Best Website Builder for Small Business in 2022
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By LitExtension
Introduction
As the world becomes more digitally focused, it’s becoming more important to create an online presence for any business. Finding the best website builder for small business seems to be a daunting task especially for those who have just started out.
Thus, in this article, LitExtension – #1 Shopping Cart Migration Expert will help you to find the most suitable option for your business.
Let’s have a look at the the list below:
Without further ado, let’s get started!
What Is a Website Builder?
Website builders are tools that allow users to create a website without the need for manual code editing.
A software provider is a website builder provider if the following checkboxes ticked:
- Offer a platform for creating a website
- Provide unique themes for website organization, navigation, and components (e.g. pages, widgets, etc.)
- Provide extensions for common website features such as blogs or multichannel integrations
- Generate an accessible link or integrate with external hosting services
6 Best Website Builder for Small Business
In the scope of this article, we will state the best website builder for small business that allows you to create a professional site fitting your basic business needs. What is more, these website builder providers also deliver fundamental functionality & tools to keep your company’s online presence running smoothly (including eCommerce experience).
#1. WordPress Website Builder (WordPress.com)
WordPress.com is a company that provides blog hosting services. Be aware that WordPress.com is not affiliated with WordPress.org – the home of the world’s most popular open source CMS software, WordPress. WordPress.com vs WordPress.org have substantial differences in terms of pricing, customizability and so on.
If you’re curious, check out this article on WordPress.com vs WordPress.org – 10 Key Differences
Pricing
WordPress.com provides its users with a subscription-based model. It has 2 different pricing plans: WordPress Starter & WordPress Pro. To be more specific, the pricing monthly ranging from $5 to $15 (billed yearly) with additional features depending on the plan you choose.
Another plan is WordPress VIP that starts at $2000/month for enterprise business level. This package is trusted by many popular brands in the world including Spotify, Walt Disney Company, TED,…
Users who have not yet registered for a WordPress.com account are unable to access some advanced features.
To use premium features like Google Analytics integration, Social Media integration, WooCommerce selling, and so on, you must sign up for a subscription account.
WordPress.com Website Builder Features
Ease of use
The process of creating a website with WordPress.com is much more streamlined. It’s a full-featured hosting solution that’s designed to give users everything they need to get started online.
In just a few minutes, you can easily set up and create a website with a friendly dashboard.
Themes
The number of themes you have access to on WordPress.com is correlated to the plan you choose.
While on trial, you’ll get access to over 120 free themes, which you can alter and edit.
As you upgrade to a higher plan, you’ll gain access to a premium theme collection with a wide range of genres to choose from.
SEO & Marketing
WordPress.com is a major player in the field of SEO and marketing, and don’t worry, your SEO ranking will be regularly monitored by WordPress!
My overall experience with WordPress has been very positive. It’s a great resource to launch and publish websites, blogs, and media collections very easily. It’s amazing to be able to post content to the web immediately to promote access across all system variants.
Michael M. – Director of the Global Studio – Education Management
Help & Support
WordPress.com does not include any expert support when you yet select a plan for your site.
You’ll have to look for the information in community forums, FAQs provided by other users, or online documentation.
eCommerce Features
If you’re interested in selling on your WordPress.com sites, integrating with WooCommerce is a great choice!
Check out these below blog posts to better understand the WooCommerce functionality.
WooCommerce Review – Full Features Review & How to Setup WooCommerce
2022 WooCommerce Pricing – Tips to Get the Lowest Price
5 Best WooCommerce Dropshipping Plugins to Scale up Your Business
WordPress.com Pros & Cons
Wordpress.com Pros
+ Easy to set up without messing up with hosting, installation or servers
+ Quickly building website
+ Easy to customize & manage sites
+ No worry about updates or backups
+ Less in-house technical resources required
Wordpress.com Cons
- Limited extension possibilities
- Receiving less control over your websites
- Require sharing revenue with WordAds
- Unable to upload plugins
#2. Wix
Wix is undoubtedly the frontrunner in the race for the best website builder for small business. According to our Annual Report, this website builder ranks second in the top hosted solutions. It also provides usability and a reasonably powerful set of features for quickly creating your website.
Pricing
Wix offers a basic free website builder plan that allows you to create a free website. However, you sites will display Wix ads.
