Free guide: The Beginner's guide to setting up your business

Now more than ever people are turning to the Internet for their source for everything. If you have a product, service or a brick and mortar business you want to put online, we recommend selecting a website builder that matches your business model. What website builder is best for your business?

Today, you don't have to have technical experience or have programming knowledge to build a website. Thanks to website builders, the obstacles to creating your own website have been removed.

These platforms streamline the website building process, allowing you to design, develop, and launch your own in a matter of minutes without having to learn programming or write lines of code.

Our Top Website Builder Picks

With the number of website builders out there, though, it’s easy to go with whichever one you stumble upon first. But keep in mind that the platform you ultimately end up going with has the potential to make or break your business.

Let's discuss what platform works best for your business model.

How to Select a Good Website Builder

When considering a website builder, here are a few things that you want to ask yourself:

  • How much technical skill and know-how do I have?
  • How much am I willing to pay monthly? Yearly?
  • Do I want to open an eCommerce store?
  • Do I take appointments?
  • Will I be texting my clients for reminders?
  • What are my goals for this website?

When you're selecting a website builder, you want to compare the features you'll be using for your business while comparing the pro's and con's.

We wanted to breakdown each website builder for their advantages and disadvantages, pricing plans, and features that you'll be using daily to grow your business.

Here are the top website builders that make it simple for to build and grow your business online. Let's get started.

ClickFunnels 2.0

BEST FUNNEL BUILDER – EDITOR'S CHOICE

Clickfunnels is a software company that was founded in 2014 by Russell Brunson. It is a platform that allows users to create marketing and sales funnels to sell products or services online. I have used the platform to create simple to complex funnels for the past 8 years. Everything from the shopping cart to autoresponder to affiliate program is built-in to Clickfunnels.

Clickfunnels is designed to make it easy for businesses to sell products or services online by streamlining the process of creating and managing marketing and sales funnels. The company is headquartered in Boise, Idaho, and has a large and active community of users around the world.

Pros of Using Clickfunnels

  • Ease of use: Clickfunnels is designed to be easy to use, even for those who are not tech-savvy. The platform has a drag-and-drop interface that makes it easy to create and customize marketing and sales funnels.
  • Wide range of features: Clickfunnels offers a variety of features that are designed to help businesses sell products or services online. These include landing page builders, shopping cart integration, email marketing automation, and more.
  • Large community of users: Clickfunnels has a large and active community of users, which can be a helpful resource for those who are new to the platform. The community is a great place to get tips, ask questions, and get feedback from others who are using the platform.
  • Solid customer support: Clickfunnels has a reputation for offering good customer support, with a team of knowledgeable and helpful staff that are available to answer questions and provide assistance.

Cons of Using Clickfunnels

  • Cost: Clickfunnels is not the cheapest option on the market, and some users may find the price to be a bit steep. When you add everything you get, you actually spend the same or spend much more for each piece (when you try to bootstrap it).
  • Complexity: While Clickfunnels is designed to be easy to use, some users may find the platform to be a bit complex, especially if they are new to marketing and sales funnels.
  • Limited integrations: Clickfunnels integrates with a number of other platforms and tools, but the list of integrations is somewhat limited compared to other similar platforms.

Having said that, we highly recommend Clickfunnels 2.0. They have now added faster page load tests and claim to be faster than any competitor. They added shopping cart funnels and course builders. They added a new email workflow visual chart so you can see exactly what your email marketing campaign looks like. Plus, you can try it out for 14 days for free.

LeadPages

EDITOR'S CHOICE FOR FAST AND BEAUTIFUL OPTIN PAGES

Are you a small business owner looking for a reliable solution to create high-converting landing pages? Look no further than Leadpages. With over 40,000 satisfied users, Leadpages offers a range of features designed to help you grow your business. Let's dive into the pros, cons, and pricing of this powerful tool.

