Are you searching for a straightforward, hassle-free way to launch your online presence? The key lies in selecting the right website builder that meets your goals, skill level, and budget. Our curated list of the top 10 website builders of 2024 simplifies the process, equipping you with the insights to choose the best platform for a professional website, whether for business, blogging, e-commerce, or personal branding.
Key Takeaways
A solid online presence, underscored by a professional website, is critical for consumer perception and credibility, with mobile optimisation and social media integration being essential for user engagement and reach.
Choosing the right website builder depends on one’s website goals, technical skills, budget, and desired level of customisation; popular options in 2024 include Wix for overall functionality, WordPress.com for bloggers, and Shopify for e-commerce.
Website builders offer specialised features targeted for various users and purposes, such as Jimdo for personal brands, Duda for freelancers, Google Sites for education, and Eventbrite for event management, with many providing easy-to-use interfaces, customisation templates, and integration with other platforms.
Why Your Online Presence Matters
A solid online presence goes beyond merely setting up your website and waiting for visitors. It involves building an engaging, professional virtual persona that captures and connects with your target audience. As a cornerstone of this presence, your website plays a crucial role in shaping consumers’ perceptions of you or your business. 75% of consumers judge a company’s credibility based on its website design.
While aesthetics are crucial, optimising your site for mobile devices is equally important. With most web traffic coming from mobile devices, having a mobile-friendly website design is critical to enhancing user engagement. Furthermore, integrating social media into your website can contribute significantly to your online success. It expands your reach and allows for a more dynamic interaction with your audience.
Freelancers can significantly benefit from a robust online presence. It lets you showcase your unique solutions and attract ideal clients and projects. Whether you’re a business, a freelancer, or an individual, having a professional website is a powerful tool to bolster your online presence.
Choosing the Right Website Builder for You
Selecting the right website builder is crucial in carving out your online presence. It’s essential to determine your website goals first to ensure you choose a builder with the necessary features and functionalities to meet your needs. Whether you’re creating a blog, a business website, or an online store, aligning your website goals with the capabilities of your chosen builder is crucial.
Your choice of website builder will largely depend on your technical skills. If you’re not comfortable with coding or technology, opt for a builder that offers a simple interface and drag-and-drop functionality. This simplifies the website design process and makes it easier for you to create a professional website.
Various themes or templates are available across different website builders, with some providing more customisation options. The variety and customisation options in pre-designed templates are critical in determining how swiftly a website can be brought to life. These templates provide a starting point for your website design and ensure that your website is responsive and mobile-friendly.
Lastly, your budget should also be a determining factor. Different website builders offer various pricing options, so selecting one that fits your budget is essential. Look for tiered pricing that allows you to choose a plan that matches the size and complexity of your website. Also, consider website builders that offer free trials, allowing you to test their functionality before committing to a plan.
Top 10 Website Builders: An Overview
2024 has seen the emergence of a diverse array of website builders, each addressing unique web-building needs and offering web hosting solutions. Some popular platforms include:
GoDaddy
Square Online
Hostinger
WordPress.com
IONOS
Site123
Jimdo
These platforms have made their mark, addressing the needs of various users.
These website builders, including some free website builder options, are widely acknowledged for their ease of use, scalability, and affordability. They cater to both novices and experts, demystifying web design and making it possible to make a website more accessible, even without the help of a web designer.
For instance, Pagecloud merges user-friendliness with the ability to incorporate custom code, providing a solution for users looking for a blend of simplicity and customisation in their website creation process. Whether you need a simple one-page website or a complex e-commerce platform, a website builder, including creating site pages, is perfect for your needs.
1. Best All-Around Website Builder: Wix
Wix is a versatile website builder offering a comprehensive yet user-friendly drag-and-drop interface. It’s designed to provide creative freedom to users, regardless of their coding knowledge. Wix’s extensive library of templates caters to diverse industries and preferences, making it easier for users to build professional-looking websites.
Wix’s advanced design capabilities distinguish it from other website builders. Wix Studio introduces responsive behaviours, no-code animations, and added control over website appearance at various breakpoints. This ensures that websites built on Wix are optimised for all devices.
With features tailored for various businesses, an eCommerce and social enhancements marketplace, and a comprehensive set of SEO tools, Wix showcases its adaptability across multiple sectors. Whether you’re a freelancer, a small business owner, or running a large corporation, Wix provides an affordable and comprehensive solution for building a robust online presence.
2. Best Website Builder for Bloggers: WordPress.com
Favoured by bloggers, WordPress.com provides intuitive tools within a versatile environment that caters to both novices and experienced content creators. Bloggers can utilise WordPress.com’s customisable themes and advanced design tools to tailor their site appearance as they grow their audience.
