May 8, 2024
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5 min read
Every small business that wants to be successful needs a great website. There are limitless web builder options, each with pros and cons. We are here to give you a detailed look into our web builder of choice, Webflow, and other popular web builders like WordPress, Wix, Shopify, and more.
There are key differences between the web builders available today. Before you decide which one is right for you, you will need to consider:
You will also need to determine if you are building your new website yourself or using a professional website design agency to create one for you.
This blog post will compare some of the most popular web builders available including the pros and cons of each platform. We also break down which builders are best for DIY-ing your website and which are best suited for an agency. Finally, we explain the benefits of having an agency build your website.
If You Want to DIY Your Website:
If You Need an E-Commerce Website:
If You Want an Agency To Build Your Website:
Are you a small business owner? Read our blog for small business entrepreneurs, featuring tips on branding, web design, SEO, and more!
If you’re a small business owner who needs a website but doesn’t have the funds to invest in an agency-made custom-built website… you can invest time into building a website yourself. Below we will dig into some beginner-friendly web builders that are relatively easy to learn and use.
Squarespace is easy to get started and is perfect for beginners! This “no-coding needed” web builder with easy-to-edit website templates and great customer support makes this an excellent web builder for small business owners.
Squarespace is a great platform to design and host a website for a variety of business types, including photographers, event planners, authors, online coaches, massage therapists, and more.
In addition to the benefits listed above, Squarespace is also secure, and won't break down when a plugin is out-of-date. They also offer dozens of resources and tutorials to guide you through building your website (like this handy guide right here).
There are a few downsides to Squarespace, though.
Free plans: not available
*free trials available for 14 days
Paid plans: available from $21-$90/month (CAD)
These plans include fully managed and secure cloud hosting, so you won’t need another hosting provider.
Wix has easy drag-and-drop functions and with over 800+ templates to choose from, it’s a great web builder for web design novices. Oh, and did we mention you can make your website for free.
One of the reasons we love Wix for beginners is their SEO system. While fully optimizing your website can be challenging for a beginner, Wix does a decent job of providing easy-to-understand tools to do it yourself. They give customers step-by-step plans to help implement basic SEO best principles.
That said…
While Wix gets high scores for SEO functionality, price, web security, and ease of use, it scores low in other areas like responsive design.
Free plans: available
Paid plans: available from $15-$149/month (CAD)
Wix offers free website hosting, so you don’t need to pay for an additional hosting provider.
Wix has some great SEO tools to help grow your blog and brand. Want to learn more about optimizing your blogs and websites for SEO? Read here.
Elementor is a DIY web builder for WordPress and one of the more difficult do-it-yourself recommendations in this blog.
While Elementor says all you need to do is download and install their builder onto your WordPress site, choose a template, customize, and publish… it can be a lot trickier than that. Especially if you’re not tech-savvy.
Now what doesn’t Elementor have?
Free plans: available
Paid plans: 3 categories available
Want to know the difference between dynamic and static websites? Read here.
If you’re a product-based small business and want to sell your goods online, you probably want to build an e-commerce website. While some of the beginner web builders we listed earlier have e-commerce capabilities, none of them compare to the E-Commerce champion: Shopify.
Shopify is the leader in e-commerce, and for good reason. A user-friendly interface, a wide range of sales channels, and reliable customer support are some highlights of this e-commerce web builder. You can use this web builder to DIY your own e-commerce website or have an agency build it.
Creating a Shopify website on your own gives you complete independence over your shop, allowing you to remove and add products at your discretion.
Easy-to-use toolsets allow you to set up product prices, payment methods, and taxes, and customize your store design the way you want. Shopify also has automated setups from ordering to shipping your products, allowing for ease at every step.
Creating a Shopify website through an agency means you will save hundreds of hours learning how to build your website. An agency will also give you the peace of mind everything has been done right… the first time.
E-commerce agencies can integrate the latest features to make sure your store is always up-to-date and fully optimized. They also provide expert support in the design, content creation, and SEO of your website.
However, a Shopify website created by an agency can be very expensive with prices ranging from $10,000 to $60,000 depending on the website.
The needs and complexity of your business will determine if the DIY or agency route is right for your Shopify website. While building one on your own will take a large time investment to do properly, it can be done for smaller to medium-sized businesses and might save you a lot of money.
If you have a vast amount of products to sell and the desire for more robust re-marketing campaigns, we might recommend you go with a web design agency that specializes in e-commerce websites.