Pros:

  • Leadpages provides a user-friendly, drag-and-drop editor that makes building landing pages, pop-ups, and alert bars a breeze. No coding skills required! The intuitive interface ensures a smooth and glitch-free experience.
  • With Leadpages, you can choose from a library of over 40 customizable templates, allowing you to quickly create professional-looking landing pages tailored to your needs. The templates can be easily edited, and the option to add your own custom domain gives your brand a polished and professional touch.
  • One of the standout features of Leadpages is its integration capabilities. It seamlessly integrates with over 40 popular marketing tools, such as email marketing services and webinar platforms. This ensures smooth workflow automation and saves you valuable time and effort.
  • Leadpages offers unlimited traffic and leads, making it suitable for businesses of all sizes. You won't have to worry about hitting any limitations while growing your customer base. The platform also provides detailed analytics, allowing you to track the performance of your landing pages and make data-driven decisions.

Cons:

  • One downside to consider is the pricing. Leadpages offers different plans, with the Pro plan starting at $74 per month (billed annually). While it provides advanced features like unlimited A/B split testing and advanced integrations, the cost may be prohibitive for some small businesses or casual users. (the $37 per month plan is still a solid affordable option)
  • Another minor drawback is that although Leadpages offers a responsive preview of your pages, you can't design the mobile version separately. This could limit your control over mobile optimization, which is crucial in today's mobile-driven world.

Pricing:

Leadpages offers two main plans.

The Standard plan costs $37 per month (billed annually) and includes features like unlimited traffic and leads, mobile-responsive templates, and online sales and payments. The Pro plan, priced at $74 per month (billed annually), provides additional benefits such as priority tech support, advanced integrations, and unlimited A/B split testing. Both plans offer a 14-day free trial to help you assess their suitability for your business.

In conclusion, Leadpages is a robust tool that empowers small business owners to create impressive landing pages and boost conversions. We think it's a solid options for the price, the user-friendly interface, extensive integration options, and the ability to create unlimited traffic and leads make it a valuable asset for businesses aiming to maximize their online presence.

Give Leadpages a try today and discover why it is the preferred choice for thousands of small business owners worldwide.

Easy Webinar

Easy Webinar is a popular webinar software platform that is utilized by various individuals and organizations for different purposes. The platform primarily caters to professionals, marketers, businesses, entrepreneurs, and educators who want to host and manage webinars, online events, and live presentations.

Here are a few reasons why people might choose to purchase Easy Webinar:

  1. Webinar Hosting: Easy Webinar offers a comprehensive set of features for hosting webinars, including customizable registration pages, automated email notifications, live chat, screen sharing, and interactive engagement tools. It provides a user-friendly interface and simplifies the process of creating and managing webinars.
  2. Lead Generation and Sales: Webinars are effective for generating leads and driving sales. Easy Webinar enables users to collect attendee information during the registration process, integrate with email marketing software, and follow up with attendees after the webinar. It also offers features like call-to-action buttons, offers, and timed events to boost conversions and sales.
  3. Training and Education: Educators, coaches, and trainers can use Easy Webinar to deliver online courses, workshops, and training sessions. The platform supports pre-recorded and live video presentations, interactive polls, quizzes, and screen sharing, making it suitable for instructional purposes.
  4. Collaboration and Communication: Easy Webinar facilitates real-time communication and collaboration. Participants can engage with the presenter and each other through live chat, Q&A sessions, and interactive features. It can be used for team meetings, remote collaboration, and virtual conferences.
  5. Analytics and Insights: Easy Webinar provides detailed analytics and insights into webinar performance. Users can track registration rates, attendee engagement, conversion rates, and other key metrics. These insights help users measure the effectiveness of their webinars and make data-driven decisions for future events.

Overall, Easy Webinar is a valuable tool for those who want to host engaging webinars, generate leads, drive sales, deliver online training, collaborate remotely, and gain insights into their webinar performance.

Instapage

Instapage is a popular landing page platform that offers various features and benefits for individuals and businesses looking to create and optimize landing pages. Here are some reasons why people might choose to purchase Instapage:

Pros of Instapage:

  1. User-friendly Interface: Instapage provides an intuitive drag-and-drop editor, making it easy for users to create and customize landing pages without the need for coding or design skills.
  2. Pre-designed Templates: The platform offers a wide range of professionally designed templates, allowing users to quickly create visually appealing landing pages.
  3. A/B Testing: Instapage enables users to perform A/B testing on their landing pages to optimize conversions. This feature allows you to create multiple versions of a page and test different elements to determine which one performs better.
  4. Conversion Analytics: Instapage provides detailed analytics and reporting, allowing users to track visitor behavior, conversion rates, and other key metrics to optimize their landing pages and marketing campaigns.
  5. Integration Options: Instapage integrates with popular marketing tools and platforms like CRM systems, email marketing services, and advertising platforms, making it easier to manage and track campaigns.
  6. Collaboration Features: Instapage offers collaboration tools, allowing teams to work together on landing page projects, share feedback, and make revisions.
  7. Mobile Responsiveness: The platform ensures that landing pages created on Instapage are mobile-friendly and responsive, providing a consistent user experience across different devices.

