One of the biggest and most important questions you’ll be faced with when building the foundation for your small business is which website platform to go with. This is a huge decision as it’s not something you’re going to want to rebuild down the line. A quality website is a very important and necessary investment in building trust with your audience, ranking on search engines, and so much more.
Whether you’re looking to increase your online presence or operate your shop through an e-commerce site, having a streamlined, good-looking website is crucial to the success of your small business. So which do you choose? We’re going to keep it as simple as possible. For an e-commerce business, you want to choose Shopify. For a service-based business, go with WordPress. Let’s dive into why!
Best Overall Website Builder
The best overall website builder for a small business is WordPress, hands down. While WordPress requires a little more know-how than some other quick website builders, it immediately allows for the most customization. Not only can you install several plugins and ad-ons directly to WordPress for ease of customization, but their overall interface is quick and easy to use. Almost half of the websites in the world are built with WordPress, meaning the possibilities are endless when building with this platform.
Another attractive thing about WordPress is its pricing. Not only do they offer a free trial so you can get your footing, but their base subscription is only $4 a month, much lower than any other subscription service on the market (we’re looking at you, Netflix). The advanced subscription is only $8 monthly, making it cost-effective for small business owners from all angles.
WordPress is the best overall website builder for small businesses if you’re a small business that offers a service but doesn’t need e-commerce functionality. This platform provides nearly limitless customization, and its intuitive page builder and ability to pair with different ad-ons and plugins make it a lifesaver for the driven small business owner. If you want to build your website, we can’t recommend WordPress enough.
Pros:
- Incredibly cheap pricing ($4 to $8 monthly, under $100 a year at max level)
- Intuitive page construction
- Customizable widgets, ad-ons, and plugin services
- Both coding and view-based editing services
- Incredibly versatile functionality
Cons:
- The sheer number of choices available can be overwhelming for someone new to website building
- Best to get help with initial set up and design
Best E-Commerce Website Builder
Shopify is your best option if you’re looking to set up an e-commerce website. This streamlined website builder prioritizes crafting your virtual storefront, allowing you to integrate your website and selling platform seamlessly. Not only does Shopify offer a point of sale system, selling platforms, and an online storefront for your business, but their 24/7 support helps keep your business running smoothly no matter what tech bugs come your way.
While Shopify is a bit more expensive than WordPress (the intro plan runs $39/month), that’s one impressive price given that it combines the best parts of a point of sale (PoS) system, storefront, and sales channel coordinator all in one. For comparison, your average brick-and-mortar store can spend upwards of thousands of dollars for their PoS system, meaning you’re practically getting away with highway robbery with Shopify.
You can’t go wrong with Shopify if you want to offer products on a clean, easy-to-use e-commerce site customized for your business. This platform allows you to coordinate sales across multiple channels, and the streamlined interface and all-in-one e-commerce system make selling a small business easier than ever. If e-commerce sales are your goal, you need Shopify.
Pros:
- All-in-one e-commerce functionality
- Ability to coordinate sales across several channels at once
- 24/7 support
- Easily integrates into virtually any other program or social platform
Cons:
- Slightly more pricy than WordPress
- Fees can increase for high-traffic e-commerce sites/as your business grows
What to Consider When Building a Website
Now that you know the website builders we recommend for a small business, it’s time to discuss building your website. While every company has slightly different needs for its website, some fundamental building blocks stay the same, notably how your website looks and functions.
When deciding on an appearance for your website, try and stay away from overly flashy designs. This doesn’t mean you need to shelve creativity entirely but remember that flashing icons, moving designs, and high-contrast colors should be left in the 90s where they belong. Instead, try and prioritize function over form when building your website.
Make sure to include your business logo and key colors that fit your brand lookbook, but don’t overdo it with flashy designs, confusing layout choices, and overwhelming dropdown menus. Most people visit a website to find information; if that information is hidden or difficult to find, you may lose customers.
Once you have a general layout for your website, you want to ensure you have all the information anyone could want in easy-to-access spots. This includes contact information, address, phone number, hours of operation, and anything else relevant to your business. You also want to include links to your social media accounts and consider including a social feed on your site.
If you’re building an e-commerce platform, ensure your products are easy to find, and remember that a picture is worth a thousand words. Ensuring your product photos are front-and-center on your site can help direct customers to your shop and be a key part of any sales funnel. Make sure your products are searchable, and consider adding several product sections so people can easily find what they’re looking for without scrolling through page after page of irrelevant products. Remember, your goal is to make shopping on your site as effortless as possible, so test your website and update it according to user feedback.
If you’re looking to build a website for your small business, Planted Marketing can help. Our team of web development and marketing experts can help streamline your website design and help make setting up an e-commerce platform easier than ever. If you want to discover more, contact us today to schedule a consultation.