The platform enhances community interaction through features like a built-in Reader and automatic updates to social platforms like Facebook, Tumblr, and LinkedIn. This allows bloggers to reach a wider audience and foster better engagement with their readers.
In addition, WordPress.com offers the following benefits:
Prioritises content portability and ownership
Ensures that the content belongs to the creator and can be easily exported
It allows bloggers to control their content and move it as they see fit.
3. Best Website Builder for E-commerce: Shopify
In the realm of e-commerce, Shopify distinguishes itself as a comprehensive platform. It offers:
User-friendly navigation
High-quality media integration to the product catalogue
Detailed sorting and filtering
Customer reviews
FAQ sections
Push notifications for engaging customers.
Shopify offers a wide range of payment options, including:
Shopify Payments
PayPal
Amazon Pay
Digital wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Pay
Buy now pay later services
Cryptocurrency payments
With over 100 payment providers supported, you can choose the best option for your business.
Shopify is also designed to scale with your business. It offers:
Responsive themes for a seamless mobile experience
A non-drag-and-drop yet user-friendly dashboard to accommodate advanced features
24/7 customer support to assist growing stores
Whether starting a small online boutique or running a large e-commerce platform, Shopify’s comprehensive e-commerce tools can help you manage your online store effectively.
4. Best Website Builder for Creatives: Squarespace
Creatives have a particular affinity for Squarespace, and rightfully so. Known for having the best template designs, it’s an ideal choice for creatives looking for professional and visually appealing websites. Squarespace users can customise their sites with logos, fonts, and colours and enjoy a user-friendly interface for easy customisation.
Offering premium templates specifically designed for creative professionals, Squarespace caters to interests such as:
photography
writing
art
design
fashion
These templates can be expanded or duplicated within the same site, providing flexibility and adaptability for creatives.
Squarespace also allows for simple integration with social media accounts, enabling users to:
Connect their online presence with their social channels efficiently
Have a seamless social media integration
Interact more dynamically with their audience
Further expand the reach of their creative work
5. Best Website Builder for Small Businesses: Weebly
Weebly is a top choice for small businesses, providing:
An easy-to-use drag-and-drop editor tailored for beginners
A straightforward interface that doesn’t require advanced technical skills
Over 50 customisable templates, ensuring responsive and mobile-friendly design
Additional features like video backgrounds and site search functionality enhance websites.
Weebly’s SEO tools are designed to be user-friendly for beginners, offering features like:
Site descriptions
Meta keywords
Header and footer code
The ability to set 301 redirects
This makes it easier for small businesses to optimise their websites for search engines, increase their visibility, and attract more customers.
Small businesses can also start an online shop with Weebly’s eCommerce features, including a shopping cart system and payment processing through options such as Square, PayPal, and Stripe. Additionally, Weebly’s app market contains over 300 apps to further enhance the site’s functionality.
Weebly’s pricing is clear, beginning with a free plan with the possibility of upgrades. Paid monthly plans range between $12 and $38 for additional features like unlimited storage. Although phone support requires a subscription to a higher-tier plan, customer support for Weebly is accessible through a detailed help centre and live chat.
6. Best Website Builder for Nonprofits: Webnode
Webnode shines as a cost-effective website builder tailored explicitly for nonprofits. It offers pricing plans that accommodate the budget constraints of nonprofit organisations. Nonprofits can easily integrate donation widgets on their websites, supporting their fundraising efforts with minimal technical expertise required.
Webnode provides unique nonprofit templates that embody humility, compassion, and care. These templates are ideal for charities and community-oriented organisations, allowing them to easily share their vision and mission on dedicated ‘About Us’ pages.
In a world where every dollar counts, Webnode offers nonprofits a cost-effective solution to establishing their online presence, engaging with their community, and driving their mission forward.
7. Best Website Builder for Personal Brands: Jimdo
Personal brands will find Jimdo to be an excellent choice. It provides a no-code, artificial design intelligence (ADI) website builder that simplifies the website creation process for individuals without coding experience. The ADI-assisted design approach quickly generates personalised site designs by suggesting styles, colour palettes, and layout templates based on user preferences.
Users can easily edit and update their site’s content directly, any time needed, without requiring coding knowledge. Jimdo enables personal brands to connect their social media profiles to import information and images quickly, enhancing the personalisation of their websites.
With over three dozen highly customisable templates, Jimdo presents a broad spectrum of design possibilities for individual branding. Furthermore, Jimdo includes a built-in logo creator tool, aiding individuals and new businesses in forming a visual identity that resonates with their brand.