Cons of Instapage:

  1. Pricing: Instapage can be relatively expensive compared to some other landing page solutions, especially for users with larger needs or advanced features.
  2. Learning Curve: While the platform is user-friendly, there may still be a learning curve for individuals who are new to landing page creation or digital marketing concepts.
  3. Limited Plan Features: Some advanced features, such as dynamic text replacement and AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) support, are only available on higher-tier plans, which may limit functionality for users on lower-priced plans.

Pricing:

Instapage offers different pricing plans to cater to various needs. The specific pricing details may change over time, so it's recommended to check the Instapage website for the most up-to-date information.

  1. Core Plan: Starting at $199 per month when billed annually.
  2. Optimizer Plan: Starting at $199 per month when billed annually. This plan includes additional features like A/B testing and heatmaps. You get a $600 discount if you pay annually.
  3. Team & Agency Plan: Custom pricing based on requirements. This plan provides additional collaboration and team management features.
  4. Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing based on requirements. This plan offers advanced customization, integrations, and dedicated support.

Wix

BEST WEBSITE BUILDER FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

Wix for Small Business

While Israel-based Wix has been around since 2006, it has only recently started gaining traction, thanks to their aggressive marketing strategy and campaigns that feature big-time celebrities like Gal Gadot and Jason Statham. It positions itself as an affordable and hassle-free website builder that allows users to create their own site in a matter of minutes. Today, it hosts over 160 million websites that span 190 countries and has a revenue of approximately $600 million.

In the beginning, Wix was a knockoff template service. Then, I saw a small massage business (with two locations) use Wix for their entire operations from scheduling appointments to taking payments to sending out text reminders, Wix did everything for this local business.

Pros of Working with Wix:

  • Exceptional Template Library: The designs offered by Wix are unmatched and can fit a wide range of industries. Their template library is one of their biggest selling points.
  • Automatic Back-Up: Wix automatically backs-up your site, keeping it safe and well protected. This feature is similar to Apple’s Time Machine system.
  • Artificial Design Intelligence (ADI): This platform offers users a smart assistant to help them build their site. It’ll connect your social media, offer design recommendations suitable for your industry and audience, as well as create contact forms to increase your engagement. Keep in mind that this is only available for some projects, though.

Cons of Working with Wix:

  • Switching Templates: You’re basically stuck with the design you’ve chosen for good since switching is impossible once your site goes live. While you can adjust and tweak some elements, the overall theme can’t be changed.
  • Requires Apps: Those looking to scale their website or digital storefront may have to make use of pricey third-party apps.
  • Lacks Affordability: While the price difference isn’t that huge, Wix’s pricing isn’t as affordable as others on the market.

Wix Pricing:

  • Combo: $17.00/month
  • Unlimited: $22.00/month
  • Pro: $27.00/month
  • VIP: $47.00/month
  • Basic: $28.00/month
  • Unlimited: $33.00/month
  • VIP: $56.00/month

Tips to Getting the Lowest Price for Wix

Wix offers a free plan, albeit this comes with ads and doesn't include your own domain name. Additionally, their one-year contracts have significant price decreases; for instance, opting for the yearly Combo plan would cost you $13.00 every month.

Weebly

CHEAPEST WEBSITE BUILDER STARTING AT $9 PER MONTH

Weebly

One of the largest website builders out there with more than 50 million websites built and over 625,000 paid subscribers, Weebly has been a website building force since it first launched 14 years ago. It’s an accessible and beginner-friendly platform that requires neither coding knowledge nor experience. In 2018, it was acquired by Square, Inc., an American company in the field of financial and merchant services.

