You do not have to be hugely technical to build a low-cost website using one of the many do-it-yourself website builders.
There are great packages for business owners to get their teeth into. They are easy to customise and can be made responsive, meaning they look good on mobile devices.
The three do-it-yourself website builders I write about below each offer the ability to add an e-commerce shop, though you have to pay for upgrades and choose a payment gateway.
Get Started with Do-it-yourself Website Builders
You can purchase the domain from the do-it-yourself website builder of your choice, and it usually is no problem to transfer it if you need to.
However, I recommend that you choose a domain name and reserve that website address from a third-party ISP. It can be cheaper and is easy to redirect to the website builder of your choice.
I advise that you have a business email address too – it looks more professional to use [email protected] as opposed to [email protected].
WordPress
There are two ways to build a website in WordPress: WordPress.com or WordPress.org.
My useful post explains the difference between the two, but in short, WordPress.com is easier to get going if you are non-technical. Hosting can be purchased directly from WordPress, and they handle setup.
Using WordPress.org, you need to purchase your own hosting plan and use the famous 5-minute install.
If you are more technical, WordPress.org is so worth it for the freedom. Further down the line, you can upgrade your site and will not be tied to WordPress.com, where you often lose Google rankings during a changeover.
Both are free to start with, but you may spend money on themes and plugins. There are many available for free, developed by the WordPress community.
In WordPress, you can change themes or plugins whenever you need to.
Wix Free Website Builder
Wix is a free website builder with 100s of templates. With Wix, you can start with a free hosting plan and upgrade only when you need more features. The full website is then hosted on their servers. You can get online within minutes.
Be careful picking a template because you can’t switch it without duplicating or rebuilding the website. A big disadvantage with Wix, I think.
The other disadvantage of using Wix is that the templates are not automatically responsive at this time. You do have a mobile editor that lets you tweak the site to look good on mobile devices.
A Wix user will need to switch to a paid plan when:
- they would like to remove the adverts,
- they want to connect a professional domain name
- or they need support.
There are different plans depending on the options you need.
To keep costs low, buy a domain name from a third-party ISP and forward that domain to your Wix site.
That way your business cards look more professional. Domain names aren’t free, but neither is professionalism.
Wix does have a much better search engine optimisation system than it once did; they have put work into it. Go into TOOLS, then SITE MANAGER to get started with the SEO wizard.
Squarespace, All-in-one Website Building Solution
Squarespace is the relatively new kid on the block and is really easy to use. It seems similar to Wix on the surface, but there are lots of differences.
With Squarespace, you cannot get online completely free. The cheapest plan is to pay about £10 per month for the personal package.
Pricing depends on whether you would like to build an e-commerce store or a standard website. Hosting is included in the plan.
They have far fewer templates to choose from than WordPress and Wix, but all their templates are responsive and have lovely, modern designs.
Squarespace has spent a lot of time on template design. You can switch to a different template at any point in the build process.
The Best Do-it-yourself Website Builder
I am a huge WordPress fan. For a website developer, WordPress is fully customisable if you know PHP and CSS.
WordPress.com is very easy to set up, much easier than WordPress.org, but again you need to install plugins, and although more powerful than Wix or Squarespace, it sounds like some find it more difficult.
Both Wix and Squarespace are easy to use, but you have less freedom.
My conclusion on website builders:
WordPress.org – My first choice. Go for this if you are technical and want lots of freedom with your site. When optimised correctly, WordPress.org performs well in search engines.
WordPress.com – I would be inclined to push people towards Wix or Squarespace. Because WordPress is harder to set up for non-technical users. If you have the technical ability, I would push you towards WordPress.org.
Squarespace.com – If you have more money to spend and are design-driven, go for Squarespace. All the templates are responsive, and that will likely save you time in the long run. Tweaking for mobile can be very frustrating.
Wix.com – If you would like to get online for free and are not too worried about the design, choose Wix. However, do remember that adverts are visible on the free Wix websites, so you will probably end up paying anyway.
Analysing a Website with Google Analytics
Don’t forget to set up and install Google Analytics on your website to track its performance.
Squarespace has a Google integration tool available even on the personal plan. With Wix, you need a premium plan.
For WordPress, there are many Google Analytics plugins that are really easy to use. Try not to use one that is too complicated, as it can overload your web pages. Simple is best.
Used alongside Yoast SEO, you can fully optimise your site for search engines.
Setting up a Website for Less
I recommend small businesses have a web presence rather than none at all, but take your time putting your site together.
A website should be written correctly and look professional across all platforms. A website should be an investment that you are proud of. Looking unprofessional can deter a buyer.
Often, non-web developers struggle to tweak the site to make it look exactly how they want it across all platforms and to optimise it for search engines. The online marketing world is very competitive!
Putting a website online will not instantly get you sales or solve all your problems. There are over a billion websites online today, and buyers have become very picky.
To achieve something on your site, you need to market it effectively and find what makes it unique.
Constantly test your site, identify your target audience, and tweak it to continually improve the experience for them.
What is your favourite do-it-yourself website builder?
