wordpress vs website builders

When it comes to Content Management Systems (CMS) WordPress has cornered the market. It has been just over a decade since being introduced, and it is now responsible for close to 80 million websites around the world. Used in over 120 different languages, WordPress accounts for almost half of all internet sites that use a CMS, including many of the sites that you have tagged as a favorite.

One of the more enticing features of WordPress is the ability to customize each page or post using a variety of plug-ins and tools. The chosen theme of the site remains the same, but the pages are individualized to relate directly to the content. Over the last year there have been a number of drag and drop page builders made available to WordPress publishers that allow the user to structure individual pages with a minimal amount of effort and time.

Page builders are fantastic additions for amateur website creators who want posts and pages made with a high quality design, but don’t want to have to know about coding. The pages are developed rapidly with a minimal amount of effort at a low cost, or even for free. These can assist just about anyone, regardless of technical knowledge, create web pages that look and act professional.

These Are The Best WordPress Page Builders…

Elegant Themes Drag and Drop Builder Plugin

The page builder plug-in from Elegant Themes is offered only as a part of their Developer Package, but well worth it if you want a simple solution to customizing your individual posts. The 17 different widgets are easily added by simply dragging and dropping where you want on the page. You can then make them the right size by dragging the edge, the same way you would a word document on your desktop. There are some common widgets that are obviously missing, like social media share buttons, but that is the trade-off for simplicity.

Once you download and activate this advanced plug-in it will show up right underneath the WordPress editor, making it easy to access, use and see all of your changes. The modules that you add to the posts are also fully customizable depending on which ones you are working with. For example, if you choose to animate an effect on your page you will be prompted to not only choose the size of the animated object but also the duration of time it will run. Specialized settings like this give you complete control over how a page looks to readers.

The Elegant Themes page builder plug-in includes options for creating columns in your posts, message and alert boxes that help important points on your page stand out, and eye-appealing buttons that help to improve engagement and click through rates on your pages. This is a plug-in worth considering if you want the look of the inner pages of your website to really stand out without having to work too hard to get there.

 

Themify Page Builder

Themify Builder is a Canadian based cloud solution for both theme and page building. While there is no coding knowledge necessary to work with the program, its advanced features make it more appropriate for users who are technically inclined. The drag and drop page builder comes with any Themify theme of your choice, along with a number of pre-built layouts and different color schemes to customize individual posts.

You can purchase the page builder separately for $49 as a plug-in but it does give you more flexibility when used in conjunction with Themify Themes. With this, you are enabled to make columns in your posts with ease, and control the exact placement of your images. All of which is done quickly and easily without the use of special codes.

Besides being an intuitive page builder and offering a variety of solutions for building creative web pages, Themify Builder also has an exceptional support system in place. Not only are there extensive forums that cover a wide range of topics from other users, you can ask for direct support and typically get a response within 24 hours. This feature is particularly helpful for site owners who are attempting to develop and run their WordPress website without the help of a professional.

 

Live Composer

Live Composer works in a similar way to the Headway WordPress framework, with the edit option for the added widgets located right on the bottom of the page. Instead of having Live Composer underneath your main WordPress post editor, it lets you design the pages right on your live website so that you can see how the elements look and work as you are placing them instead of having to switch back and forth.

Not only can you use Live Composer to create new templates, these can then be exported to be used for other posts on the site or even other sites altogether. For a website that creates a lot of content on a consistent basis, this is a time saving feature to take advantage of.

The disadvantage of Live Composer is that with its advanced features and over 30 different modules to consider, it may take a novice website designer some time to learn how to use them all. Yet once you get used to how the interface works, you should have no problems in creating unique pages that look professionally done.

 

Aqua Page Builder

You will find Aqua Page Builder right in the “appearance” settings of your WordPress administration center. This free plug-in works the same way as your WordPress widget interface does, so you should grow comfortable using it almost immediately. There are limited elements included with Aqua Page Builder, which could be a good feature for an amateur website owner who is just getting started on customizing pages.

The drag and drop process when working with Aqua Page Builder is intuitive, making it quick to create a page that looks the way you want it to. You can also import and export to other pages if you want to create uniformity in your site.

Although fairly simple compared to other page builders, you do get features like columns, alerts and Google Maps with the free download. This is a good way to get acquainted with the types of options you want at no cost to you before investing in a more advanced page building system.

 

WR Page Builder

This fully responsive page builder from Woo Rockets is located right next to your WordPress editor once installed. The interface allows you to go back and full between compact and full preview mode to see what you have created without waiting for the front-end to load. Once complete it adapts automatically to whatever device it is being viewed on, changing size to make it easier for your readers to see and interact with.

