be prepared for a steeper learning curve.
It is much more difficult to use than other website builders in this list.
WordPress is a platform and you must purchase web hosting and a domain separately. Luckily, WordPress partners with popular hosting companies like Bluehost so this should be relatively simple.
For small businesses, the best plan is the Business plan at £20.00 per month.
This gives access to a huge library of WordPress plugins and tools for SEO. And this is where WordPress pays dividends for small businesses.
Firstly, it has some fantastic SEO tools so you can create an optimized website that can rank high on Google. Tools like YOAST SEO, for example, are invaluable when creating page content.
Also, you have access to 50,000+ plugins in the WordPress library. These are produced by third-party developers and help improve the functionality of your website. If you are willing to learn and spend a little more time on your website, WordPress offers the best versatility and features.
2. Shopify
Best for starting an eCommerce store and selling online, easily.
Prices from: £29.00 per month. Start a free trial!
Pros
- Great support and customization for eCommerce.
- A solid range of reasonable price plans.
- Clean and easy-to-use interface.
Cons
- Not as many templates as other website builders.
- Plugins can become expensive.
- WordPress may be better for SEO.
Main Features
- Hosted solutions for websites and online stores.
- Difference price plans depending on business size.
- Full payment processing support.
Why Choose This Website Builder?
Shopify is the best small business website builder for those that want to create an online store. Shopify is a hosted solution. This means that you get a domain name, hosting, and a website as part of the package – many people prefer this approach as it is more convenient.
You can connect your existing domain name to Shopify, if you already have one. In terms of pricing, the basic package is £29.00 per month.
This is a little more expensive, but you get a brilliant range of features.
For example, this includes a website, online store, and blog. Also, you can add unlimited products and have basic inventory management features. The website builder itself is easy to use and has a simple drag and drop interface. You should easily be able to find the different tools and features.
In terms of templates, Shopify only has 9 available designs. They look fantastic, but this is much less than the other platforms on this list. You can purchase Shopify templates if you want a greater design choice, and upload them to your account.
We recommend you check out Out of the Sand Box for the fastest Shopify templates! Where Shopify really excels for small businesses is eCommerce. You can create gift cards, make discount codes for your products, and it also has an abandoned cart recovery feature.
It also supports international selling, allows you to manage orders and stock, and supports a great range of payment methods.
3. Webflow
A great no code website builder that allows you to build anything. Better suited to those with experience.
Prices from: £12.00 per month
Pros
- Offers excellent control.
- Fully responsive websites without the need for coding.
- An impressive uptime score of 99.99% for websites.
Cons
- Can be difficult to learn.
Main Features
- Website builder and CMS tools.
- SEO management.
- Single and multiple site price plans.
Why Choose This Website Builder?
Webflow is a similar platform to WordPress that offers a combination of web development and CMS solutions. It has an extensive range of price plans for both basic websites and eCommerce sites.
For a basic business website without an online store, you are looking at £12.00 per month. For this, you get 50GB of bandwidth, 25,000 monthly visits, and can create up to 100 website pages.
Alternatively, their basic eCommerce package starts at £29.00 per month. For this, you get custom checkout and shopping cart, and support for a great range of popular payment methods including Apple Pay and PayPal.
Although Webflow does have an intuitive website builder, it can be more difficult to use than the other options on this list. This is because to add extra features like a blog, or an online store, there is a lot of additional work to do.
For building a basic business website, it’s relatively straightforward! However, if you are willing to learn, or have some experience, Webflow also offers some of the best customization and control available.
You can fine-tune every aspect of your small business website including its responsive design, styles, and page navigation. It also has great support for SEO and has an uptime of 99.99%.
4. Weebly
Great for low cost, basic business websites.
Prices from: £0.00 per month. Check out Weebly!
Pros
- Responsive websites for mobile users.
- High-quality templates.
- Relatively cheap compared to other platforms.
Cons
- Doesn’t have as many features as some other platforms.
Main Features
- Drag and drop interface for site builder and store builder.
- Simple interface with a minimal learning curve.
- A large range of apps and plugins.
Why Choose This Website Builder?
Weebly is one of the best small business website builders due to its excellent price plans. There is a free version available that could be useful for creating a simple one-page initial website.
However, bear in mind that this has a Weebly subdomain. For a professional business website (without eCommerce), the Connect plan at £4.00 per month is a great option. However, if you want an online store too, the Business plan is just £18.00 per month and gives full eCommerce functionality.
Although hosting is included, only the Pro and Business plans come with a free domain. Aside from the cheap price plans, Weebly also has a decent website builder that has a simple drag and drop interface. You should be able to learn quickly and use one of the 20+ available templates.
Weebly also has a decent app store that includes both free and premium plugins for your website. These can improve the functionality of your site and include plugins like social media sharing buttons, FAQ sections, comments, and form builders.
These plugins can help boost the utility of your website and drive user engagement. This is a great option for small businesses, and one of the best choices for those who just want a business website without eCommerce functionality.
5. Squarespace
Best for creating portfolio-type websites for beginners.
Prices from: £10.00 per month. Check out Squarespace!
Pros
- Excellent templates and visuals.
- A great selection of tools and features.
- A solid choice for eCommerce.
Cons
- Some functionality has a steeper learning curve.
Main Features
- Drag and drop website builder.
- Full support for accepting payments.
- Support for online shopping and blogs.
Why Choose This Website Builder?
Squarespace is one of the top website builders for small businesses and also has decent pricing. There are four price plans available – personal, business, commerce, and advanced commerce.
For small businesses wanting a simple website, the business plan at £15.00 per month is the best option. This plan includes unlimited bandwidth and storage, a free domain, and access to Squarespace extensions.
If you eventually want an online store, the basic commerce package is reasonably priced at £20.00 per month. This includes the ability to have unlimited products, customer accounts, and create advanced features like gift cards and donations.
For website building, Squarespace is generally easy to use. However, some of the features do admittedly have a steeper learning curve. If you have basic computer knowledge, however, you should be fine! Squarespace also has a good selection of professional templates if you are struggling with inspiration for your website.
It also has some unique templates and different designs available such as one-page scrolling cover pages. For more advanced websites, you may also find the Squarespace extensions useful. These include apps like Smart SEO, Shippo, and Order Desk.
These are different tools that facilitate online shopping, delivery management, and even specialized things like drop shipping. Squarespace is essentially a balanced website builder that has reasonable prices and great utility for small businesses.
Compare small business website builders
If you’re still looking for the best small business website builder, you can compare them all using our free price comparison tool.
Conclusion
Any one of these 5 small business website builders would make an excellent choice. Which you choose depends on your budget, your experience, and exactly what you want from your website.
For example, Shopify could make a better option for building an online store, whereas WordPress offers greater customization and control.
Check out this article on the best eCommerce website builders if you’re looking to start an online store. Did this review help you find the best small business website builder? If so please recommend DigitalSupermarket.