8. Best Website Builder for Freelancers: Duda
Duda is recognised for its comprehensive set of features that particularly benefit freelancers and agencies. Its standout features include:
An emphasis on client management
White-label capabilities
A client management system that simplifies project management by enabling freelancers and agencies to organise and track website projects from a centralised interface seamlessly.
White-label options on Duda allow freelancers and agencies to present the platform’s tools as their own, including custom domain and free domain features. This enhances their professional image and tailors the web-build experience for clients.
In addition, team collaboration on Duda is made efficient through intuitive tools that support shared workflows, access controls, and real-time communication between team members. Whether you’re a solo freelancer or part of an agency team, Duda provides the tools you need to manage your web design projects efficiently and professionally.
9. Best Website Builder for Education: Google Sites
For educational purposes, Google Sites stands out for its easy-to-use interface and real-time collaboration tools. It allows students and teachers to work together, making it ideal for collaborative learning environments and group projects.
Google Sites supports seamless integration with Google Workspace tools like Google Calendar, Google Drive, and Google Forms. This adds significant value to educational website creation and maintenance.
Used for a range of educational purposes, Google Sites can be used to:
Create virtual learning environments
Manage class projects
Build staff directories
Enhance interactive elements through various embeddable media
It provides a structured and comprehensive educational experience, making it a top choice for educators and students.
10. Best Website Builder for Events: Eventbrite
When managing events, Eventbrite provides a trusted platform for quickly posting and managing virtual or in-person events. It offers advanced online event management tools integrated with Zoom and YouTube services.
Event organisers can:
Create various types of tickets, such as paid, accessible, and donations
Set event capacities
Customise ticket sales dates
Tailor the ticket purchasing experience to their event’s specific needs.
Additionally, Eventbrite offers the following features:
Extensive marketing features
Custom event pages
Real-time sales monitoring
Automated event notifications
Data analytics to track sales sources
Email marketing tools with high open rates
These features make Eventbrite a great platform for event promotion and management.
Comparing Website Builder Features
In evaluating website builders, taking into account their features is essential. Some important features to consider for SEO purposes include:
Clean URLs
Automatic sitemaps
Custom titles and descriptions
The ability to optimise meta tags and URLs
These features are crucial for driving organic traffic and enhancing visibility on search engines.
Featuring a variety of templates and customisation options, website builders include responsive designs, options to add custom logos, and template compatibility with existing websites. These templates provide a starting point for your website design and ensure that your website is responsive and mobile-friendly.
Pricing options vary among website builders, with most offering limited storage in their free plans and premium plans starting as low as $4 a month when billed annually.
Finally, selecting a Content Management System (CMS) should correspond with the website’s purpose and structure and be adaptable to various website types, from blogs and portfolios to e-commerce stores.
Summary
Creating a professional online presence is essential for individuals, businesses, and organisations in the digital age. The right website builder can help you achieve that, tailored to your needs, technical skills, and budget. Whether you’re a freelancer, a small business owner, running a large corporation, or part of a nonprofit organisation, a website builder is perfect for your needs.
From Wix’s versatility and user-friendly interface to Shopify’s comprehensive e-commerce tools and Weebly’s user-friendly interface tailored for small businesses, each website builder offers unique features that cater to different needs. It’s up to you to choose the one that best aligns with your goals and facilitates your journey to establishing a solid online presence.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I create a website?
To create a website, first decide on the type of website you want and choose a website builder. Then, pick a template and customise it to your brand, build your site structure, add pages, fill it with engaging content, and find and purchase a domain name. After that, follow steps such as getting a domain name and URL, setting up an email address, finding a web hosting company, designing your website, building it, and adding and managing your website content. Finally, test and fine-tune your site.
Can I create my website for free?
You can create your website for free using platforms like Canva, HubSpot, WordPress, Weebly, Webflow, and Wix, which offer customisable templates and easy-to-use tools for different needs.
How do I open a website?
To open a website, you must pick a domain name, set up hosting, choose a theme design, publish content, promote your website, and consider monetisation opportunities. Follow these steps to create your website in 6 steps: Plan, choose a template, customise your website, get a domain name, optimise for search engines, and publish and promote your website.
Is it cheaper to build my website?
Yes, building your website can be cheaper if you have the time to learn and configure the necessary tools, such as website builders and hosting services. It is a cost-effective option for beginners, involving basic expenses like domain name, hosting, and website-building platforms.
What are some essential factors to consider when choosing a website builder?
When choosing a website builder, it’s essential to consider your website goals, technical skills, budget, template variety, customisation options, and mobile optimisation features.