Featuring elements like pricing tables, promotion boxes and content lists, you are able add widgets to any page in your WordPress editor with WR Page Builder. Previously sold as IG Page Builder, the updated version is offered for free with upgrades available for advanced users.

The user is completely control when using WR Page Builder. Layout options include columns and rows whose width can be changed, customized backgrounds, and padding. Advanced users can switch easily to the classic editor to view the shortcodes when needed. You will have no problem implementing the functions of WR Page Builder with any theme you have chosen for your website.

 

Visual Composer

There are over 500,000 websites whose pages are being designed with Visual Composer. This is a premium plug-in that gives site managers access to over 40 different content elements that are all set and ready to use. You choose whether you want to design the page from the front or back end, using any theme that appeals to you.

Some of the more popular features that are offered with Visual Composer include sliders that connect readers to your best content, social media widgets, Flickr widgets, image galleries and enticing buttons for calls to action. Even with all of these capabilities, its drag and drop action make it very easy to implement.

You might get lost in exploring all of the options available with each element, but once you have satisfied your curiosity for all that this plug-in is capable of, you will have total control over the way in which your pages appear and are utilized. Even the most inexperienced site builder can achieve professional looking results with their pages if they are willing to spend some time getting to know Visual Composer. Downloading the plug-in will cost $30, but the flexibility and wide range of options makes it money well spent if you are working with a high number of pages or multiple websites that you want to all appear unique.

 

Page Builder by SiteOrigin

SiteOrigin offers a free page builder that focuses its attention on creating pages that are easily accessible, read and utilized on mobile devices. With the number of users accessing the web by phone increasing daily, having a page builder that understands how a linear layout is not always effective is priceless.

The toolbar looks and behaves exactly the way your WordPress toolbar is designed, and SiteOrigin works with most of the widgets already available to you plus adds a few of its own like a gallery, post loop and images. It integrates seamlessly into any theme you have chosen, and the content will remain the same even if you decide to go with a new one.

Two of the more compelling aspects of SiteOrigin’s page builder plug-in is its ability to edit work in real time with an exact preview of your content. You can also go back and forth between versions of the page you are working to see the progression of changes you have made and pinpoint the one that looks and feels the most valuable. Having an interface that looks and acts like what users are already accustomed to is the reason behind the 500,000 websites that are being developed using this plug-in.

 

VelocityPage

What stands out with VelocityPage is its capability to start right from the beginning and create your own template, not just drag and drop widgets to a pre-set one. This allows you to fully customize every page of your website to be 100% unique. Created by a lead developer at WordPress, Velocity integrates into almost all of their themes perfectly.

The Basic license for one website costs $97, but comes with a year of full support and an unprecedented 30 day money back guarantee. This is a big vote of confidence from its creators in how well the plug-in works at enhancing web pages with ease.

Velocity’s strength is in its landing page capabilities. With just a few clicks you can have yours up and running, yet looking as if it took weeks to create. The interface is simple to operate, and coming from a WordPress developer, not much different than what you are already used to. For having just been released within the last year, Velocity has already created a good amount of positive buzz.

 

Beaver Builder

Users can take advantage of the abundance of features offered by Beaver Builder with any WordPress theme, even those that have been custom designed. Or you can purchase the plan that includes the Beaver Builder theme. Either way, any changes made to the pages using Beaver Builder are not directly connected to the theme. This means that if you decide to go with a whole new look for the site you won’t lose the individual widgets you added to each page.

Unlike other page builders, Beaver Builder is a completely front end program. This means that as you are adding and editing your posts and pages you are able to see the content in the same manner as your readers will. This makes it incredibly easy to navigate and ensure that all of the widgets and other tools you wanted have been included on the page in the right place. Not only does this take the guesswork out of trying to determine if the page is laid out logically, it saves you time from having to keep switching back and forth and waiting for pages to reload.

Beaver Builder further assists the user by offering 11 layouts for some of the more popular website pages such as a blog archives page, about us, contact, portfolios and services. These are completely customizable or usable as they are. You can even fix it so that these pages double as a landing page for the website. This feature is perfect for a business that is attempting to make their site appear more professional.

 

Awesome Builder

Awesome Builder is one of the newer drag and drop page builders, having just been released in January of 2014. With this page builder you have access to over 25 different widgets including common ones like your social media buttons, alongside more advanced features like a Flickr photo stream. You can also use the import and export system if you create an amazing layout that you want to duplicate on subsequent pages.

