What is a website builder?

These are services that are geared to designing websites online using a set of pre designed templates, tools and features with the aim of getting your website published in a few short minutes, no coding experience required.

Why are they so popular?

Website builders have boomed over the years because everyone wants to get a website published and in many cases do no have the confidence or experience to do it themselves. Also, many people may not want to hire a professional company or designer solely because of the costs involved. They them turn to website builders which are tipped to take out a lot of the hard work such as designing a layout and coding, and you simply put in the information you want.

Which one to choose?

With so many website building tools out there it is a mine field because each of them varies on how good they are overall, how much they cost, how easy they are to use, the features included, SEO, customization and customer support.

Your main considerations

Before you choose a particular building provider, there are four big considerations you need to think about before committing yourself.

1) Which template design? Many website builders, including the free services, come with generous selections of templates which include fluid layouts and mobile website designs. You must ensure that the templates offered are current and include mobile device support.

2) How much control do you get? How much control do you get through the website editor? You should be able to ensure that it is constructed according to the layout you want. Make sure you can customize your website the way you want to with the tools provided. Essential tools must include SEO and customizing page titles, meta keywords and descriptions and body text.

3) How easy to use are they? It is essential that the site-builder be intuitive and easy to use. If the interface is so confusing that you can not figure out how the do the basics, do not bother with the service. Avoid services that just seem to over load the screen with options and choices.

4) What features are there? As with ease of use, you must see what features are available with the provider you are looking at. These typically include domain name support, depth of navigation, SEO, contact forms, HTML support, e-commerce and others.

In addition, you can read reviews online about the website building services and make use of comparison websites which compare the features of these building providers. Then you will be able to make an informed decision as to which one to choose.

Top 5 website builders

There are so many of these building providers available that it can be hard to choose which one. Here is our top 5 website builders.

1 & 1

They provide an easy to use and fully featured website editor control panel with a wide selection of templates for personal use and for all sectors of business. Templates are mobile friendly. Setting out your website is accomplished in a well laid out process with just a few clicks to it. Advanced users can customize their layout with HTML or CSS. Photos and video widgets and social media connections can be added to with no hassle.

Wix

They provide a simple and easy to use interface featuring simple tools, video tutorials for extra support and many sector specific templates to choose from which are flash based. There is a separate website builder for mobile websites. There are plenty of options to fine tune your website to the way you want it including adding logos, pictures, changing fonts and colors. For ecommerce users there is integrated support for shopping carts and payment options.

Weebly

Their site builder has been designed so that anyone can build their own professional website with minimal effort. You are able to start out by signing up for free and begin using the massive amount of features available. There are many customizable and mobile friendly templates to choose from, plus adding images, photos and additional modules. For ecommerce users there is integrated support for PayPal and Google check out.

Webs

Their site builder is simplicity itself and you can sign up for free and make use of the features available. There are many customizable templates that support a wide range of features including e-commerce and mobile compatibility. Additional features allow users to add images, photos and additional HTML code, and customize for SEO purposes.

Web.com

They provide a very easy to use editor that is very like the average word processor with many templates to choose from and sector specific. There are additional options that allow you customize your website by adding images, photos and additional code and customize for SEO purposes.