For many years, we have utilized WordPress.org to create and manage our websites, and it has proven to be an exceptional platform for our requirements. Therefore, we highly recommend it to anyone aiming to establish a small business website.
We understand that each business has distinct needs, which is why we have also researched alternative small business website builders, such as Squarespace, Wix, and WordPress.com.
Our evaluation went beyond mere research; we actively tested these platforms by creating real, functional websites with the most popular options. This hands-on experience allowed us to assess their features, usability, and overall performance.
This process helped us pinpoint the strengths and weaknesses of each builder. As a result, we can provide you with honest and precise recommendations tailored to your specific requirements, rather than just a generic list.
In this article, we will present our curated list of the top small business website builders, highlighting their advantages and disadvantages. Our aim is to assist you in making the best decision for your business.
A Comprehensive Overview of the Best Small Business Website Builders
If you’re short on time, quickly check out our expert selections of the best small business website builders to help you make an informed choice.
| # | Website Builder | Ideal For | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 | WordPress.org | Robust website solution for small businesses | Free |
| 🥈 | Wix | Features for appointment scheduling and management | $4 per month with a free option |
| 🥉 | Squarespace | Ideal for photographers and subscription services | $25 per month |
| 4 | HubSpot | Basic websites for small businesses | Free |
| 5 | Gator Website Builder | Perfect for freelancers and straightforward business sites | $3.46 per month |
| 6 | WooCommerce | Designed for small online shops | Free |
| 7 | WordPress.com | User-friendly managed website builder | $10 per month with a free option |
How We Evaluated and Reviewed Small Business Website Builders
Looking to quickly set up your small business website without coding? A website builder is the perfect solution. However, with so many options available, it can be a bit daunting to choose the right one.
We have done the research for you by creating real, functional websites using the most popular website builders. This will assist you in selecting the best option for your business. During our testing, we focused on several key aspects:
- User-Friendliness:Understanding your busy schedule, we prioritized website builders that are incredibly easy to navigate, even for complete beginners. We looked for intuitive interfaces, a straightforward setup process, a supportive community, and plenty of accessible guides.
- Essential Features:An effective website builder for small businesses should offer essential tools. We sought features like a user-friendly drag-and-drop interface for visual site building, ready-to-use templates for quick setup, scalability to grow alongside your business, and affordable pricing.
- Trustworthiness:We only included website builders that we have personally tested and trust. We also considered user reviews and the quality of customer support to ensure you won’t encounter many challenges.
Why You Can Trust CanadaCreate:
CanadaCreate consists of a team of experts with over 15 years of experience in WordPress, SEO, design, website development, and more.
We have rigorously tested and reviewed each website builder on this list to provide you with the best recommendations. For more details, please refer to our comprehensive editorial process.
Now, let’s explore the top small business website builders available today.
1. WordPress.org
If you’re committed to creating an outstanding website for your small business, WordPress.org is the ideal choice. We believe it’s the best option available, and here’s why: it’s free, open-source, and highly scalable.
This isn’t just talk – we have been utilizing WordPress.org for over 15 years to build and manage our own successful websites, such as CanadaCreate and WPForms. WordPress has played a crucial role in our growth; it’s user-friendly and has kept pace with our increasing website traffic.
Interested in learning more? Read our in-depth WordPress review for additional insights.
One of the most impressive features of WordPress.org is its flexibility. You can easily add virtually any functionality to your site using its extensive library of over 59,000 free plugins.
Additionally, you can choose from a wide variety of stunning themes to customize your site’s appearance and captivate your visitors.
It’s no wonder that WordPress powers over 43% of all websites on the internet, based on our research data.
With WordPress.org, you have full control over your website. Plus, you can easily integrate it with popular drag-and-drop page builders like SeedProd, allowing you to launch your small business site in just minutes (check out our SeedProd review for more details!).
By choosing WordPress.org, you truly own your website and all its content. You won’t be limited by the restrictions or intrusive ads commonly found in free website builder plans.
As your business grows, your website can effortlessly keep pace. WordPress.org is equipped to handle significant traffic, enabling you to create a site that evolves with your ambitions.
Expert Tip: Want a WordPress website without the stress of building it yourself? Our expert team can create a custom, visually appealing WordPress site that is optimized for SEO and conversions. Explore our CanadaCreate Website Design Services today!
Pros
- We truly appreciate the vast community of WordPress users and developers. If you encounter any challenges, there are countless helpful resources and tutorials available online.
