How to Choose the Best Website Platform for Your Business

You know your business needs a functional, professional website, but you’re intimidated about where to start. Creating a website isn’t a small undertaking, but there are a number of platforms that make the process a breeze no matter your experience level.

What exactly is a website platform? It’s a type of website builder that does the heavy lifting for you. It includes features for publishing posts and pages, editing your design, and making your website more functional. Better yet, you don’t need any advanced experience in web design or coding to get started.

Now, you just need to choose the best website platform that’s right for your business. It doesn’t matter if you’re a large business or a startup, these tips below will help you come to the right decision in no time.

What Are the Best Website Platforms?

First, familiarize yourself with the best website platforms and how they work. Each platform has its own pros and cons, and some are right for different types of businesses. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution, so let’s look at the most common platforms:

• WordPress – WordPress really does power the web. Around 75 million active websites are using WordPress right now, making it the most common Content Management System (CMS). WordPress is an open-source platform packed with features to make design, publishing, and selling a breeze.
• Shopify – Shopify is a website platform built for selling products online. It’s most commonly used by eCommerce websites, but it makes selling online as simple as just a few clicks and drag-and-drop.
• BigCommerce – BigCommerce is a platform designed specifically for small businesses. It has sales features that make it ideal for eCommerce websites looking for a full-range of help from start to finish.
• Weebly – Weebly has both a free and paid version, though the paid version is a better fit for professional businesses. This drag-and-drop builder helps you get online and start selling faster, though it’s not as customizable as other platforms.
• Jimdo – Finally, Jimdo uses artificial intelligence (AI) to help you build a personalized website in just a few minutes. Though it’s less well-known than the other choices on this list, it’s quickly making a name for itself.

Now that you know the most common options, it’s time to talk about how to choose the right one for your business. The most common, well-known builder might not be right for your needs. On the other hand, you might find yourself leaning towards the tried-and-true path if you need more support. Next, we’ll break down what you need to ask yourself to decide on the best platform.

1. What Type Of Business Do You Have?

Start by thinking about the type of business you have. This will play the largest role in which type of platform you choose as well as your priorities. If you’re an eCommerce website, you’ll likely need a website that’s built for selling things online. If you have a service-based business, you might want to build a website with a blog for creating value-heavy content.

Before you start building your website, you need to know what you want it to do. If you need to focus on selling through your website, Shopify, BigCommerce, and Weebly will likely be the best choice. On the other hand, for a traditional, informative business website, WordPress is likely the best choice.

2. How Many Customizations Do You Need?

How confident are you in your design skills? If you have no experience designing websites, you’ll likely want to go with a template. Luckily, none of these website builders above require any type of coding or design experience. They all have template options to get you up and running in no time.

That being said, there are limitations to your customization. Platforms like Weebly and Jimdo, in particular, are very limited with how much you can customize their appearance beyond their drag-and-drop editor.

The most customizable is actually WordPress. Since it’s the most popular platform, it should come as no surprise that this open-source platform has a large variety of templates, known as themes, that you can use to design your website with just a few clicks. With both free and paid themes available, there’s no limit to what your website can look like with WordPress.

3. How Easy Is the Platform to Use?

Again, all of these website builders are simple to use no matter your experience. Yet, it’s still important to take your own experience into account. How much time do you have to dedicate to learning a new platform?

If you’re under a strict deadline to get your business website up and running, you’ll want something that does the hard work for you. The easiest platforms are those that have drag-and-drop, intuitive processes like Weebly and Jimdo.

In addition, you need to make sure there’s a lot of support available if you run into problems. WordPress is the most common platform today, so it naturally has the most online support resources if you have any issues or need help. Make sure you prioritize ease of use.

4. Are There Built-In SEO Features?

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) shouldn’t be an afterthought. Including SEO in your selection process will help you get started on the right foot. A good website building platform will include on-page optimization features built into the website.

Here are some things to look for in your website builder:

• Editable meta descriptions and alt tags
• Easy to produce sitemaps
• Custom URLs
• Site speed tools
• Optimized file sizes

Functionality and SEO go hand-in-hand. Unfortunately, many page builders bog down websites with a lot of heavy code, and this can slow down your performance. Google really prioritizes website speed, so this isn’t something to take lightly.

5. What’s Your Budget?

Last but not least, you need to decide on a budget. There are a few costs that come along with running a business website like your hosting package, your domain name, and any add-ons. You’ll also likely need to invest in things like graphic design, images, and eCommerce functionality.

While you’re likely to find a free plan with all of the builders above, you’ll usually need to pay some kind of monthly fee for business services. The only free option is WordPress since it’s a website framework you can use with any hosting package. Otherwise, prepare to pay anywhere from $5 – $50 a month depending on what you choose.

Finding the Best Website Platform

You’re ready to find the best website platform for your needs. As long as you keep these questions in mind, you’ll decide on what’s right for your business. Believe it or not, less than two-thirds of small businesses have websites in this day and age. It’s time to get an edge on the competition.

Building a website has never been easier. No matter your experience level, there’s a platform that’s built for you. There’s officially no excuse not to have your website up and running.