Awesome Builder allows you to customize pages and change the layout for desk top, tablet and mobile web users. The tab to change between devices is easily accessed from the top of your page, and you can toggle between them to see how they look as you go. Another interesting aspect is the page builder’s capability to add animation to any of the added widgets. With this eye-catching feature it is easy to lead the reader to your call to action or other important aspect of your page.

The Awesome Builder plug-in can also be adapted into any language, making it easy for website owner around the world to use. Any template you create can be duplicated and saved if you want to use the same design on future pages and posts. There are many options with this plug-in, but with the ease of use an amateur will quickly catch on to how they all work.

 

While WP Page Builders are great, are they the best solution for your needs?

WordPress page builders are awesome, especially if you are already working with WordPress, but if you are still considering what platform to use to build your website, you should keep in mind that compared to actual website builders, WP pages builders are constrained and limited by the theme they are using and might not result in a responsive web page that looks good on all devices.

Also, some page builders only work on certain themes, so if you would want to change your wordpress theme in the future, you might find yourself in need of a new page builder, paying the $10-$50 again.

WordPress Page Builders Vs Website builders

WordPress started as a free platform to allow people to create blogs with ease, but over the years, it has evolved into a content management system for virtually all types of websites. However, this does not mean things cannot get any easier and better than this. There are some shortcomings to third party wordpress page builders that have been overcome by the various website builders available in the market.

WYSIWYG website builders are amazing tools that let you drag and drop a picture, page, sub page, blog posts, videos, and pretty much any of the critical components of the website. Some well known WYSIWYG website builders power millions of websites worldwide.

Once you have populated the website with content, all you need to do is save the additions and publish your website. What you see on the screen when you are editing is what will show up the same way when you publish your website. This makes website creation powerful, straightforward, and extremely simple. Almost anyone can drag content, upload text and pictures, and publish them without writing a line of code, and that is the beauty of website builders.

Most website builders give you a lot of design flexibility compared to any of the third party WordPress page builders, and give you a lot of control over the style. By this we mean flexibility of where you can place content, access to CSS/HTML codes to make customizations, or the tools provided to make modifications to the design.

If we compare the popular website creators and third party wordpress page creators you will find that there are few wordpress creators that are as easy to use as any of the website builders. You can drag any component of the page to just about anywhere.

Website builders offer a greater ease of use and control over creativity, and you can create an effective web presence more quickly and easily than you can even imagine.

Bottom Line

There is a whole world of WordPress page builders available out there, and the best of them are listed above. However, for a more simplistic design experience you should consider a website builder.

If you need an image rich, professional looking website with minimal bells and whistles, without having to put in much time and effort then website builders such as IM Creator make the best choice.

 

 

 

So you’ve decided you need a website. You’ve done the research and come to the conclusion that for your small business there are at least two great low price options. You’re now at a crossroads wondering WordPress or Website Builder? Both have strengths and drawbacks of course, but which one is the right fit for you? There are a few things the small business owner needs to consider when deciding which direction to go.

 

The Bottom Line

Your first concern is probably How much is this going to cost me? While it can be difficult to nail down an exact amount depending on your individual circumstances, there are three expenses to consider that are generally associated with a new website.

• The Buildout (design and coding)
• Domain Registration
• Web Hosting

With WordPress you are responsible for all three of these. While the WordPress core software is free, it is merely only a platform and to make it work for you as a business website is going to take a few steps on your part. The price to have a custom design can get pretty spendy if using a professional web designer. Thankfully this is not the only option, as there are thousands of WordPress themes available in a wide range of price points. If you find a theme you like, you can also hire a designer to make necessary edits, which could save time and money rather then starting from scratch. Once the design is nailed down it will need to be developed. It is highly recommended you have knowledge of at least the basic HTML and CSS if you are going to attempt this yourself. If you do not posses these skills, it may be time to hire a developer. If you hired a designer, it’s worth asking them if they also employ a developer as they often offer a package deal. The cost of developing a site is usually directly related to how complex it is and how intricate the design elements are to code. Once the site is ready, you will need to purchase a domain name and a hosting account for your website. Some hosting companies even offer a free hosting service to help get you up and running quickly as explained in our post here on “The Best Free Web Hosting Sites“. If you choose to use one, be sure to ask if they support WordPress installation.

With a Website Builder though, these three expenses are usually combined into one low monthly payment. They include a large selection of design elements, as well as a start-from-scratch option for professionals. As trends change you can update or even completely redesign your site at no additional charge, potentially saving you thousands.

