Delivering your business message to the public requires leveraging social media tools, such as Facebook and Twitter, but that's not enough. If you want an internet presence that truly represents your organization, you also need an attractive, easy-to-navigate website. As opposed to a social media page, a website gives you complete control over design and content. This lends credibility to your business, organization, or personal brand. Facebook pages all look alike in terms of design, but with your own website, you can create a brand image, sell products, and integrate third-party web services. Thankfully, website builders make it easier than ever to create professional-looking, design-forward websites.
Well-known DIY site building services, such as Squarespace and Wix, are constantly improving and adding new capabilities. Rivals, such as Gator, Simvoly, and Strikingly have also popped up with their own clever twists on the process.
The best website builders we've tested can help you get started in creating an online presence. Check out our top picks below, and drop a few words in the comments section to report your experience with a selection [or shout out a service you like that we haven't included].
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Why You Need a Website Builder
Let's discuss why you need a website in the social media age. On a personal level, you wouldn't want to send prospective employers to your Facebook page, so a personal website makes more sense as an online, customized resume. Another reason worth considering, for both personal and business purposes, is that building your own site gives you endless design choices. You have total control over products and services you may sell and how they're delivered, too.
Further, having a real, dedicated site makes a business seem more authoritative and trustworthy than a Facebook or Tumblr presence can on its own [though you should certainly also consider those services as elements of your online presence]. It's as much an opening ante in the business world as having a business card for your company.
Building your own website used to require a lot of tech wizardry, including knowledge of servers, HTML, FTP, site registrars, and web hosting services. Thankfully, website builders make the process super simple. The services included here let you make a well-designed, mobile-friendly site with minimal technical knowledge. They can even take a small or sole-proprietor business to profitability with buy links, online stores, and other money-making options.
Larger businesses spend many thousands of dollars to get their custom-designed and programmed sites. Duda, while still a strong choice for basic users, is pivoting more towards teams and agencies in need of custom expensive enterprise software as a service. However, there's no need for smaller organizations and individuals to go to that kind of expense. For about $10 per month [or around $25 if you're selling products] and a few hours of your time, the DIY services included here can help you create a unique, eye-catching website.
With all these services, you build everything yourself, starting with a template you choose from a [hopefully] wide, well-categorized selection. Most use simple drag-and-drop interfaces that let you include social share buttons, photo galleries, blogs, media players, and other items. Some website builders let you restrict viewing by implementing a password, and offer site memberships [see the table].
What are the Best Free Website Builders?
Several of the website builders included here offer free options, too. If you choose that path, your site will include branding from the provider, which makes your site less impressive to savvy surfers—and shoppers. Free offerings vary greatly in the storage, bandwidth, and site options they allow, so read the small print to find out how much you get with each web host. Strikingly, Weebly, and Wix are among the most generous with their free offerings. For more, check out the Best Free Website Builders.
Register Your Domain
Before you start building your home on the web, you need an address for it. Most of the site builders let you register a unique domain, and they all give you a web address using the provider's domain [yourname.sitebuilder.com, for example]. Some include a custom domain name with their plans, usually requiring a year's commitment. The services also let you use a domain you've acquired from a third-party registrar, such as pairNIC, but you often must pay the site builder for that privilege.
Since 2004, I've penned gadget- and video game-related nerd-copy for a variety of publications, including the late, great 1UP; Laptop; Parenting; Sync; Wise Bread; and WWE. I now apply that knowledge and skillset as the Managing Editor of PCMag's Apps & Gaming team.
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About Jordan Minor
Analyst, Software
In 2013, I started my Ziff Davis career as an intern on PCMag's Software team. Now, I’m an Analyst on the Apps and Gaming team, and I really just want to use my fancy Northwestern University journalism degree to write about video games. I host The Pop-Off, PCMag's video game show. I was previously the Senior Editor for Geek.com. I’ve also written for The A.V. Club, Kotaku, and Paste Magazine. I’m currently working on a book about the history of video games, and I’m the reason everything you think you know about Street Sharks is a lie.