19 Best Website Builders for Small Businesses

by Brandon Boushy
19 Best Website Builders for Small Businesses

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Every business should have a website, but professional websites are expensive. You’ll have an advantage if you can build your business’s website for free. That’s why we looked into the best website builders for small businesses.

After reviewing several blogs, one thing was clear: Everyone has a different opinion.

We decided to go with Google’s rankings because it uses the number of referring domains (i.e., the number of websites that link to them) as a primary way to rank its results. We ignored ads and scrolled down to the authentic list of website builders.

After we gathered a list of website builders, we reviewed each one to see what makes it unique. We compared their pricing and features to help you decide on the best website creator.

Which of the best website builders have you tried?

The Best Free Website Builders for Small Businesses

Smiling man having an espresso and working at a laptop with Canva, Wix, weebly, Webflow, and GoDaddy icons hovering around him

At the end of 2023, we compared top-ranked companies that came up in response to the search term “free website builder.” The following were the top results:

  1. Wix
  2. Weebly
  3. Canva
  4. GoDaddy Website Builder
  5. Webflow
  6. Yola
  7. Website.com
  8. WordPress.com (and the Elementor tool)
  9. Strikingly
  10. Appy Pie
  11. Renderforest
  12. Zoho Sites

Some website builders that appeared in the search results didn’t actually have free plans. These were:

  1. Squarespace
  2. MailChimp
  3. Mobirise
  4. GetResponse
  5. HostGator
  6. Shopify
  7. BigCommerce

We’ll look at each website builder to help you understand why it might be best for you.

#1. Wix: Best Free Website Builder for Small Businesses

Wix homepage on a laptop

When you go to Wix, you’ll get choices to start an online store, portfolio website, blog, consultancy website, service business site, restaurant site, event site, or “other.”

The simple drag-and-drop editor and wide range of website templates makes Wix the best website builder for small business owners. You also don’t need a credit card to sign up for Wix.

Pros
• User-friendly drag-and-drop builder
• Wide range of templates and customization options
• The app market allows you to buy custom features that some but not all types of businesses need.

Cons
• The free plan only provides a Wix-branded subdomain—you’ll get a free custom domain on any paid plan

Difference Between a Subdomain and a Custom Domain

We’ll be using the terms “subdomain” and “custom domain more throughout this list. Here’s what those terms mean:

  1. Subdomain: Your custom website ears branding from your web host, e.g., “yourbusiness.wixsite.com.” It only requires a couple of clicks to turn your design into a webpage, but it can also turn wary customers away.
  2. Custom domain: Only includes your chosen website name, e.g., “yourbusiness.com.” Attaining a custom domain is pricier and more involved, but it lends your business extra credibility. And if you own the custom domain, you can change web hosts.

Wix Pricing

Wix pricing ranges from free to $159 monthly. As the price goes up, you’ll benefit from additional:

  • Collaborators
  • Storage space
  • Marketing features
  • Site analytics
  • Payment processing
  • eCommerce features
  • Developer platform features

All paid plans include first-year domains for free. You can also get an enterprise plan for even more features, but you’ll need a quote from Wix.

#2. Weebly: Best Free eCommerce Website Builder

Weebly homepage on a desktop computer with a miniature shopping cart positioned on the desk in front of it

Weebly is the best free option for small business owners in eCommerce. It helps you start online stores with basic capabilities and includes a user-friendly drag-and-drop editor.

It’s simple compared to many other free builders, but you might not be able to expand your website as much as other services allow.

Pros
• Intuitive drag-and-drop interface
• Good selection of templates
• Basic eCommerce capabilities

Cons
• Free plan has fewer features than the paid plans (but you’ll find that with every free website builder on this list)

Weebly Pricing

Weebly offers four tiers of plans, with prices from free to $29 per month. All the plans work for eCommerce, but you’ll get additional features when you choose a paid option, including:

  • Custom domains
  • Unlimited storage
  • Better site statistics
  • No square ads
  • Ability to sell digital goods
  • Shipping functions
  • Reviews
  • Abandoned cart emails
  • Better support

#3. Canva: Best Business Website Builder for Designers

Woman working on a desktop computer placing the orange UpFlip logo in the center of a Canva design

Most people use Canva for design work, but they have an excellent website builder.

