Choosing a website builder is an important decision when you are creating a new website for your business. The right website builder should make it possible to create a professional website, manage your content and make changes as your business grows.
There are many website builders available, and they are not all designed for the same type of website or business. Some focus on simplicity, while others offer more advanced features and flexibility.
The best choice is not necessarily the website builder with the most features. It is the one that gives you what your business needs without making your website unnecessarily complicated or expensive to manage.
Start With What Your Website Needs to Do
Before comparing website builders, think about what you want your website to achieve.
Your website might need to:
- Generate enquiries
- Provide information about your business
- Showcase your services or previous work
- Allow customers to make bookings
- Sell products online
- Help local customers find your business
- Provide information and resources
- Support your marketing and SEO
Knowing what your website needs to do will make it much easier to compare your options.
Look at How Easy It Is to Use
If you are going to manage your own website, the website builder needs to be easy for you to use.
Look at how you will:
- Add and edit pages
- Change text and images
- Update your navigation
- Add new products or services
- Make design changes
- Manage forms and enquiries
- Update your website over time
A website builder can have a long list of features, but that does not necessarily make it a better choice. An easy-to-use website builder that you are comfortable managing can be more useful than a complicated system with features you never use.
Check the Website Designs
Your website needs to look professional and represent your business properly.
When comparing website builders, look at the quality and variety of their website designs. Consider whether the available designs suit your industry and whether you can customise them to match your business.
Your website should also work well on mobile phones and tablets, as many customers will visit your website from a mobile device.
Make Sure You Can Create the Pages You Need
Think back to the website structure you planned before choosing your website builder.
Can you create all the pages your business needs?
This might include:
- Home
- About
- Services
- Products
- Location pages
- Portfolio or projects
- FAQs
- Testimonials
- Contact
- Blog or resources
You should also be able to add pages in the future as your business changes.
Check the SEO Features
Your website builder should give you the tools you need to help search engines understand your website.
Look for features that allow you to manage things such as:
- Page titles
- Meta descriptions
- Headings
- Website URLs
- Image information
- Internal links
- Sitemap and search engine settings
SEO is not something you should have to add as an afterthought. Choosing a website builder with useful SEO tools gives you a better foundation for growing your visibility in search results.
For more information, see our guide to Website SEO.
Consider Ecommerce If You Sell Online
If you plan to sell products online, make sure the website builder supports the ecommerce features you need.
Consider:
- Product management
- Product categories
- Shopping carts
- Online payments
- Shipping options
- Stock management
- Order management
- Customer notifications
- Ecommerce SEO
You may not need every ecommerce feature available, but the website builder should support the way you want to sell online.
Look at the Total Cost
Price is an important part of choosing a website builder, but don't compare plans based only on the monthly price.
Check what is included and what you may have to pay extra for.
Consider the cost of:
- Your website plan
- Your domain name
- Ecommerce features
- Additional storage or features
- Professional email
- Payment processing
- Website support
- Design or customisation
A cheaper website builder is not necessarily better value if you need to purchase additional services to get the functionality your business requires.
Check What Support Is Available
Even if a website builder is easy to use, you may occasionally need help.
Find out what support is available and how you can contact the provider if you have a problem.
Support might include online guides, help documentation, email support, phone support or other assistance.
For a small business owner, having access to reliable support can be an important part of choosing a website builder.
Think About Who Will Manage Your Website
Consider who will actually look after your website once it is built.
If you are managing it yourself, you need a website builder that you can confidently use without needing a developer every time you want to make a change.
If someone else will manage your website, consider how easy it is to give them access and make updates.
Your website should be manageable for the people responsible for keeping it current.
Make Sure It Can Grow With Your Business
Your website might start small, but your business may not stay that way.
You might eventually want to:
- Add more services
- Add new pages
- Start selling online
- Add a blog or resource section
- Create location pages
- Add new forms or features
- Improve your SEO
- Change your website design
Choose a website builder that can support your plans rather than one that only meets your needs today.
Don't Choose Based on Features Alone
It is easy to compare website builders by counting features, but this can be misleading.
The better question is:
Does this website builder give my business the right features, in a way that I can actually use?
You don't need every possible website feature. You need the right combination of design, functionality, SEO, ease of use, support and cost for your business.
A Simple Website Builder Checklist
Before choosing a website builder, ask:
- Can I create the pages my business needs?
- Is it easy for me to manage?
- Are the website designs professional?
- Does it work well on mobile devices?
- Can I customise the design?
- Does it include useful SEO tools?
- Can I add ecommerce if I need it?
- Can the website grow with my business?
- What is included in the price?
- Are there additional costs?
- What support is available?
- Who will manage the website?
If the answer to these questions is yes, you are much closer to finding a website builder that is right for your business.
Choose a Website Builder That Fits Your Business
There is no single website builder that is right for every business.
The best choice depends on what you need your website to do, how much control you want over it, your budget and how you intend to manage it.
Start with your business requirements rather than choosing a website builder first. Once you know what your website needs, you can compare your options against those requirements and make a much more informed decision.
If you are still planning your website, our website planning guide can help you work through what you need before you start building.