The monthly price ranges from $4.50 to $24.50, which covers the majority of the requirements for a personal website. Have a glance on the table below to grasp all features of each Wix website builder.
Or else, Wix Pricing Explained: Is Wix Expensive? is a great blog post that gives you advice on every single plan and guides you to choose the one that suits your business.
Wix Website Builder Features
Ease of use
It’s like playing a game of drag and drop when you use Wix. That means you can quickly drag and drop components into any part of your business site to personalize and build it!
Stunningly, the Wix website builder also designed 2 free website builder tools with different benefits but so easy to use for users namely Wix ADI vs Wix Editor. Wix ADI (Artificial Design Intelligence) is less customizable than Editor. For more insights, please visit Wix ADI vs Wix Editor: Which Builder Tool is Better?
Want to migrate to Wix?
If you are intending to migrate to Wix, LitExtension offers a great migration service that helps you transfer your data from the current eCommerce platform to a new one accurately, painlessly with utmost security.
Themes
Currently, Wix is giving users 500+ templates for building websites. All of the designs are contemporary, neat, and eye-catching.
If you’re lost in ocean of themes, let LitExtension help you with 19 beautiful and professional Wix templates for your website in 2022.
What is more, Wix also includes Wix Editor X – a new website design tool geared toward designers and agencies.
SEO & Marketing
This website builder has a prominent SEO built-in toolsets. As a result, it contributes to the fast site loading time, mobile responsiveness, XML Sitemap auto-generation….
Wix may be a simple website builder but that doesn’t mean it’s not capable of creating beautiful sites. I initially went with Wix when a client needed a website built within a couple of days. They also wanted to be able to manage it themselves later on. Wix was easy to explain and they were extremely happy with the design. If you’re proficient in design and web concepts, Wix has Editor X which allows you to make more complex and custom websites.
Keegan D. – Business Development Manager
Help & Support
This website builder for small business offers a variety of support options, including phone, email, social media, and community forums.
There are also numerous blogs & vivid video tutorials that are especially useful for beginners. Expect some back and forth on the more technical issues, but they will eventually get to the right answer.
If you purchase premium plan – eCommerce plan, Business VIP, you will receive a priority response to any tickets you submit. You may also qualify for VIP Support, which provides you with priority phone support.
eCommerce Features
With cutting-edge storefronts, merchants can sell and promote their brands. They can also optimize smooth shopping experiences when Wix offers a market-leading suite of professional eCommerce apps.
Wix has 3 Business & eCommerce Plans if you need an eCommerce website builder for your online store. The monthly cost ranges from $17 to $35. Prices include a custom domain, secure online payments, plans, and recurring payments…
Below are the full features of 3 Wix eCommerce plans, you can have a glance at it. In case you’re interested in selling with Wix eCommerce, Wix eCommerce Review 2022 – A Full Package For Your Online Business will be a great help!
Wix Pros & Cons
Wix Pros
+ Intuitive interface
+ Excellent website builder tools
+ Free plan available
Wix Cons
- Can’t switch templates
- No multi-currency selling support
- Poor marketplace
#3. Squarespace
Squarespace is a well-known website builder designed to assist merchants, regardless of technical skills, in creatively building their websites and performing their work.
It is ideal for photographers, artists, and anyone who appreciates design and wants their website to look its best. This website builder provider powers over 2,917,842 live websites around the world, which is a witness to the quality of its results!
Additionally, Squarespace also provides eCommerce solutions when it provides more and more eCommerce functions to its clients. For more information about eCommerce Tools and Features, pay a visit to our Squarespace Review – Is It Worth Your Money.
Pricing
This website builder for small business provides 2 website building plans.
The Personal plan for $14/month (if paid annually) includes everything you need to set up a simple but complete website. The good news is that the Squarespace Personal plan includes unlimited bandwidth and storage. If you don’t plan on selling online, the Personal Plan is a good place to start.
The Business plan costs $23/month and includes even more features. This is more appropriate for creating a website than a store, but it still includes a lot of eCommerce functionality.
Squarespace Website Builder Features
Ease of use
Squarespace, like other website builders, is a drag-and-drop platform, but it takes longer and requires more effort.
However, Page Sections, which is featured in Squarespace 7.1, will greatly aid you in putting up your website with clear instructions.