As a non-designer, I love Canva. I have used their designs to create a business website, and it’s phenomenal if you don’t mind a Canva subdomain.

On the other hand, I did not find using a custom domain on Canva as simple as with some of the other website-building software.

Pros
• Excellent design tool for non-designers
• Easy to use as a Canva subdomain (e.g., “yourbusiness.canva.com”)
• Lots of templates
• Website building and design tools in one software

Cons
• Difficult when using a custom domain
• Unique style of website builder, which may feel unintuitive to people who have built sites before

Canva Pricing

The pricing of Canva ranges from free to $14.99 for one person to $29.99 for a team of five. Additional users cost extra.

The main perks of going with the $14.99 Canva Pro plan are additional AI functionality, brand kits, and millions of stock images. Canva for Teams mainly adds collaborative functionality and reports.

#4. GoDaddy Website Builder

Woman in glasses searching GoDaddy on a desktop computer

GoDaddy doesn’t just sell domains. You can also build your website with the GoDaddy Website Builder. It offers both free and paid website builder options.

GoDaddy provides complete control, web hosting, and other features small business websites need. Various eCommerce tools, including Google Shopping integrations, make GoDaddy appealing to small businesses selling products.

Pros
• Accept payments with a free plan
• Improve your website with paid plans
• Google Shopping integration
• In-person selling tools (additional cost)

Cons
• Online marketplace on Commerce plan and higher only
• Most marketing features are not available on lower plans.

GoDaddy Website Builder Pricing

The free version of GoDaddy Website Builder includes:

  • Social media and email marketing
  • Single session appointments, but not recurring appointments
  • GoDaddy Payments that accept credit and debit cards
  • SSL certificates, which prove your website is secure
  • 24/7 customer support
  • GoDaddy Studio content creation

Meanwhile, GoDaddy offers premium plans ranging from $9.99 to $29.99 that include:

  • Custom domains
  • Flexible shipping
  • Search engine optimization (SEO) tools
  • Recurring appointments
  • Email and text reminders
  • Amazon, eBay, and Etsy integration
  • Online payment for services
  • Google Shopping listings
  • Order and inventory synching

#5. Webflow

Business owner opening Webflow on their laptop computer

Webflow is a no-code web builder that goes beyond the basic website to create the entire customer experience. It uses web development best practices; for instance, staging, which gives you a separate environment from your live website to tinker with without breaking anything.

If you aspire to be a web designer, developer, or SaaS company, this is one of the best website creators on the market.

Pros
• Great for people who like to learn
• Great for designers and devs

Cons
• There is a learning curve
• Overwhelming number of options
• Traffic limits

Webflow Pricing

Webflow pricing is one of the most complex on this list of website builders. You’ll start by choosing either Site plans or Workspace plans, but most individual users will need Site plans.

Then, you’ll have the choice between general plans or eCommerce plans. Only the general plan has a free option, which includes:

  • Webflow.io domain
  • Two-page website
  • 50 file types (e.g., photo files, PDFs, etc.)
  • 50 form submissions (lifetime)
  • 1 GB bandwidth
  • 1K unique visitors monthly

The upgraded plans add:

  • Custom domains
  • Additional web pages
  • Additional CMS items
  • Additional form submissions
  • Additional bandwidth
  • Additional unique visitors monthly
  • Different marketing and SEO features

#6. Yola: Best for Local SEO Tools

Top-down shot of a person holding a tablet showing the Yola homepage over a desk with a succulent, a notepad, and a pair of reading glasses

You may not have heard of Yola before (neither had I), but it has some built-in features that can make it easier to start a business. Including Google Maps as part of the web builder and automatic GDPR compliance are excellent features.

Note: GDPR stands for General Data Protection Regulation, a European data protection law.

This might be the right website builder for local businesses or ones that do a lot of business in Europe. Unfortunately, the builder software’s free plan is limited to two pages.

Pros
• Contact forms
• Google Maps built-in
• YouTube embeds built-in
• Multilingual sites
• No traffic limits

Cons
• The free plan only includes two pages
• Complicated pricing
• Tiered eCommerce plans can limit growth

Yola Pricing

The most complicated part about Yola is the pricing. The free plan is limited to two pages and 1 GB of storage space, while the other plans allow much more storage space and up to 1,000 pages. Paid plans range from $9.45 to $35.45 per month.