Pros of Working with Weebly:

  • Team Management: Weebly lets you assign other editors and administrators so you won’t have to be the only one managing your website.
  • Business-oriented: With all the basic tools you’ll ever need to build a great business site or even a digital storefront, Weebly is made for those who want to take their small businesses to the next level.
  • Excellent Support: The platform offers a ton of helpful guides that will help you learn more about coding, search engine optimization, and more.

Cons of Choosing Weebly:

  • Limited Flexibility: While Weebly’s themes are great and beautifully-designed, they aren’t the most flexible. The platform doesn’t really allow you to move certain site elements, unlike other website builders.
  • Can’t Be Restored: Weebly doesn’t offer a personal restore option so if it goes down, then you’re practically screwed. While you can reach out to their support team for help, it can be quite terrifying to be totally reliant on others to get your site back in top shape.
  • Manual Creation: The lack of an Artificial Design Intelligence (ADI) is another huge disadvantage to Weebly. Sites have to be created manually, which can pose a huge challenge to those without a lot of technical know-how.

Weebly Pricing:

  • Personal: $9.00/month
  • Professional: $16.00/month
  • Performance: $29.00/month

Tips to Getting Discount on Weebly

Weebly offers a free plan, although it features an add in the footer section and doesn’t come with a domain name. If you’re looking to dip your toe into this platform, then it might be better to start out with this free option first. A few months with it will leave you with a better idea of which subscription plan to go for. Additionally, a one-year commitment to your chosen plan comes with a significant price reduction; for instance, the yearly Personal plan comes with a 33% decrease and will only cost you $6.00 per month.

Duda

BEST SITE PLATFORM FOR PROFESSIONALS

Duda website builder founded in 2008

Launched in 2008, Duda is a website builder that focuses primarily on design, enabling users to create polished and attractive sites without having to learn how to code. While it isn’t the most popular of platforms, there’s no denying that elements unique to Duda make it a force to be reckoned with.

Pros of Choosing DuDa Website Builder:

  • Create Multilingual Websites: Duda boasts of a feature that allows sites to be created in multiple languages with ease. This is great for businesses and enterprises who wish to customize the user experience for their entire customer base.
  • Personalization Tools: Another unique feature is Duda’s range of personalization tools that take the customer’s experience to a whole new level. For instance, you can send specific messages to your site visitors based on their location.
  • Intuitive Drag-and-Drop Editor: Those who don’t have any coding knowledge or skills will love Duda’s straightforward and easy-to-use editor.

Cons of Working with DuDa Website Builder:

  • Lacks Affordability: Plans offered by Duda are priced considerably more compared to other website builders. Free plans aren’t offered by the platform.
  • Insufficient SEO: The search engine optimization (SEO) offered by Duda is severely lacking. If you don’t have a lot of SEO and keyword knowledge, then you’re better off going with another website builder that offers tools and features that can help you out in that area.
  • No App Store: Unlike its competitors, Duda doesn’t offer community-developed apps. While functionalities like live chat or a booking system may still be integrated onto your site, it has to be done manually.

Duda Website Builder Pricing:

  • Basic Plan: $19.00/month
  • Team Plan: $29.00/month
  • Agency Plan: $99.00/month

Tips to Getting Lowest Price on Duda Website Builder

Users can save up to 25% by choosing an annual plan instead of a monthly plan. Moreover, Duda offers a 30-day trial period so you can try it out and see whether or not this platform is a great fit for you and your goals.

Webflow

BEST WEBSITE BUILDER PLATFORM FOR CUSTOMIZATION

Webflow Website Builder Stats

Launched just seven years ago, Webflow is an emerging website platform based in San Francisco. While relatively new, it’s slowly gaining traction in the field, thanks to their unique and simple features that carry a high level of customization. It’s ideal for users who don’t want to be bothered by lines and lines of code yet still desire the customization that comes with it.

Webflow Website Builder Pros:

  • Wide Range Of Templates: The designs offered by Webflow fit a variety of fields and industries. Whether you’re looking to create an eCommerce store or an online portfolio, this platform will have something just for you.
  • Excellent Customization: With their unique Designer tool, you get all the benefits and flexibility of designing your website using the customization features of HTML, CSS, and Javascript without actually having to code.

