The Best Website Builders For Small Business Owners

June 11, 2021 6 min read

This story originally appeared on ValueWalk

Wix and GoDaddy are popular website builders for small business owners, and they offer plenty of options and different plans for various needs. Perhaps the number one reason they are so popular is that they are extremely easy to use, but that’s not the only reason small business owners like these two website builders.

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Wix ranks fourth on TRUiC’s guide of the best website builders, while GoDaddy ranks first. However, Wix has been steadily gaining market share versus the incumbent goliath of GoDaddy.

Wix is easy to use

One reason Wix is so easy to use is the fact that it is a true drag-and-drop website builder. Users can drag pictures, text or even entire sections around within the builder to reorganize them. Unlike more complicated website builders, there’s no need to mess with margin sizes or padding.

The website builder also includes many templates built by web designers to give you a place to start when you build your website. Wix’s templates are entirely customizable, enabling you to tailor your website to your brand. Unlike many other website builders, Wix offers unstructured editing, which means that it doesn’t keep you restricted to a preset grid. This is what makes it truly a drag-and-drop website builder.

Wix is always launching new features like online scheduling tools for professionals and online ordering for restaurants. The company also offers specialized tools for e-commerce websites that enable you to list and sell your products and accept payments through your website.

Wix also offers an artificial intelligence tool called Wix ADI, which users can tap into to get their site and running in only minutes. Those who have more experience designing a website can customize and even code their own website using Wix.

GoDaddy is even easier

The biggest benefit of GoDaddy is the fact that you’ll have a working website in less than five minutes. All you have to do is enter some basic information about your business, and GoDaddy will generate a website for you. Then you just make changes to what it posted, and you’re ready to go.

GoDaddy is perfect for business owners who want to get up and running fast but don’t care about making very small changes. However, it may not be a great option for those who want to make a lot of changes and truly customize their website.

Wix vs GoDaddy: Marketing tools

Wix also offers a suite of marketing tools designed to help small businesses grow. The website builder provides a live chat feature that allows business owners to communicate with customers instantly. It also offers forms you can use to have website visitors sign up for newsletters or other items and subscription forms for those who want to offer subscriptions. Wix also has an integrated email marketing platform.

The website builder also has an App Market that includes many add-on tools to help you manage your customers and boost website traffic. Some of these apps include an events calendar and a forum. Wix also offers SEO features to help customers find your website through internet searches.

Unfortunately, GoDaddy lacks a lot of the tools that other website builders like Wix offer, but if you’re looking for something that will generate a website fast without a lot of extra tools, then it’s a good option.

Multiple pricing plans for Wix

Wix offers multiple packages so business owners can choose the one that fits their needs the best. The basic $14 Combo option includes a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate, which means your website will start with “https” instead of “http.” The certificate indicates that the website is secure and will help with search engine optimization. The package also includes a custom domain and free domain for a year, three gigabytes of storage space, 30 minutes of video, 24/7 support and the Wiz mobile app for editing your website on the go and responding to customers.

The Wix Unlimited Plan costs $18 a month and comes with 10 gigabytes of storage space and one hour of video. It also adds website analytics to enable business owners to improve the site’s performance by seeing where visitors come from, how long they stay and if they return. The Unlimited plan also comes with a $300 credit that can be used for advertising on Google and one year of access to the Site Booster App, a third-party app that automatically lists your business online in various places, enhancing your CEO and boosting traffic.

The Wix Pro Plan costs $23 per month and adds one year of access to a third-party calendar app, access to Wix’s logo maker, and 20 gigabytes of storage space and two hours of video. The VIP plan costs $39 per month and includes priority customer support, 35 gigabytes of storage and five hours of video.

Wix also offers plans tailored to business and e-commerce websites. The Business Basic Plan costs $23 per month and features unlimited product listings, abandoned cart recovery, flexible payments and online booking. The Business Unlimited Plan adds links to social media and online marketplaces, and subscriptions. It also allows you to accept multiple currencies for payments, automatically calculates sales tax, and provides discounts for shipping with the U.S. Postal Service. It also features access to the Kudobuzz Reviews app and the Modalyst Drop-Shipping App.

The Wix Business VIP Plan costs $49 per month and adds priority support, 50 gigabytes of storage space, custom reporting, and access to the Smile.io loyalty program.

GoDaddy pricing plans

GoDaddy offers a free plan that enables users to learn how to use it before they dive in, although it doesn’t contain as many features as the paid plans. For $9.99, you get website security, a custom domain, on-the-go editing, 24/7 support, one free business email address, and access to guidance and analytics. You also get five social posts and responses per month and 100 email marketing sends, the branded content creator and one-time appointments.

For $14.99 a month, you get search engine optimization and more access to social media and more social posts and responses. You also get 500 email marketing sends. The $19.99 Premium option adds unlimited social platforms and social posts and 25,000 email marketing sends. It also adds recurring appointments, one-time group events, payments, and email and text appointment reminders.

The $24.99 E-commerce plan gets you everything that’s in the Premium plan, plus product listings, flexible payments, social and marketplace selling, flexible shipping options, and discount and promotional features.

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/374399