Top Considerations For Picking a Website Builder in 2021

Whether you are just starting a business or want to move your existing physical business online, you will need to find a website builder to get you and your brand online.

Website builders come with a variety of options, so it's important to find one that suits you and your website.

So what exactly is a website builder?

A website builder is software that allows you to create a website online. The software will reside on a web server of a hosting company or will be part of a hosted SaaS (software as a service) platform.

Or in other words, you don't use your local computer (desktop or laptop) to store the software that will build the website. Instead, you will create the website online using software specifically designed for website creation.

The top small business website builders are:

• WordPress
• Wix
• SquareSpace
• Weebly

What is the difference between the "hosted" solution or the "self-hosted" software?

• In a hosted solution, you pay a monthly fee for a third-party company to host and manage the software. You don't have to worry about finding a hosting company or software updates.
• Self-hosted website builders will require you to purchase a hosting plan from a third-party company, install another company's website builder software, and will need to perform software updates. Don't let that last comment scare you off. There are many hosting companies that will handle software updates for you, and you won't have to touch anything.

Top Considerations for Picking a Website Builder

• Custom Domain and Branding - Your website deserves a unique domain. A domain is simply the address of your website. Think of a domain as the house number the post office uses to locate it. You want your domain (aka URL) to be unique and memorable. Make sure your website builder allows it and doesn't force you to use an extension to your URL. 

• Content Ownership - You must own your content. That may sound simple, but some platforms control your data. Just like when you use Facebook and Facebook, you have maximum control of what resides on your profile or page. A website is your window to the world, so make sure the content you add is owned and controlled by you.

• Design Templates Available - Some website builders will offer beautiful templates that are modern in both appearance and functionality. Some others seem created a decade ago, or worse, they were coded by a developer and without the help of a graphic artist. Make sure your chosen builder has a large number of templates for him to choose from and test.

• Functionality Options - Think about the purpose of the website before hitting the buy button. Do you need e-commerce, podcast support, video integration, forum management, or lead generation? Make sure your chosen website builder supports the functionality you need and possibly want in the future. While some software options, like WordPress.org, allow you to add plugins and extensions, not all do. So be sure to select a platform that meets your current and future needs.

• Ease of use - Websites must be kept up to date and serve as living documents. For this to be the case, they must be easy to use and provide a WYSIWYG style editor. WYSIWYG means what you see is what you get. Solid website builders will make adding and editing content as easy as working on a Word file. Be sure to check out your preferred creator's content options, and make sure they provide a tool that you're comfortable with.

• Lead Generation Opportunities - A good website will produce positive results for its owners. In many cases, this means lead generation. Not all website builders will make it easy, so consider the software and its ability to quickly add, edit, or customize intake forms.

• Availability of customization - In many cases, ready-made templates will not fit perfectly on your website. Colors or layout may need to be slightly customized. Review your website software options and make sure you can edit the layout and layout as needed.

• Multimedia support -  we live in a multimedia world. People expect written content, videos, images, and audio files. A quality software package will offer all of this and allow you to add such files effortlessly.

• Search Engine Optimization - If you build it, they will come. Well not exactly. You need quality SEO for your website to rank and attract search traffic. Make sure your software has really strong SEO features as part of the core software or allows you to add features via an extension. You should be able to create SEO friendly URLs, headings, meta headings, meta descriptions, alt text, XML sitemaps and have the proper robot.txt file options.

• Mobile Responsiveness - In 2017, Google is moving to a mobile index first, and it's doing so because it sees more searches on mobile devices than it does on desktops. You need to make sure your website is ready for this new world of mobile and voice-based search. Not all website builders will get it right, so check your preferred software on your phone before you start creating.

• Speed and performance - Because mobile devices are a very important feature, speed and performance will be too. Your website should load fast and not consume a ton of mobile data.

• Cost - The cost of website builders and hosted website software will range from $ 5 per month to $ 100 per month. Learn about your entire cost structure by carefully examining all of your options. The "free" builders are not really free when you consider the fact that you need to upgrade to have basic functionality like a single domain.

• Technical Support - At some point you will need technical support. After all, it is software, and software can be demanding at times. Check out the software and / or hosting company's tech support options and make sure someone backs you up in case.