Themes
Squarespace templates cover a wide range of topics, including health, beauty, magazine, technology, and more. They are all perfectly suited to artistic and aesthetic photographers, as well as everyone who enjoys art. Due to the large number of themes on the marketplace, you may face many confusion on which one is ideal for your business.
Don’t worry, LitExtension did a thorough research and listed out top Squarespace templates so you don’t have to worry about it anymore.
Find out at: 9+ Best Squarespace Templates You Need To Know In 2022
Squarespace also partners with popular stock markets like Unsplash (free) and Getty (paid). That means that if you choose Squarespace to construct your website, you’ll always have access to a wide range of beautiful stock market images without worrying about license.
SEO & Marketing
Squarespace provides most of the SEO options that your site will require, such as HSTS security, a Sitemap.xml file, Clean HTML markup, and so on. Undoubtedly, in terms of SEO, this website builder offers a powerful built-in function. Learn more about Squarespace SEO with our Ultimate Guide Bringing Site to First Page.
In terms of marketing, Squarespace email campaigns allow you to update your site while also sending campaigns from the same interface. It also allows you to create email campaigns that are a natural extension of your website and brand. Furthermore, tracking email campaign analytics allow you to easily keep track of your campaign and make necessary changes.
Help & Support
Squarespace’s strength in support is detail; they always provide in-depth answers or articles on the knowledge page. Another advantage is that their live chat is very responsive.
Furthermore, Squarespace offers a Developer Platform for those with advanced knowledge of web design, CSS, HTML… to create fully custom sites or build everything from scratch, as well as integrate with third-party tools.
eCommerce Features
The built-in features of Squarespace provide you with powerful tools for growing your site. However the number of available features is determined by the plan you select.
Squarespace allows you to connect accounts from 10+ social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
You can even host your own podcast on Squarespace and publish it to Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
More insights at:
Squarespace Review — Is It Worth Your Money?
Ultimate Squarespace Pricing — Tips to Save Money in 2022
Squarespace Tutorial — How to Use Squarespace to Kick Off Your Online Business
Pros & Cons
#4. GoDaddy
Being one of the world’s most popular domain registrars and hosting providers, GoDaddy is now having approximately 1,800,000 live websites. This platform is well-known for being a simple online selling website builder for small businesses and novices.
This website builder for small business has been growing since 2014 when this website builder released GoDaddy for eCommerce. GoDaddy eCommerce package makes it easier than ever for beginners and small businesses to start selling.
More insights at: What Is GoDaddy? Is GoDaddy Ecommerce Suitable For Beginners?
Pricing
All GoDaddy plans have a generous 1-month free trial. During trial period, no part of the website builder is restricted, so you can make the most of it.
Besides, the whole registration process only requires your email address not a credit card. This will ensure 100% security and free of charge.
However, if you own an online store, the only package that is suitable is GoDaddy eCommerce pricing. It has several features, including:
- Add and change product listings
- Set up adaptable shipping options
- Directly sell products through your online store
- Sell on online marketplaces such as Amazon and Etsy
- Control discounts and promotions
GoDaddy Website Builder Features
Ease of use
GoDaddy eCommerce appears to be simple to use. This platform features basic functions and has detailed guidelines to help you get started. With only a few clicks, you may have a professional-looking website for your business.
Themes
When you enter some information about your niches or industries, GoDaddy will generate templates with pre-filled content for your store.
You can preview your sites on desktop and mobile as you customize them.
The number of GoDaddy templates, on the other hand, is limited. There are currently only 24 website themes available, and the design is not as appealing as that of other website builders such as Wix or Shopify.
SEO & Marketing
GoDaddy SEO is a do-it-yourself tool that improves the search engine optimization of your website. To be more specific, it offers fundamental functionality for your website like keyword optimization.
You’ll be asked a few simple questions about the type of targeting you’re looking for, and GoDaddy will recommend the best keywords to use to help your site rank higher on Google.
And of course, it is still relatively basic as compared to what you have to pay. If you want to better optimize your website, hiring SEO experts is an optimal choice.