Ease of Creation

Time is money, and nothing is more important than when it’s your time, or your money paying for someone else’s time. How easy a website is to build is critically important for that reason. While both options shine in this department, there are some key differences;

Right off the bat some people get confused looking for the free WordPress software at WordPress.com. This is the commercial side of WordPress that sells sites, custom design & hosting and is not to be confused with WordPress.org where you can download the WordPress core software for free. Upon initial installation, WordPress is a blogging platform. So any other type of website, such as your business website, will neet to be modified to fit it’s functionality. This is usually done by selecting one of the ubiquitous themes and then installing it into WordPress. However, with newer, more intricate themes these days, sometimes this is easier said than done. It is highly advisable to have a working knowledge of basic coding such as HTML and CSS when changing a theme style. You will also want to familiarize yourself with the back end management system your chosen web hosting company is using, such as the popular cPanel.

This is where Website builders like IMCreator truly shine. They use what is called “front end” building or WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) to get the job done. All of the design elements are visual and can be dragged and dropped into place, making it easier and faster to create a uniquely customized site that works. There is no need to know any coding because it’s built into the platform, meaning once you are done dragging and dropping, it’s ready to go!

 

Theme vs. Template

Themes and Templates are pre-designed layouts that are installed to each platform. These are effective solutions for helping decide what you like, what’s trendy, or simply guiding the designed challenged individual. They can save you time and money by giving you a professional feel without the custom price tag.

Themes are pre-designed layouts for WordPress. They also change the functionality from a blogging platform to its’ new intended use. There are literally thousands of themes available all over the web. While that means there is a good chance you will find a design you love, be vigilant to check that it is compatible with the current version of WordPress you are using. WordPress updates frequently, leaving some third-party themes unusable if the author isn’t continuously updating them. Overall, one of the most attractive reasons to pick WordPress as a platform is it’s complimentary widget capability! These tools, installed directly into WordPress, can offer a myriad of useful functions to a website. The same rule applies when selecting them though, to insure that they are still compatible. It is also advisable not to go “widget crazy” when shopping around. The more widgets you install, the more likely they are to interact negatively with one another or possibly break the entire site. Not to mention bogging it down for slower load times.

With a Website Builder, you can select a pre-designed template or you can start designing one from scratch. While it is true that a Website Builder may not have the sheer number of layouts that are available for WordPress, all of a Website Builders templates and widgets will work. The other big difference is that if you find a template that you like but just want to change something small, it can usually be changed with just a few simple clicks.

Update Headaches

We have all done it before. Reading about all of those awesome new features coming out and then clicking the update button without even a second thought. You wait in anticipation as the update loads and…what? It’s broke???? What went wrong?

The WordPress team is dedicated to making quality updates and keeping the platform at the top of its’ game. Updating WordPress is usually as simple as a single click of the mouse. Any problems that arise usually come from third party plugins and widgets. For example, if a provider doesn’t keep up with the WordPress updates, it can become incompatible and even cause the site to break. There are however some precautions you can take to help keep this from being a problem. If budget allows, you can keep a running test site up with a copy of your live site and install the update there first. After testing and insuring everything works as intended, you can then upload those files to your live site as time permits. If this isn’t an option, at least ALWAYS keep a backup of your site files in a safe place so they can be reinstalled following a crash.

Fortunately for those who pick a website builder, this is a non-issue when it comes to keeping their sites current. All of the updates are completed “under the hood” by professionals. There are no required actions from users, essentially keeping you headache free.

 

Content Management

Ok, now your website is up and it looks great! But you are running a one week special next month. How easy it is going to be to manage your content? As a small business owner, this becomes a major factor to consider when choosing between these two platforms.

WordPress is famous for its’ content management and for good reason. But it’s built as a blogging platform where users are assigned a role by the administrator into various groups such as author, editor, and moderator. The content is entered “blog style” and then published. Posts can then be managed or deleted by those who are assigned to that specific role. Once you are comfortable with each of the roles permissions, this can be an invaluable tool to allow multiple users to create content without having access to unauthorized portions of the site.

Another great aspect when using WordPress is the freedom to build a multi-level organizational heiarchy that can be customized from within the administrator dashboard. Editing the Permalink structure allows you to set preferences for your URLs. This is often used to boost SEO, an acronym for Search Engine Optimization. Most small businesses don’t need that much content capability, however to easily manage a large scale of content, WordPress is the go-to choice.