Cons of Choosing Webflow:

  • Lacks Customer Support: Webflow doesn’t offer live chat or phone support. The only way to resolve issues is through email, which isn’t the most efficient or effective method.
  • Non-Beginner Friendly: While their Designer tool makes it easy to customize your site, Webflow is more complicated to use and navigate compared to their competitors.
  • Expensive Pricing: Because of their incredible customization feature, Webflow’s different plan options are all significantly more expensive than other website builders out there.

Webflow Pricing:

  • Website Plans
    • Basic: $12.00/month
    • CMS: $16.00/month
    • Business: $36.00/month
  • eCommerce Plans
    • Standard: $29.00/month
    • Plus: $74.00/month
    • Advanced: $212.00/month

Tips to Getting Lowest Price on Webflow

Webflow – along with its range of design features – can be used for free, however, there are several caveats to that. For one thing, your account will remain in trial status and you have to publish your page under a Webflow subdomain. For another, you’re limited to only working on two projects.

WORST WEBSITE BUILDER FOR ECOMMERCE

Shopify e-commerce

Created in 2006, Shopify now has over 800,000 eCommerce sites, approximately $63 billion in sales, and 3,000 employees working all over the globe. Shopify is a clunky, hard to use piece of shit.

After paying someone to open up my store in 2023, it took another 7 days to create a generic looking shop that would have done well in 1998. After another 7 days, I decided to cancel the site. I used WordPress and free plugins to accomplish more in 1 day.

Pros of Choosing Shopify:

  • Inventory System: The platform has an incredible inventory system that makes it easier for entrepreneurs to track stock and manage their stores.
  • Community Apps: Due to their large community of independent software developers, there are a great many useful apps on the Shopify App Store. These range from integration with dropshipping platforms to heat maps that track your website visitors.

Cons of Working with Shopify:

  • Transaction Fees: Shopify charges a small fee on top of their supported payment processors, such as Stripe and Paypal. While not too hefty, these fees will undoubtedly hurt your profit margins.
  • Non-eCommerce Content: While Shopify comes with a blog and product landing pages, it can be pretty hard to create other types of creative content that you’d like your digital storefront to have.
  • Very Limited Functionality: Shopify is extremely straightforward and beginner-friendly, making it perfect for those who don’t have a lot of technical skills and knowledge. They also provide in-depth beginner guides, extensive documentation, and a ton of articles and other resources.
  • App Payments: Not all of Shopify apps are free so integrating several of them onto your site, while helpful, will add to your costs.
  • Difficult to Work with: Unfortunately, they use templates when declining to work with clients without explanation. That's a problem when building relationships with online companies.

Shopify Pricing:

Frequently Asked Questions About Freelance Platforms for Building a Website

Which online website builder is best?

Before you commit to one website builder, match up YOUR business with the right website builder. Each platform has specific strengths depending on your business model. For example, Wix is great for massage parlors and spa treatments where you set an appointment. Shopify is best for e-commerce websites. Webflow is great for custom. WordPress is best for blogging.

What is the cheapest website builder?

WordPress is the cheapest website builder because you can get started for less than $5 per month. If you need help installing your website, click here to start a blog.

Is WordPress better than Wix?

Yes, WordPress is better than Wix. But Wix is best if you are in the service industry where people have to set appointments and make payments. They have the easiest drag and drop platform with texting customers for appointment reminders.

Now, if you want to start a blog and make money blogging, then I recommend WordPress.

What internet marketing books do you recommend?

Right now, Marketing Veteran, Russell Brunson has created a series of online marketing books. Dot Com Secrets, Expert Secrets and Traffic Secrets are all game changers for making money online. Right now, you can pick each book up for free if you pay for shipping.

Check out this piece for more information: Internet Marketing Books

How do I get traffic to my website?

If you're looking to get traffic to your website. We recommend picking two or three traffic strategies and mastering traffic before adding more. We have found the top five ways to get traffic is paid traffic, start a blog, create a show using podcast or YouTube, and Tiktok. Here are 21 proven ways to get internet traffic.

Make sure you bookmark this page as I’ll be updating it as often as I can to keep you informed on brand new website builders.

If you know anyone looking to build a website for their business, please share this page with them.

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