Then, you can add a store to premium plans for free—up to three products and one category. Upgrade to 100 products for $15 per month, $2,500 for $35, or unlimited for $99.

You can also buy an add-on custom domain and email.

#7. Website.com: Cheapest Website Builder for Side Gigs

Screenshot of Website.com’s homepage

I would categorize Website.com as the best website builder for small business owners running a side gig because they have a free plan and many low-cost plans. These plans provide limited functionality but will reduce costs until the business can sustain your lifestyle.

Some of the web builders do not include payment processing in the free tiers, but Website.com does. Unfortunately, they require the highest tier plan for necessary pages, like terms of service and refund pages.

Pros
• Top tier plan has excellent features, like schema, built-in
• Credit cards are accepted on all tiers.

Cons
• Terms and refund page are only available to the highest plan
• Business Basic is the minimum anyone serious about running a business would want.

Website.com Pricing

Website.com offers websites for free, but they earn revenue from ads. You’re limited to five pages with the free plan but get unlimited pages with any upgraded plans.

Upgraded plans range from $11 to $38 monthly with a $15 setup fee. You’ll want at least the Business Basic plan if you focus on selling online. Still, many of the features you need to be genuinely successful are only available with the $38 monthly Business Advanced plan.

#8. WordPress.com (and the Elementor tool)

Laptop on an orange background displaying the WordPress homepage surrounded by screenshots of WordPress- and Elementor-related articles hovering in front of and behind the computer

WordPress.com is based on, but distinct from, the free content management system (CMS) called WordPress or WordPress.org. Unlike the CMS—which allows you to build a website and manage its content—WordPress.com also hosts your website and provides a free subdomain.

Using the free CMS allows you to save money by finding less expensive hosting and domain solutions. But if you’re not interested or experienced in handling web hosting and domain registration, we recommend WordPress.com.

One of the best WordPress.com tools is Elementor, a template company. Their free template, Hello Elementor, is usually ranked as the fastest WordPress.com template, but you need the Business plan to use it.

Pros
• Established and widely used platform
• Free subdomain (e.g., yourbusiness.wordpress.com)
• Blogging capabilities are integrated.

Cons:
• Limited design customization on the free plan
• Ads on the free plan
• Complex management
• Many eCommerce features require WooCommerce.

WordPress.com Pricing

WordPress.com offers six plans that range from free to the Enterprise-grade package at $25K+ per year. All the plans provide website functions, but when you increase your plan, you get additional features like:

  • Lower transaction fees (starts at 10% and goes to 0%)
  • Increased server management
  • Increased monetization features

The $25 monthly Business plan is best for developers, while the $45 monthly commerce package is best for eCommerce stores.

#9. Strikingly: Best for Single-Product Online Store

Concept of young business woman checking out Strikingly pricing plans on her laptop with the comparison table hovering over her shoulder and product packages on the desk next to her

The best website builder for single-product companies is Strikingly. A small business owner with multiple passive income businesses would benefit from this builder software. You don’t need coding knowledge; you can build a simple website to sell online.

Pros
• Up to 5 pages with the free website builder
• Free plan allows you to sell a single product
• You can create as many websites as you like.

Cons
• Limited number of pages
• Can only sell one product in your online store

Strikingly Pricing

Strikingly offers its free plan, which they promote as “free forever,” as well as paid plans. Paid plans open benefits like increased bandwidth, site memberships, and unlimited products.

#10. Appy Pie: Best Small Business App Builder

Hands holding a smartphone displaying Appy Pie’s "Start Build" page

Most website builders are focused on building websites, but Appy Pie is a small business website builder, app builder, and NFT generator. That means you can do a lot more than website building with Appy Pie.

This small business website builder is best for people who want no-code mobile apps or want to enter the world of crypto.

Pros
• No code website builder for small business
• No-code app builder
• No-code automation builder

Cons
• A relative newcomer to the website builder space
• Slightly higher entry point than other website builders for small businesses

Appy Pie Pricing

Appy Pie has a free AI website builder that you can use to get started, but you’ll likely want to upgrade to a paid plan.