The beauty of WYSIWYG cannot be understated in this regard. You get to see exactly what your site is going to look like as you work on it, managing your content from the front end. This makes easy work of changing or updating as needed.

Technical Help or Customer Service?

Both WordPress and Website Builders are strong platforms for building your business website. Should you need some help with technical problems the solutions differ greatly between the two.

With the WordPress core software available online for free, it should come as no surprise that it doesn’t include customer service in the traditional sense. However WordPress does offer technical help and troubleshooting guides, as well as a nicely moderated forum where you can search for any other users experiencing the same problem. Often other users will chime in and offer up some experienced advice and know-how. If you can’t find the answer, or the answer seems to be too tech-savvy, there is always the option to hire a developer to help you with your site. Most charge a small diagnostic fee, then will provide an estimate for repair. Depending on the specifics, the time and price can vary drastically.

With regards to Website Builders, the difference can be like night and day. When you sign up with a Website Builder company you are their paying client, and they want to keep you happy. In the unlikely event something does go wrong with your website, you can simply reach out to their customer service department. Since the site is built within the framework of the builder, there are far fewer variables to go wrong. The customer service agent is usually able to fix most problems within twenty four hours.

Making the Most with the Least

As the owner of a small business, you are no stranger to stretching the resources you have at your disposal. A polished and professional website can be a valuable team member, working for you even after you close your door for the night. But regardless of which platform you choose, it’s important to have a polished site. Nothing says you’re a professional better than a strong web presence, and in today’s competitive market, that matters – a lot.

Congratulations! You have decided to finally follow your lifelong dream of becoming a business owner. You have thought everything through from financing, to location, to staff, to business licenses and of course, your business name.  The one aspect you may have avoided making a decision on is how you will build your website. For most new business owners, this detail gets pushed to the side because they have no idea where to start.

After a bit of research you will find that there are three primary options for getting your website built:

• Professional Web Developer
• WordPress
• Website Builder

Which one you chose is heavily reliant on not only the type of business you own, but also how big your budget is and how much time you want to spend getting your site up and running.  Everyone wants an affordable website design, but making the wrong decision can cost you more than you budgeted and push back a launch date or grand opening.

Custom Website Made By Pros

1. Start Up Cost

While some businesses may absolutely need to hire a professional developer, yours is probably not one of them. Web developers are often very expensive per hour and also are masters of that trade alone. It is hard to find a web developer who is also a content writer and a web designer (visual layout of the site). In order to get a complete site using a web developer, you will have to hire the other key team members. That can add up to thousands and even tens of thousands of dollars.

2. Ease of Use & Maintenance

A custom website comes with a custom back-end. Unless you can learn how to manage this custom CMS on your own, every time you want to make a change to your site, you will have to call your developer. This will result in a bill with each promotion you want to run or update you need to make. If you want a CMS you can manage yourself, the developer will use WordPress or a website builder. You will have paid them to do what you can do for free.

 

3. Development Time

How quickly your project gets done will rely not on you, but the people building your site. If you hire a developer, you may not be their only client. You will have to establish a timeline and ending date prior to starting, however, those deadlines can come and go. The developer will also have to wait on the web designer and your content to be completed before the final product can be launched. It is best not to leave this to last minute if you are going to hire a professional to build your site.

4. Hosting

You will have to find a different provider to host your site for you and provide you with email addresses.

5. Mobile Version

Using a professional web developer will mean that in addition to paying them to build your website, you will also need to pay them to do a mobile version for you. If they do not have that capability, you will have to hire a separate developer for that, or go without.

Caveat

A lot of website developers who claim they can build you a custom site for just a few hundred dollars are probably just using a website builder. They are charging you for what you can do on your own for free.

Conclusion

Probably the least cheap website solution. Unless you absolutely need all the features that come with having a custom website built and at least $5,000 in your budget, steer clear of hiring a developer. Businesses that are in finance and IT are usually good candidates for using a professional, but not small to medium size retailers and service providers.

 

WordPress

 

1. Start Up Cost

WordPress if free. There are hundreds of free templates and themes you can choose from to begin building your site. They also provide stock photos for just about every industry. As long as you can write your own content on each page, your start-up cost can be zero. They do offer premium or “Pro” themes that will cost you around $50 to download and may offer you more custom choices.

2. Ease of Use & Maintenance

There are over 32,000 different plugins that are used to customize a WordPress site. Not only do you have to sort through them to decide which one you need, you may also need a little coding knowledge to get them to function properly. This is especially true if you want a shopping cart for an ecommerce site. You may find yourself stuck and have to call in a developer to help you with what was supposed to be a free website. Here is a link to the WordPress plugin help forum where you can browse some of the comments and questions other users have.

