Are you looking for the best website builder for small business? We have what you need.
We've reviewed and tested 13 platforms and website builders to help you launch your website and sell online.
Besides the shortlisted builders, you will also learn the determining factors to choose the best one.
Without further ado, here are the 13 best website builders for small businesses in 2024.
Contents :
Hostinger
Hostinger Website Builder is one of the best site builders for all purposes including selling online. It offers over 150 responsive website templates for different niches and industries.
This site builder has a pixel-perfect and easy-to-navigate drag-and-drop editor. To customize a website template, browse the left sidebar menu. Let's break down the panels:
Add an item – click on this panel to create, modify or move elements of the website, such as texts, images, videos, social icons and pop-up forms.
Page and navigation – add, rename, duplicate and delete web pages. You can also create a drop-down menu and add new links to the navigation menu.
Website styling : Access this panel to align colors, text styles, button shapes, and animations with your overall brand strategy.
Blog – add, edit and delete blog posts, create categories and track content status.
Online Shop – click on this panel and on Add a store to unlock eCommerce functionality. Once activated, you can create product pages, manage inventory, and upload up to 500 products.
Languages – click on this panel to add other languages, such as German or Korean. As adding a new language will duplicate current pages, be sure to do this once your site is complete in the default language.
AI tools – use the logo maker, the AI writer and alt text generator to streamline your website building process. Furthermore, the AI heat map is a handy tool to optimize the conversion rate (CRO).
The panel of the Online Store is also where you can add the checkout functionality by embedding the shopping cart icon and configuring the page, checkout and delivery options. You will have access to more than 20 payment options, including Apple Pay, Google Pay, Visa and Mastercard.
Additionally, you can connect your e-commerce store to various third-party apps, like GGoogle Analytics, Hotjar et WhatsApp.
Marketing automation tools allow you to schedule advertising campaigns on Google et Facebook. If you're selling services, use the builder's appointment scheduling feature.
You will find the built-in SEO tools in the menu Website settings. In the editor, you can add meta titles, meta descriptions and alt texts for images. These tools also allow you to create a sitemap and access your 30-day traffic history.
Don't worry about additional hosting costs because Hostinger Website Builder offers fully managed web hosting services. Running on Hostinger's servers, this site builder guarantees a 99,9% uptime, which is perfect for an online business. It also includes a Free domain name for one year.
In addition, the response time of its server is exceptional. It has multiple data centers around the world including USA, Netherlands, India, Lithuania, and Singapore to ensure excellent page rendering speed worldwide.
It's the best website builder for small businesses because it's easy and quick to set up, allowing business owners to focus on more important tasks.
To keep your site safe, it offers various security features, including protection against DDoS attacks and a free SSL certificate for life. It also creates automated backups and adds the one-click restore option whenever you update your eCommerce store.
From 2,99 $ per month, it is a great website builder solution with hosting services. With a clean and user-friendly template editor, you won't have to worry about spending too much time setting up your small business website.
If you have a problem, Hostinger's customer service team will be happy to help you through emails and live chat. You can also use the self-help channels, which include a knowledge base, Hostinger tutorials, webinars, and the Hostinger Academy YouTube channel.
Divi
Divi, developed by Elegant Themes, has one of the largest repositories of website templates. Choose from over 2 templates and 000 website packs to create a fully functional e-commerce site.
Its main features are background masks, sticky headers, shape dividers, and border options. It also offers various effects including hover, shadow, animation and scroll effects. If you know CSS, you can customize the templates using the Divi code module.
Regarding the online store functionality, Divi is compatible with WooCommerce and various email marketing tools, such as Mailchimp et Constant Contact. Also, you can embed social media icons, create contact forms and pricing tables.
If you are targeting the US audience, Divi is a good choice. Its server processes in priority the PHP functions and the CSS code necessary to render the requested page. This website builder also uses caching tools to improve speed.
As for safety precautions, it provides editing history and automated backups, so you don't have to worry about losing your progress. If you need help, Divi customer support is available via email and live chat.
Annual subscription to Divi costs $ 70 and comes with a 30 day money back guarantee. For a more economical option, you can also opt for a one-time subscription of $ 199.
Elementor
Although famous for its page builder plugin, Elementor offers a bundle that includes web hosting for building WordPress websites. It offers a user-friendly visual editor with hundreds of widgets and pre-made website templates.
Elementor's drag-and-drop interface consists of two sections: Basic et Pro.
The section Basic allows you to customize website elements such as header, column, separator and spacer. You can modify texts, add images and videos, create buttons and integrate Google maps.
The Pro section allows you to play with your web pages, such as creating portfolios, slides or forms. If you have any issues, contact customer service via email or live chat.