Both the $18 plan and $36 plan let you convert your small business website into an Android mobile app, but you’ll need a $60-monthly app builder if you want to have an iOS app.

#11. Renderforest: Best for Video Websites

Man checking out Renderforest homepage on a desktop computer in a dimly lit office space

This business website creator is meant for graphic designers and video creators. However, it could also be one of the best website builders for serial entrepreneurs who use lots of video and images.

The main focus of the website builder is providing better quality using SVG images and up to UHD 4K video.

Pros
• Visually stunning content
• Great features for content creators and agencies
• Free website builder with all plans

Cons
• Website builder is secondary to video tools.
• No free domains

Renderforest Pricing

The free plan lets you create low-quality PNGs, three-minute HD 720p videos, and free websites with up to 30 events.

Meanwhile, the $9.99 plan allows custom web domains, SSL encryption, and SEO and marketing functions. It also includes unlimited-length HD 720p videos and high-resolution PNGs and SVGs. The website gets 150 events.

When you go with the $19.99 plan, you get 1080p videos, 300 events, and brand guidelines. Meanwhile, the $29.99 plan allows reselling, 4K UHD video, and unlimited website events.

#12. Zoho Sites

Screenshot of Zoho CRM and Bigin plans comparison table

Zoho has a full suite of apps for businesses. One of them is a website builder with a drag-and-drop interface.

You’ll want to use the Bigin version to get the best value on a free plan, but there are so many apps built to work together that you should check out Zoho’s full suite of options.

Pros
• Simple drag-and-drop builder
• Integration with other Zoho apps

Cons
• Limited template selection
• It can get pricey, depending on what you need.

Pricing

You can get Zoho Sites, Zoho Bigin, or Zoho One to get the drag-and-drop editor. The differences are pricing structures and features.

Sites has an $8 or $23 monthly plan for just the drag-and-drop editor.

Zoho One is a full suite of business apps, including the drag-and-drop editor. Pricing is $45 per employee per month (with all employees) or $105 per employee per month with the flexible plan.

Bigin is a modified version of Zoho One intended for solo entrepreneurs. It has a free, $9, and $15 monthly plan and acts as a stepping stone until you can justify Zoho One pricing.

Best Website Builders for Small Businesses (No Free Plans)

When you’re looking for the best website builder for small business owners, you might be better off using a paid website builder without a free plan.

Even so, Wix, Weebly, and WordPress.com stand up to anything on this list.

#13. Squarespace: Best for Online Payments

Squarespace pricing plan comparison table on a tablet next to a credit card reader

Squarespace is Square’s website builder, which means it will work well with businesses using Square payment processing.

Some of the higher-tier plans include a year of Google Workspace, which is helpful for business owners, but if you’re going with lower-tier plans you are better off with some of the other best website builders in this blog.

Pros
• eCommerce plans work seamlessly with the Square payment processor.
• Business and eCommerce plans include a year of Google Workspace.

Cons
• No free plan
• Better opportunities for lower-tier plans

Squarespace Pricing

Squarespace offers free trials but doesn’t have a free plan. The Personal plan for $23 per month has limited functionality and doesn’t have payment processing.

Meanwhile, the Business plan costs $33 monthly and adds a payment processor but charges 3% above standard processing fees.

The Commerce Basic plan is only an additional $3 monthly and removes the 3% fees. That means anyone selling more than $100 monthly from your website will benefit. Point-of-sale, Facebook and Instagram selling, and other eCommerce functionalities are available.

The best features are in the $65-per-month Commerce Advanced plan. You can sell subscriptions, have advanced shipping and discount options, and cart recovery.

#14. MailChimp: Best for Email Marketing

Screenshot of MailChimp’s home page

MailChimp is an email marketing platform. It also offers a website builder and other marketing tools and functions for a small business to start managing customer interactions.

Pros
• Free website builder after subscribing to email plans
• Marketing customer relationship management (CRM)
• Organic and paid social posting
• Unlimited landing pages
• Site-level reporting

Cons
• The web builder is a secondary consideration.
• Cost jumps from $700 to $1,075 minimum when your mailing list exceeds 100K subscribers

MailChimp Pricing

The MailChimp website builder is free with all the plans.