Help & Support
There are several support channels available, including phone support and live chat, in addition to their existing knowledge base and community forum. GoDaddy provides phone support 24/7, or you can live chat with a GoDaddy expert all day on weekdays. Specifically, GoDaddy has a How-To section with a comprehensive guide on how to create a business website.
eCommerce Features
With GoDaddy eCommerce, what you can get are:
- No transaction fees
- Selling in marketplaces (Amazon, eBay, Walmart and Etsy)
- Unlimited drag-and-drop products images
Pros & Cons
GoDaddy Pros
+ Ideal for beginners
+ Largest domain name registrar
+ Fast and rock solid uptime
GoDaddy Cons
- Lack of apps
- Lack of customization
Wanna grasp more insights? Check out our thorough blog post on GoDaddy:
GoDaddy Ecommerce Review by LitExtension Team
Comparing Squarespace vs GoDaddy: Key Differences
#5. Weebly
Weebly is an excellent choice if you want to create a small business or online portfolio website. It currently powers 1,016,977 live websites worldwide.
Its popularity stems from the fact that it is easy to use and comes loaded with apps and features to help you grow your site, from SEO to eCommerce.
Pricing
Weebly pricing ranges from $0 to $25 per month. Specifically, Weebly’s free plan is one of the most generous among free website builders.
With as little as $5 per month, you can get started with your own domain name.
Its $12-per-month Pro plan includes an ad-free site with analytics and commerce capabilities. Meanwhile, $25 Business plan includes additional store tools such as tax and shipping calculators, inventory management, and discounts.
Weebly Website Builder Features
Ease of use
This platform includes everything you need to quickly launch a website. The drag-and-drop editor helps Weebly earn its unrivaled reputation. With this outstanding feature, store owners can easily set up, create content, and manage sites without any coding experience.
Themes
Weebly themes are simple, stylish, and mobile-friendly. Business owners can easily switch themes at any time, which is a great benefit that makes redesigns a breeze.
Currently, this website builder for small business offers 60+ themes divided into six categories: online store, business, portfolio, personal, event, and blog.
SEO & Marketing
Website builders normally have a bad reputation when it comes to SEO. Weebly, on the other hand, has a robust set of SEO capabilities, so you won’t have to worry about that.
Weebly also promotes email marketing as an effective way for retailers to encourage customers to make a purchase. And this is where Weebly Promote comes in handy. A full-service email marketing platform that makes email marketing simple with templates and customization options.
Weebly’s blogging feature allows you quickly and easily create a blog. You don’t have to spend time designing them yourself because there are several to choose from.
Help & Support
In general, Weebly offers adequate customer service. Once you access Weebly Support Center, there will be comprehensive information that you need to set up and maintain your store.
eCommerce Features
Depending on the plan, “sell hidden items” feature is available. Its goal is to prevent the general public from accessing certain pages or the entire site.
First, you can select which items you want to conceal. Customers who have a link to the item page will be able to access them. Then, simply create a password-protected page and add the hidden items.
Pros & Cons
Weebly Pros
+ Best website builder for small business
+ Cool customizable templates
+ Helpful SEO guide
Weebly Cons
- Outdated designs
- Poor mobile optimization
#6. Ucraft
Ucraft is one of the best website platform for small business that prioritizes design in everything it does.
This website builder’s features include a sleek editor and mesmerizing website templates that make your brand look so chic.
Ucraft is ideal for anyone looking to create a beautiful website for themselves, their businesses, or events.
Pricing
Ucraft offers four plans, ranging from completely free to $69 per month when paid annually.
- Free Website: You will have access to all of Ucraft’s basic features as well as all of the templates
- Pro Website: This plan will cost you $10 per month. You can sell up to 50 different products. You can also make your site multilingual by translating it into another language
- Pro Shop will cost you $21, lets you sell up to 1,000 different products, and gives you the ability to edit invoices, reverse charge VAT, and enable discount coupons.
- Unlimited: You have access to premium features just like Pro Shop but with unlimited products.
Overall, it’s an inexpensive way to get started with a hobby business website that looks great and can grow with your business thanks to all of those features.
Ucraft Website Builder Features
Ease of use
The drag-and-drop feature of Ucraft makes this website builder very simple to use. It’s not over-say to mark Ucraft the easiest website builder for small business.
Users can begin the building process with a blank canvas or choose one of the available ready-made themes.
For those that don’t know how to write code or for those that do, using Ucraft is super simple. The drag and drop editing is the best I have experienced with any online website designer.