- Renowned brands like Sony Music, Disney Books, and Taylor Swift rely on WordPress.org for their websites.
- This website builder supports over 75 languages, enabling you to create a multilingual website effortlessly.
- With WordPress, you can build virtually any type of website, whether it’s a blog, membership site, online store, or a site for your travel agency or furniture store. Our experience using WordPress.org for online stores and blogs has always been positive.
Drawbacks
- From our extensive experience with WordPress, we understand that keeping the core software, plugins, and themes updated can sometimes be tedious and time-consuming, which may require investing in WordPress maintenance.
- While WordPress.org is free to use, you will still need to purchase a domain name and hosting services.
Reasons to choose WordPress.org:In summary, WordPress.org stands out as the top small business website builder because it is free and offers complete customization for your site. You can create a professional website for your small business without needing to write any code.
Interested in learning more? Check out our beginner’s guide on creating a WordPress website.
2. Wix
Wix is an excellent choice for small businesses, featuring a robust website builder with a user-friendly drag-and-drop interface and an extensive selection of pre-designed templates suitable for various industries and niches.
We tested Wix by creating a sample website and found it to be highly user-friendly, particularly for those new to website creation. Its intuitive interface allows you to build a professional-looking website without any coding knowledge.
Wix is a fully hosted platform, eliminating the need for a separate hosting plan. It also includes an SSL certificate automatically, ensuring the safety of your visitors’ information. Similar to WordPress, Wix offers hundreds of apps that can enhance your small business website with additional features.
Moreover, Wix provides essential SEO tools that help suggest relevant keywords, generate sitemaps, optimize images, and customize meta tags for better visibility online.
We were especially impressed by Wix’s SEO Wiz, which simplifies the process of optimizing your site for search engines. Its step-by-step guidance is ideal for beginners looking to enhance their website’s SEO performance.
Curious about how Wix compares to WordPress? Explore our comprehensive comparison of Wix and WordPress for more insights.
Advantages
- During our evaluation of Wix, we were impressed by its integrated artificial design intelligence (Wix ADI), which assists you in creating a website by simply answering a few questions.
- Wix provides security features designed to protect your website from hackers and malware.
- Wix websites are optimized for mobile devices and come with built-in analytics to monitor your site’s performance.
- For businesses that require appointment scheduling, Wix offers a convenient booking feature that allows you to manage appointments and bookings online.
Cons
- It’s important to note that Wix displays its own advertisements on your website unless you upgrade to a paid plan. These ads can be distracting for visitors and may detract from your brand’s professionalism.
- We also discovered that transferring your website from Wix to another platform can be challenging once it’s built.
Reasons to choose Wix:We believe Wix is an excellent choice, particularly for hotels or similar businesses that need an efficient way to manage online bookings.
It’s also a suitable option for e-commerce, offering features such as product listings, secure payment processing, and shipping management.
3. Squarespace
Squarespace is a top-notch website builder recognized for its stylish and modern templates. During our experience building a site with Squarespace, we discovered how effortless it is to switch between various layouts, which is perfect for experimenting and discovering the ideal design for your business.
With its intuitive drag-and-drop interface and mobile-friendly design, you can create beautiful websites in just minutes. Additionally, Squarespace offers robust features for showcasing your work, such as portfolios and galleries, making it an excellent option for online portfolios and visually-driven businesses.
They also provide an extensive app marketplace filled with numerous add-ons that can enhance your website’s functionality, including contact forms, social media integrations, and pop-up features.
For those interested in eCommerce, Squarespace offers specialized plans that allow you to set up an online store, manage inventory, process payments, handle shipping, and much more.
Advantages
- One standout feature we discovered while testing Squarespace is the ease of selling subscription-based services and products directly through their platform.
- Squarespace simplifies the process of uploading and editing images directly within its builder, making it user-friendly.
- As a self-hosted platform, Squarespace eliminates the need for separate web hosting, allowing you to focus on building your site without additional costs.
- Squarespace offers essential SEO and analytics tools to help you launch your online marketing efforts.
Drawbacks
- A notable limitation is that Squarespace has fewer integrations with third-party tools compared to some other platforms. This could be a consideration if you intend to use various external services as your business expands.
- While their templates are stunning, we found that they provide less flexibility for customization than some other website builders. If you desire a truly unique and tailored design, this may be a significant drawback.
- Squarespace tends to be pricier than some alternatives, which could be a concern for those just starting out or operating on a limited budget.