The way MailChimp charges is based on the number of emails in your database and the functions you receive. You can get essential marketing functions for 500 emails for free, but you’ll pay more if you want advanced automation, analytics, or a more extensive mailing list.

#15. Mobirise

Screenshot of Mobirise home page hovering on a salmon pink background

Most of the best website builders are cloud-hosted by the web builder. Mobirise is a desktop app with a free website builder included. They will be releasing an AI website builder in the future.

Like WordPress.org, you’ll be responsible for choosing a web host (Mobirise being an option) and obtaining a custom domain name.

Pros
• Create a small business website without the internet
• Choose your preferred web host

Cons
• More decisions to make
• Costs can add up if you don’t buy the Mobirise Website Builder Kit

Mobirise Pricing

The pricing for Mobirise is free, but your small business website will likely need paid add-ons like templates or blocks that make the free website builder easier to use.

There are over 9,300 blocks, and the Website Builder Kit would be valued up to $9,662 if you bought each add-on separately, but they sell it for $149.

#16. GetResponse: Best Built-In Marketing Tools

Business man holding a laptop displaying the GetResponse logo on the screen while a screenshot of the GetResponse home page hovers behind him

GetResponse is similar to MailChimp where it is focused on improving your business’s lead response rate. A free website builder and landing page builder are included with all plans.

This website builder is another add-on to marketing automations—just with a better rating than MailChimp. But GetResponse is less known than MailChimp, which means fewer people will be able to advise you on how to use the software.

Pros
• All plans include free web builder and landing page builder
• Premium plan is less expensive than MailChimp’s
• Marketing automation is crucial for business growth
• Better Trustpilot ratings than MailChimp

Cons
• No completely free plan
• People aren’t as familiar with this offering as many of the best website builder

GetResponse Pricing

There are three pricing tiers: email marketing ($19 per month), marketing automation ($59 per month), and eCommerce marketing ($119 per month) for 1,000 emails. You can increase the number of emails for an additional cost.

GetResponse offers an 18% discount for annual plans and a 30% discount for two years paid up front.

#17. HostGator

Side-by-side screenshots of HostGator’s home page and pricing comparison page

HostGator is a website hosting platform that offers a website builder as well. HostGator offers some features, like the link-in-bio tool, that other top website builders don’t.

There are numerous complaints about the features that are unique to this web-building platform, so I’d be hesitant about using it.

Pros
• Link-in-bio tool
• Social media scheduling application
• Low-cost plans

Cons
• No completely free web builder
• Lots of recent complaints about some of the features

HostGator Pricing

There are four plans for the HostGator Website Builder:

  • Website: For $4.84 per month, you get a basic website builder and custom domain name, plus Google verification and analytics integration.
  • Website+Marketing: You get everything in the website package, plus appointment setting and lots of marketing tools such as CRM, marketing calendars, QR code generators, and more. It only costs $7.95 per month.
  • Online Store: Add a mobile-responsive store and QuickBooks integration in this $13.95 monthly package.
  • Online Marketplaces: For $19.95 you get everything previously listed plus features like marketplace selling, fulfillment automation, barcode creation, and more.

#18. Shopify: Best eCommerce Website Builder

Shopify "Start your own shop" page on a laptop

Shopify’s eCommerce features are some of the best in the business. You’ll get a free trial with Shopify, which is pretty standard among the best eCommerce website builders, but you can’t run your website completely free.

Shopify has its own codebase, so if you’ve worked with a developer for other website builders, they might not be familiar with Shopify code.

Pros
Robust eCommerce features: Shopify is known for its extensive range of eCommerce functionalities, making it suitable for businesses of all sizes.
Scalability: It’s highly scalable, allowing for site growth as your business expands.
Large app store: Shopify has a vast app store with a wide range of third-party integrations and add-ons.
Mobile optimization: Shopify provides a mobile app for managing your store on the go.
Abandoned cart recovery: This feature, which is crucial for recovering potentially lost sales, is available even on the basic plan.

Cons:
Transaction fees: Shopify charges transaction fees if you don’t use their in-house payment gateway, Shopify Payments.
Costs can add up: While the basic plan is reasonable, additional apps and services can increase costs.

Shopify Pricing

Shopify is one of the best website builders for small businesses. It has three plans for an online store: Basic ($39), Shopify ($105), and Advanced ($399). The main differences in the plans are transaction fees and the number of users who manage your small business website.

