Topic – 10 Important Things to Check When Choosing a Website Builder

So, after all the unimpressed looks you’ve received when asked for your web address and instead hand out a business card, you’ve finally decided to take action and find a DIY website builder. Let’s face it, whether you’re a one-man show or a tiny company there is no replacing having a web presence — it’s akin to leaving cash on the table especially if you can sell online. While there are many excellent website builders out there, don’t forget to check these 10 items when choosing.

1. Ideal for You

The first step in building your site is choosing a URL that’s ideal for you. Most sites can register a unique domain for you or give you an address using their name, for example yourname.sitebuilder.com. If that’s OK with you, great. If you’ve acquired a unique name from a 3^rd party registrar you will probably have to pay the website builder for the privilege of using it.

Topic – 10 Important Things to Check When Choosing a Website Builder Designed by Freepik

2. The Template

The most important thing to check when choosing a website builder are the available templates. Wix has over 500 templates, sitebuilder.com has over 10,000. The look & feel of your site is the message you wish to convey; it’s your elegant calling card, just bigger and better. If you need help choosing, check out these website templates from the best website builders of 2015.

3. Ease of Use

Thanks to their simple drag-and-drop interfaces, website builders are becoming increasingly intuitive and easy to use, requiring almost zero design or programming skills. However, it’s still worth checking — you don’t want to get stuck halfway and have to pay a professional to save the day.

4. Mobile Responsiveness

Eighty percent of internet users own a smartphone and according to the latest comScore statistics, it’s no longer about whether mobile marketing is important, it’s about understanding how consumers behave when using different types of devices and what their preferences are. Most consumers access retail sites via mobile or desktop. It’s essential that your site is be mobile responsive so that your clients accessing it via mobile have the same experience as viewing it from their PCs. According to TechCrunch, website editor Jimdo has even launched an iOS App so users can build and edit sites from their phone.

5. Tools and Features

Today’s website builders offer many attractive tools and features — from the ability to add a blog, photo galleries, media players, or social-share buttons. Decide which tools and features are important to you and then decide whether you are willing to pay for them if they are not free.

6. Updates & Upgrades

While you may be using a site with a multitude of great plugins, take note that not all website builders automatically perform updates and upgrades. Best choose a one that does it automatically in the background to save you the headache of managing them yourself.

7. Website Customization

At some point you may want to change your template or hand your site over to a professional. This means you’ll most likely have to export the code. Not all website builders allow this so you’ll be stuck with the site or lose it altogether. Check whether you can move your site for custom changes or migrate to another platform.

8. Pricing

You’ve gone the DIY website builder route mostly to save costs, therefore carefully review each site’s pricing plan. Many charge for increased storage, bandwidth and access to advanced features. Also, some website builders’ free options mean they display their own “powered by…” ad on your site.

9. Selling Online

Having an e-store, buy links or other money-making options can take a small business to profitability. Weebly’s free plan, for example, includes a basic e-store, while others include these in their premium packages. This is worth considering if one goes back to comScore’s marketing figures.

10. Online Support

Last, but not least is the quality of support you should expect from your website builder. If you’re a beginner, excellent customer support might be the make or break between a successful site and one that will have you staring longingly at your little pile of business cards!

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