Reasons to choose Squarespace:If your small business focuses on photography, art, or design, Squarespace is an excellent option due to its extensive collection of visually striking templates.
For a detailed comparison of Squarespace with other platforms, check out our analysis of Squarespace versus WordPress.
4. HubSpot Website Builder
HubSpot Website Builder is an outstanding option for creating a small business website. During our demo site creation, we were truly impressed by its user-friendly interface.
Interested in learning more about our insights? Check out our comprehensive review of HubSpot for in-depth information.
HubSpot features an intuitive drag-and-drop website builder, a variety of pre-designed themes, and seamless integration with HubSpot CRM, making it easy to manage all your customer information in one location.
Additionally, it offers specialized SEO tools to enhance your pages for search engines and includes built-in security measures to safeguard your website against malware and other threats.
Moreover, the website builder is free and includes complimentary hosting, making it an excellent option for those just starting their online journey.
Advantages
- HubSpot includes a remarkable AI-driven tool that assists you in creating a basic website by simply answering a few questions about your business.
- We especially appreciated the adaptive testing feature, which allows you to create up to five different versions of a page, with HubSpot automatically displaying the best-performing version to your visitors.
- You can easily create WordPress forms, landing pages, live chat, and chatbots directly on your website.
- Additionally, you can monitor your website traffic and analyze how visitors engage with your site, which is incredibly useful for understanding your audience.
Disadvantages
- During our evaluation, we found that HubSpot lacks integrated tools for e-commerce. Therefore, if you’re planning to launch an online store, we suggest using WordPress with WooCommerce or Easy Digital Downloads instead.
- As your website expands, the costs can become quite high.
Reasons to consider HubSpot Website Builder:If you’re a small business owner looking to create a straightforward website, HubSpot could be a suitable option, particularly since you can start for free.
5. Gator Website Builder
Gator, developed by HostGator, is a well-regarded website builder that serves as an excellent choice for creating a small business website. We tested Gator to assess its usability and effectiveness in helping you design an attractive site, and we found it to be quite user-friendly.
One of the standout features of Gator is that it provides a free domain name, an SSL certificate for enhanced security, and an affordable hosting plan. This makes it an excellent option for those just starting their business.
Additionally, Gator offers access to a library of stock photos that you can incorporate into your blog posts, enhancing the visual appeal of your content.
Advantages
- Gator allows seamless integration with your social media accounts, including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
- Gator features built-in SEO and analytics tools that enhance your website’s visibility in search results and help you monitor your online business performance.
- For those looking to sell products online, Gator provides essential eCommerce tools such as product listings, shopping carts, and payment processing to easily establish your online store.
Cons
- It’s important to note that Gator does not offer a completely free plan.
- During our experience building a website with Gator, we found that it lacks the design flexibility and customization options available with some other website builders, which could be a limitation if you’re aiming for a distinctive site appearance.
Reasons to Choose Gator Website Builder: If you need a straightforward tool to create a business website showcasing your hours, contact details, and services, Gator is an excellent choice. It’s also suitable for freelancers looking to create a resume site to attract potential clients.
In summary, Gator provides a user-friendly experience for basic business websites, and the inclusion of a domain, SSL, and hosting makes it an appealing option for beginners.
6. WooCommerce
Are you looking to sell products on your small business website? WooCommerce is a must-try. It stands out as the top website builder tailored for eCommerce sites.
Our experience with WooCommerce has been outstanding. We’ve previously used it to sell products online, and it has proven to be reliable and user-friendly. You can read more about our journey in our comprehensive WooCommerce review.
One of the best features of WooCommerce is its seamless integration with WordPress. Setting up your online store is quick and easy, allowing you to launch in just a few minutes.
Managing inventory, showcasing products, and processing payments is straightforward, thanks to over 83 payment options and a wide array of fantastic WooCommerce plugins and extensions available.
WooCommerce boasts a vibrant and supportive community of users, ensuring you can find ample resources and assistance online if you encounter any issues. Additionally, it is designed to be SEO-friendly from the start, helping your store gain visibility in search engine results.
For further insights, check out our beginner’s guide to WooCommerce made simple.
Advantages
- This platform offers a wide range of both free and premium WooCommerce plugins, allowing you to enhance your online store with various features.
- We discovered that WooCommerce integrates effortlessly with essential business tools, including email marketing services, customer support software, and live chat options.