Jazmin Richards discusses how she uses Shopify in the video below:

YouTube player

#19. BigCommerce

BigCommerce uses the same pricing strategy as Shopify, but there’s a catch: There’s a limit to the amount of transactions you can use in each plan.

You can run multiple stores from a single BigCommerce plan, which makes it excellent for serial entrepreneurs.

It’s meant to have a lot of functionality, but anytime software adds additional functionality, that means more of a learning curve.

Pros
Powerful eCommerce capabilities: BigCommerce offers robust eCommerce features and is suitable for both small and large businesses.
No transaction fees: BigCommerce doesn’t charge transaction fees, which can save money for high-volume businesses.
Flexible design: It provides a more flexible design framework compared to Shopify.
Multi-channel selling: Integrates with various sales channels, like Amazon, eBay, and social media platforms.

Cons
Learning curve: While it offers more flexibility, it might have a steeper learning curve compared to Weebly or Shopify.
Pricing: BigCommerce is a bit pricier than Weebly, especially for larger businesses.

BigCommerce Pricing

BigCommerce pricing ranges from $39 to $399. The $39 monthly plan offers three online stores, the $105 monthly plan offers five online stores, and the highest tier offers eight unique storefronts.

There’s also an enterprise plan with much more support than the other plans.

We’ve discussed the most popular website builders. After you choose the website builder software you prefer, you’ll want to understand the website-building process.

How to Build a Website for Free

Here’s a step-by-step guide to help with your site building:

  1. Define your purpose and goals.
  2. Choose a website builder.
  3. Sign up and orient yourself.
  4. Select a template.
  5. Customize your website.
  6. Preview and test it.
  7. Optimize it for mobile.
  8. Consider setting up a custom domain.
  9. Publish your website.
  10. Promote your website.
  11. Regularly update and maintain it.

Define Your Purpose and Goals

Before you start building your website, you should determine what you want it to achieve. Some of the things you might want to use a website builder for include:

  • Showcasing a portfolio
  • Writing a personal blog
  • Running an online store
  • Collecting customer contact information
  • Scheduling appointments
  • Collecting payments

Additionally, every business should aim to have a fast website on both desktop and mobile devices. LiquidBlox’s comparison of website builder loading speeds can give you a good idea of which builders perform well.

Choose a Website Builder

You’ll want to choose the best website builder for you. For help making your choice, consider your purpose and goals and read our reviews above.

Remember, the best website builder is the one that helps you build your ideal business website as easily and effectively as possible.

Sign Up and Orient Yourself

Person working at a laptop designing a website welcome page with text "Welcome to my website" hovering over a beautiful mountain and forest nature shot

Next, you’ll want to create an account with the website builder you’ve chosen.

All the website platforms are a little different, so you’ll want to take their walkthroughs, read their “help” sections, and so on.

Select a Template

Most website builders have templates that make it easier to create your website. You should choose one that aligns with your vision for your site.

Small business owners should choose a template based on qualities like:

  • Layout: The layout is how the page looks to the user. You want your site to be laid out intuitively.
  • Predesigned pages: Website templates should have at least a home page, an About Us page, service pages (which explain what your business offers), and a Contact page. If you’re running an online store, you’ll also want category pages and product pages. Make sure there is a template for each page you want.

Customize Your Website

Modify the template to suit your needs. In addition to customizing things like font and color, you’ll want to add content, select necessary plugins or apps, and configure your settings.

Add Content

You have all of your page templates, so now you need to add your content to each of the pages. You’ll need to leverage text, images, and videos to help your company stand out from other small businesses.

Make sure to review high-performing competitors’ websites to see what your customers will expect.

Start with the text. Go to each page and make its purpose and message clear. Consider paying a writer and an editor, respectively, to craft the content and smooth out any rough edges.

Then, upload your media. Before you replace any images and videos from the templates, check to see the size of the files and the type of files that are used. This will help you understand the types of files you can upload without harming site speed. Any deviation will likely result in a less user-friendly experience.

Check out our step-by-step tutorial on cleaning business websites for examples of how service businesses can approach website building.