3. Development Time

Similar to the ease of use and maintenance, the amount of time you will spend developing your WordPress site will depend on two things;

• Using a template as is and not customizing it- this will make development time quick and relatively easy. The CMS is very easy to follow and use.
• Opting to customize a template- time spent will depend how many plugins youchose to use and whether or not you have any coding knowledge to manage them.

WordPress does offer “Premium” themes for easier customization; however, they are generally easier for the more techy crowd that already has some experience using them.

Lastly, installing your WordPress site will also take a fair amount of time unless you have some general technical know-how. Below is a screen shot of their Installation Instruction page and you can view the full page here.

 

4. Hosting

WordPress offers free blog hosting. However, your URL, or how people will type in your website address, will be something like “www.gloriascookies.wordpress.com”.  If you want the full hosting package, with your own domain name and email addresses, you will have to host your site elsewhere.

5. Mobile Version

WordPress does offer the ability to create a mobile version of your website. However, it will take a plugin to install.                         

Conclusion

WordPress is a popular choice for many people and some really great custom sites have been created with it. It is free to use and offers a wide variety of options to make your site unique and coherent with your branding, while giving you many of the perks using a developer would. If you have coding knowledge and do not mind hosting your site elsewhere, it will be a solid, affordable choice for you with little to no start-up or maintenance costs. The only trouble you will run into with WordPress is dealing with plugins, but if you can overcome that, you will find yourself with a great site.

Caveat

Some plugins have gone years without updates, yet WordPress itself undergoes updates frequently. Therefore, some of the plugins are broken, meaning they are not compatible with your updated version of WordPress. This can cause the broken plugin to break other working plugins, or in some cases, break your entire site and render it useless. The worst case scenario of this happening is that you cannot even log back into your site to figure out what went wrong.

 

 Website Builders

 

1. Start-Up Cost

A website builder such as IM Creator is free. Like WordPress, there are hundreds of templates to choose from, or you can start with a blank canvas and create your own custom design-without the use of plugins. They also have stock photos to help enhance your site. The entire site can be done with no start-up cost.

2. Ease of Use & Maintenance

The CMS in a website builder is very similar to a Word document. The tools you need that allow you to edit text, add photos, change color schemes, etc. are either at the top of each page or along the side. You can easily add pages for promotions and delete them with one click when the sale is over. There is never an additional charge for updating or changing your site and it can be done in minutes.

3. Development Time

If your content is ready to go for each page, and you have a general idea of how many pages you will need, the set up time will be as fast as you can type. The time you spend choosing a template and trying out different fonts and colors will be the most time you spend on a website builder. Website builders have specific templates for ecommerce sites, so you do not need extra time to create your shopping cart.

There is no additional step for installation of your site.

 

 

4. Hosting

Almost all website builders offer hosting services. Free hosting is available in the same package as WordPress; your site URL will have the website builder name in it. However, you can upgrade to a premium or pro package for as little as $5.95 a month get a custom domain, email addresses, and storage.

5. Mobile Version

Website builders can create a fully customizable mobile version of your site, also for free. Set-up is the same as set-up as your desk-top site. There are some website builders who create your mobile version in tandem with your desk-top site, so there is not an extra step.

Conclusion

Using a website builder is straight-forward and there is no cost involved in creating your site. Since a website builder can also host your site and give you an email option, it becomes an all-in-one package, and usually, it’s the cheapest web design solution.  The set-up time can be minimal and it does not require a lot of maintenance other than normal changes throughout the course of business. As with WordPress, using a website builder can give you a very custom feel to your site and give you the ability to keep your branding consistent while keeping true to your budget.

Caveat

Since using a website builder is so easy, you may find yourself needlessly trying out style options and templates. While this is encouraged so that you find the perfect fit for your needs, it will be easy to get carried away. Try to stay focused on what template fits your business type and how you want your customers to interact with your site.

 

Check Please – Which solution is right for you?

This comparison covers the financial aspect of the different solutions, something that many business owners will give a top priority to.  To understand which solution is right for you, you would first need to sit down and plan your budget. Once you figured out the budget, your decision should be quite easy. If you decided to go with a website builder, we welcome you to try out IM Creator by clicking the banner below.

Do you have any tips for a new business owner looking for a website? Share it in the comments. 

 

Image credit:

Cheaper than cheaper sign by Eric E Castro