While Shopify is the king of e-commerce, there are drawbacks to this web builder.
Are you a small business getting started in e-commerce? Learn more about Shopify, Instagram Shop, and Etsy here.
Free plans: not available
*free 14-day trial available
Paid plans: available from $38-$3100/month (CAD)
If you’re an established small business, you probably have the budget to have a website custom-made for you by a professional website design agency. But what are the benefits of going with an agency over building a website yourself?
Website design agencies can create strategic custom websites backed by years of professional expertise. Additionally, agencies can handle intricate technical difficulties, optimize your website so it outperforms your competitors, and provide ongoing support so you have time to do what you do best…
Build and grow your business.
A few of the most popular web builders that agencies use are WordPress, Webflow, and Framer. Which one you choose will depend on your business needs and budget.
Framer is a web builder and design platform that’s new to the scene, fitting somewhere between Squarespace and Webflow but geared toward designers.
The Framer website builder works similarly to other tools UI designers use such as Figma. Similar to Webflow and Squarespace, hosting is included. Website design agencies typically start from a template or create a unique design system and library and assemble your site with the provided or created elements.
Free plans: available
Paid plans: available from $7-$50/month (CAD)
*These prices do include hosting!
WordPress is one of the more well-known web builders out there, due to its large online presence since its origin in 2003. It’s not a beginner-friendly web builder, as it requires having a coder. (Unlike the DIY version of WordPress, “Elementor”)
While WordPress is an incredible web builder with almost limitless possibilities, it requires substantially more financial investment when compared to other web builders.
Read more: WordPress vs Webflow
Free plans: available
*Free plans have limited functions and features
Paid plans: available from $5-$91/month (CAD)
*This does not include domain and hosting costs, simply the web builder
Webflow is a no-coding web builder excellent for customization and user-friendly experiences. When you have a Webflow website built by a web design agency, you get the best of both worlds! A customized and unique website, with secure hosting, excellent customer support, and faster turnaround time.
While we may be biased as a Webflow web design agency, we know that not every web builder is perfect. Here are some of our Webflow drawbacks.
Because both Webflow and Framer are no-code web builder options, they are often compared.
Webflow is a fantastic choice for businesses that want a responsive, customized website with extensive integrations and robust animation capabilities. Framer, however, focuses more on interactive elements and animations.
Which no-code web builder is right for you depends on whether you prioritize the ability to fully customize your website to your needs or want to design a highly interactive website with movement.
We’re a remote marketing and web design agency dedicated to crafting custom marketing solutions for small businesses. Our custom-designed Webflow websites for our clients are part of our staple offerings, and you can peruse our portfolio here.
Webflow is a subscription-based platform, with everything included in your monthly payment. (And yes, that includes hosting!)
Free plans: available
*for hobby and staging sites
Paid plans: available in monthly or yearly billing packages
General: $24-$66/month (CAD)
E-commerce: $57-$318/month (CAD)
All in all, our winner in the Battle of the Web Builders is Webflow!
We love Webflow, and our clients do too. We can create fully customized websites that are easy for your customer to use and also easy for you (hello, small business owners) to update on your own.
Webflow is an amazing platform, constantly evolving and changing based on its client's needs. It’s the perfect web platform for forward-thinking, small to medium-sized businesses and non-profits looking to receive the most value from their website investment. While it might not be optimized for e-commerce, it’s the perfect platform for service-based businesses, non-profits, creatives, and any company looking for a brochure-type website that performs both technically and visually.
Webflow gives designers endless possibilities for no-code customization, putting full freedom in the hands of creatives like us. It also offers a host of benefits including faster site speed, no outdated plugins breaking down, no coding required, all-in-one pricing packages, and ongoing customer support.
Also Read: WordPress vs. Webflow: Which is Better?
You might be wondering why someone would choose an agency when they could build a website themselves. If you’re just starting your business or don’t have a lot of room in your budget for a custom website, then one of the DIY web builders we listed above would be a great choice to make your website!
But money isn’t your only currency as a business owner… time is, too. Could you spend hours and hours learning to make a website on your own? Yes.
Will it end up being as user-friendly, customized, and well-designed as a custom-built website? No.
Having a web design agency build your website for you saves you time, and gives you a better website.
Hey, it’s Kass and Michelle at Spark & Pony Creative! We’re a remote creative marketing and web design agency specializing in small business marketing and Webflow websites. Do you need a custom website built? Get in touch with us here.
You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X (formerly known as Twitter), and Dribbble.
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