Themes
Currently, Ucraft offers 120+ templates for users to choose from for online business creator. All of the templates are artsy and fit many businesses ranging widely from restaurants to healthcare.
SEO & Marketing
Creative bloggers who want to launch and manage full-featured and visually appealing blogs will truly want to use Ucraft’s Articles App. To attract user attention, the app allows for the creation of a blog or the publication of a news section on a website. The entire procedure takes no more than a few minutes and is usually completed in a few simple steps.
Help & Support
This website builder for small business has a wide range of support like FAQs section, Live Help, How To’s section, … Ucraft’s support team is undoubtedly helpful, but your options for getting assistance are somewhat limited.
eCommerce Features
Each eCommerce package has its own set of features. You can’t add products or sell them on the free plan. You can get 15 products, 1000 products, and limitless products on your sites with the premium plans, correspondingly Pro Website, Pro Shop, and Unlimited.
Ucraft, for example, charges a 0% transaction fee and offers a range of shipping and payment options (Stripe, Paypal).
Pros & Cons
Ucraft Pros
+ Artistic templates & robust designer tools
+ Good for newbies thanks to its drag-and-drop editor
+ Decent free package
Ucraft Cons
- Not good for growing business
- Limited integration options
What to Expect from a Website Builder?
Website builders offer a basic platform for creating websites to users who lack extensive technical knowledge on how to build a website by utilizing templates with drag-and-drop functions to easily create & maintain a site. So, what to expect?
Website Builder for Small Business Features
Ease of Use
A website builder should be easy to use for beginners (non-techies). Therefore, when choosing website builder, look for the one that includes drag-and-drop features, powerful editing tools, and a variety of customization options.
eCommerce Capabilities
A decent website builder should include a variety of professional website templates. Additionally, there should be rooms for add-ons or connectors, such as Google Analytics or third-party marketing tools. That means with those features, merchants can sell and manage their stores easily.
Templates & Customization
Templates are the foundation of your website. They include content that is consistent throughout all pages, such as the design, font, and color palette. Choosing the right template and customizing it well will improve your sites and your brand image to the visitors. Thus, it’s essential to examine these factors carefully.
Responsiveness
Website’s mobile compatibility is critical. These days, people are increasingly using their phones to access the internet, and this trend is projected to continue. As a result, having a high level of mobile compatibility can truly help websites.
There are a number of other factors to consider, such as SEO features, security, and so on. You can visit our eCommerce platform review section for a more in-depth look at each website builder and a comparison between them.
Support
Users always favor the one that gives various supporting channels & 24/7 online service. Therefore, a website builder provider should have an intuitive and easy-to-use interface.
Pricing
Website builder service is such a fierce competition when businesses are always looking for the most valuable option. The total price can also include additional charges for additional features or services. So optimize your service!
Pros & Cons of Using Website Builders
Website Builders for Small Business Pros
- Ideal for beginners and small business owners
- No technical skills needed
- No design skill needed
- Strong built-in features
- Easy to manage and maintain
Website Builders for Small Business Cons
- Limited drag-and-drop customization
- Poor mobile optimization
- Limited eCommerce functionality
- Poor SEO elements
Website Builder for Small Business — FAQs
Do I need a website builder?
If you’re just starting out and have little coding skills, the answer is yes! A website builder is a great way to get your site online quickly.
What is the best website builder for small business?
For small businesses and freelancers, LitExtension suggests the best websites for small business as followed: WordPress.com, Wix, Squarespace, GoDaddy, Weebly, Ucraft.
Can I create a business website for free?
Yes, you certainly can. However, optimizing and customizing your websites has some restrictions. You can’t use custom domains, for example, and your website builder’s adverts will appear on your pages. So, if you actually want to run your company, you should consider investing for a plan.
All in all, with the list of best website builder for small business, we hope you can grasp insights of which one fits your business the most.
After listing and analyzing, we summarize:
- WordPress.com — Best for blogging
- Wix — Best for creating unique sites
- Squarespace — Best for professional design
- Weebly — Best for beginner with generous free plan
- GoDaddy — Best for fast website building
- Ucraft — Best for appealing blogs
In case you have any further questions, don’t hesitate to contact our Support Team. Our experts are always willing to resolve your concerns quickly.