Add Necessary Plugins or Apps

Whimsical depiction of website plugin options on a tablet

Your small business website builder might support apps or plugins to help build website functionality. Any WordPress site will normally be using several of these.

Be careful with them. Plugins and apps add advanced features to your existing website functionality, but they also slow it down and can present security vulnerabilities.

Configure the Settings

You’ll also be able to adjust your domain name, SEO settings, and privacy settings.

Your SEO settings include your site’s domain name, URL, and meta description (which describes your site to search engine users). To help you optimize these settings, I highly recommend the HubSpot Academy SEO course for all small business owners.

Privacy settings will need to be adjusted and disclosed. Every location varies about what you have to disclose, but the simplest way to deal with privacy is to use GDPR settings to meet the strictest privacy laws.

Preview and Test

Preview your website to ensure everything looks and functions as expected.

Website building requires making the website look good on a variety of screen sizes. Check how the website functions on traditional computer screens as well as both landscape and portrait mode on phones and tablets.

Optimize It for Mobile

While you are previewing your website, you may notice that your site-building efforts didn’t work as you intended for mobile devices. Make sure to fix anything that is not mobile-friendly, as 55% of web traffic and 61% of online store sales come from mobile devices.

Consider Setting Up a Custom Domain

Stack of brightly colored blocks with domain name options on them including .jobs, .gov., .com, .biz., and more

If you want to have your own domain name, some platforms offer the option to purchase or connect one. Small businesses look more professional with a custom domain rather than a subdomain.

Business website builders will normally offer a subdomain with their free tiers, but a premium plan will allow you to add a custom domain and it is highly suggested when you promote and sell online.

Follow the directions on your site builder to add your custom domain name.

Publish Your Website

Once you’re satisfied with the look and content, it’s time to click “Publish.”

Promote Your Website

You’ll want to share your website on social media and company directories. You’ll also want to ask friends and family to share it to help you get more awareness.

There are numerous marketing strategies to help increase your visitors and customers. Consider optimizing your website for search engines and collecting emails to use in email marketing campaigns.

Regularly Update and Maintain It

Keep your website fresh by adding new content and updating the web pages as technology improves and trends shift. For those of you posting blogs, it’s also helpful to respond to comments.

What is the best overall website builder for small businesses?

Casually dressed young man with a Weebly screenshot showing product listing options hovering over his shoulder

Weebly is the best website builder for businesses when you consider its free plan, premium features, and other offerings. The fact you can get started with its eCommerce tools for free and then grow into bigger plans is a huge plus.

What is the best free website builder for small businesses?

You can’t go wrong with Wix when you’re looking for a user-friendly interface, SEO and analytics tools, and web hosting in a single location.

The free version is a great place to start, but the features get even better as you invest in the paid plans.

What is the best eCommerce website builder?

Man in glasses thinking about eCommerce website building options with Shopify, Wix, and Weebly icons hovering over his shoulder

It’s hard to find a consensus on the best eCommerce site builder. Positive reviews are fairly evenly divided between the following:

  • Shopify
  • Weebly
  • Wix
  • BigCommerce

I would suggest playing with each to see which you like best. Ultimately, you have to choose what works best for your business.

The good news is that Weebly and Wix allow a simple website to start. At the same time, the other website builders allow free trials. That means you can test each web builder before deciding which one to use for your eCommerce website.

Which of the best website builders have you tried?

Whether they want a robust online store or a free one-page destination, small business owners have plenty of options for building their websites.

Which website builders have you used? Did you like them? Are there any website builders you would like us to review? Let us know in the comments below.


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Brandon Boushy

Our lead writer, Brandon Boushy, has been a business consultant, business owner, and marketer since 2017. Brandon is committed to the pursuit of knowledge and continuous improvement. He measures his success based on how many business owners he helps succeed. Brandon started Raising Daisy Photography in 2017 with Stephanie MacIver. His role was focused on marketing, estimating, and managing customer interactions. He is also a freelance business researcher and has provided over 3,800 hours of business research for more than 50 clients. His blogs are read by over 2 million people every year. Brandon told us: "My motto is never quit learning. I bring this motto to everything I do, and find writing the best way to help share the data I obtain to assist business professionals pursue their dreams." He empowers companies to improve their communication and brand awareness through creative content strategies and blog writing.

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