- By utilizing the All in One SEO plugin, which is highly regarded as the best SEO tool, you can implement product schema for your WooCommerce store, significantly improving your site’s search engine rankings.
Drawbacks
- While WooCommerce is free to use, you will still need to buy a domain name and secure web hosting to launch your online store.
- We found it inconvenient that WooCommerce requires manual updates, backup creation, and regular maintenance, which can be tedious for some users.
Reasons to choose WooCommerce:If you intend to sell products such as clothing, pet supplies, or virtually anything else on your business website, WooCommerce is the ideal solution. It is robust, versatile, and specifically designed for eCommerce.
7. WordPress.com
Looking to create a website without dealing with technical complexities? WordPress.com is a managed WordPress hosting service that offers a user-friendly platform, making the process simple and straightforward.
It’s essential to understand that WordPress.com differs from WordPress.org, the self-hosted version commonly discussed. For a detailed comparison, refer to our guide on WordPress.com versus WordPress.org.
WordPress.com offers ready-made themes, basic blogging functionalities such as post creation and scheduling, and straightforward media management tools. Additionally, they take care of website backups and maintenance, relieving you of those responsibilities.
While WordPress.com provides a free plan to start, it includes ads and restricts plugin usage, limiting your website’s capabilities. Specifically, their Personal and Premium plans come with these limitations.
That’s why we typically suggest their Business plan, which is priced around $10 (and you can often apply our discount code WPB50) to build a fully customizable small business website with plugin access.
If your aim is to sell products online, we recommend their Commerce plan, starting at $22.50. This plan includes all the Business plan features along with WooCommerce integration.
Advantages
- WordPress.com features a user-friendly interface, making it perfect for beginners.
- We especially appreciated its mobile responsiveness, considering that approximately 60% of website traffic originates from mobile devices.
- Upgrading to a paid plan on WordPress.com provides access to reliable customer support.
Drawbacks
- Choosing the Commerce plan for online sales incurs a transaction fee of 4-8% in addition to standard payment processing fees.
- Although WordPress.com simplifies the website creation process, it resembles a managed WordPress hosting service more than self-hosted WordPress.org. This limits your customization options since you cannot use plugins.
Reasons to choose WordPress.com:If you aim to build a straightforward website for your business without extensive customization needs, WordPress.com could be a suitable choice. However, if you’re budget-conscious, consider using self-hosted WordPress.org with an economical hosting provider like Bluehost, Hostinger, or SiteGround.
What is the Best Website Builder for Small Businesses?
In our expert assessment, WordPress.org stands out as the best website builder for small businesses due to its cost-free nature, scalability, and flexibility. It grants you full control over your site, enabling the addition of various functionalities through different plugins and themes.
If your small business requires managing bookings and appointments, Wix is an excellent choice thanks to its Wix Bookings feature.
Squarespace is ideal for photographers, artists, and designers because it offers stylish, modern template designs.
If your primary goal is to create an online store, we highly recommend using WooCommerce.
Frequently Asked Questions About Small Business Website Builders
Here are some common questions our readers ask regarding website builders for small businesses.
What is the typical cost of website builders?
On average, website builders range from $3 to $30 per month. Many also provide a free plan or trial period, allowing you to test the builder before making a purchase.
You can also consider WordPress.org, which is self-hosted and free to use. Just keep in mind that you’ll need to buy a domain name and hosting plan, which can add to your overall expenses.
Is it possible to switch website builders later?
Yes, you can change your website builder at a later time. However, the transition may be challenging depending on the previous builder you used and the complexity of your website.
That’s why we suggest selecting a website builder that fulfills all your requirements from the beginning. For guidance on switching builders, check out our tutorial on migrating your blog from WordPress.com to WordPress.org.
Do website builders provide SEO tools?
Certain website builders, such as Gator, include basic SEO features like keyword optimization, meta description editing, and sitemap generation.
To fully optimize your site for SEO, we recommend using a plugin like All in One SEO and adhering to best practices. For further details, refer to our comprehensive SEO guide.
Helpful Resources for Small Business Websites
- A Beginner’s Guide to Hosting a Website
- How to Set Up a Free Business Email Address in Just 5 Minutes
- Top Email Marketing Services for Small Businesses
- Best Free WordPress Themes for Business
- Effective Tips for Growing Your Business Online on a Budget
- Comparative Review of the Best Live Chat Software for Small Businesses
- Top Business Phone Services for Small Enterprises
- How to Select the Best Website Builder: A Comparison Guide
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