General

Almost everyone uses the internet in some way each day. If you run your own company or are a professional looking for new clients or business opportunities, you almost certainly need a place where people can find you on the web. You can list your products or services or host a portfolio to show others what you can do for them!

A decade ago, it was significantly more expensive and difficult to make a website. But now, there are many services that make it easy to get your own website up and running in mere minutes — and you don’t need any technical knowledge. For only a few dollars a month, you can get a professional-looking site to show your work or business to the world!

Process

Before you decide which service listed on this page to use, we suggest thinking about what you need for your website. Do you plan to use it as a blog, portfolio, or business-oriented page? If the latter, do you plan to have an online store or not? What vibe do you plan to create?  What are the main features you need? When you have answered these questions, you’ll be ready to choose and create your website!

Some of the key features that you need to consider before choosing:

• Templates - how many templates are offered and how easy is it to edit these temples. Keep in mind that most free plans only offer a limited number.
• Drag and drop tools - help you manage your website’s layout. It’s important to know how easy they are to use and how much flexibility they give you.
• Domain name - Most services provide a free domain that includes their name. You must pay an additional yearly fee to register your own custom domain name, but this is highly recommended as it will make your site look more professional.
• Mobile optimization - Make sure the service you choose can optimize your website for mobile devices. When a potential client or partner visits your site, it’s very likely they will do so on their phone.
• Marketing tools - includes newsletter options, chatbots, integration with Google Analytics, and SEO tools. All of these will help you expand the reach of your website.
• Support - especially important if you don’t know much about websites. Make sure that support is easily and readily available in the format you are most comfortable with (email, chat, or phone).

Payments

Many services provide a free tier with limited tools and templates. But in most cases, you will end up wanting to switch to a paid tier at some point to get additional features. Keep in mind that there are usually multiple paid tiers, too.

You can pay monthly for most services, but you will save money if you pay for a year or more upfront. It may be best to pay monthly in the beginning if you are not sure whether the service is the right fit for you, though.

Suggestions

We’ve listed what we think are the best website builders out there at the top of this page and their key features. Make sure you know everything that is included before signing up for one, though. And don’t hesitate to contact the company if you have any questions.