Elementor's online store features include landing page, form, and pop-up builder. Business owners can also integrate WooCommerce to create their online stores.
To improve website performance, Elementor integrates with Cloudflare CDN. The table below shows that this page builder offers excellent speed in many parts of the world.
Elementor costs 9,99 $ per month, with managed WordPress hosting on Google Cloud Platform and an SSL certificate included. If you're not satisfied with the service, take advantage of the 30-day money-back guarantee to get your money back.
Wix
Wix is a popular website builder for small businesses. It offers over 900 customizable templates, making it easy to create a small business website.
It also offers many built-in customization tools. For example, you can embed various website elements, including images, videos, event calendars, and community forums.
When it comes to e-commerce features, business owners can add contact forms, integrate payment gateways, create product pages, and link their social networks.
On the Wix App Market, you will find third-party applications to support the growth of your online business. These include email marketing, analytics, digital advertising and SEO tools. Activate it “Dev” mode to customize Wix templates using JavaScript and connect to external APIs.
Wix uses multi-cloud hosting to host your small business website. In terms of performance, the website builder guarantees 99,9% server uptime and excellent page load times.
Offering a free plan, Wix is one of the best website builders for small businesses on a tight budget. Note that the free plans do not allow you to connect to a custom domain name.
Opt for the plan BusinessVIP, 35 $ per month, to remove Wix ads from your site and allow online payments. It includes a free SSL certificate and domain registration for one year. If you're unhappy with the service, request a refund with the 14-day money-back guarantee.
Canva
Canva is one of the most beginner-friendly website builders around. With its built-in templates and media elements, you can create a website a single page for your small business.
Its wide range of customization options includes a color palette builder and an AI editor. Canva also offers real-time collaboration, allowing team members to work on site design simultaneously.
Create a Canva website for free and upgrade to the premium version, from 17,99 $ per month, as your business grows. In addition to allowing you to connect a single domain name, the paid plan includes brand kits and one-click background removal tool.
The former lets you edit Canva's pre-made logo, color palette, graphics, and fonts to stay true to your brand. Background remover can help you beautify your product photos.
Canva is a simple website builder for one-page sites, which is still in its infancy. That's why its e-commerce capabilities are limited. If you need help, customer support is available via email.
BigCommerce
BigCommerce specializes in developing e-commerce websites. Whether you're a B2B business or a wholesaler, BigCommerce can help you create and launch a professional website for your small business.
When it comes to customization options, its drag-and-drop page builder lets you choose a layout and add images, videos, hero banner, and carousel slideshow. IT-savvy business owners can use developer tools to modify the theme code.
BigCommerce offers various online store features, such as checkout customization and marketplace integration on Amazon, eBay et Walmart. If you want to migrate to a headless environment, this builder is a good option, as it is compatible with React.js and Vue.js.
BigCommerce hosts its customers' websites on the Google Cloud Platform and guarantees server uptime of 99,99%. It also offers solid security and is one of the best site builders for speed.
BigCommerce plans start from $29 per month. If you have any technical issues, the technical support team is ready to help you via email, live chat and phone.
Shopify
Shopify is another e-commerce platform to get your small business online. It offers a theme store and an application store and allows you to download an unlimited number of products.
With point-of-sale systems and centralized inventory tracking, you can enforce omnichannel selling. Don't worry about getting your business out there, because Shopify offers built-in SEO tools and marketing automation.
In addition, Shopify Shipping is a very useful feature to apply discounted rates on international and regional deliveries.
To keep your small business website secure, Shopify offers fraud analysis and compliance assurance Level 1 PCI DSS for each transaction. When it comes to speed, this website builder offers fast response times.
Take advantage of the three-day trial period offered by Shopify before purchasing a plan. During this time, Shopify lets you play with its themes, use stock images, and preview your online store.
The Starter plan, at 5 $ per month, is an excellent option for create a website simple to promote on social media or messaging apps. If you need a full-fledged e-commerce site, go for the plan Basic à 29 $ per month (billed annually).
If you have any issues, you can contact Shopify's customer support team via email or live chat.
HubSpot
HubSpot offers a free drag-and-drop website builder and its content management system (CMS). Its hundreds of customizable themes and the ability to connect a custom domain allow business owners to create a website adapted to their brand.
HubSpot's interface is easy to navigate. It consists of two main menus: the page editor and the theme editor. The page editor allows users to create, rename and edit web pages and create content.
The theme editor provides access to theme settings. You can change the color palette and font styles, among other things.
In addition to site building and design assistance, the CMS Hub includes hosting with uptime of 99,99%. It also integrates with HubSpot's CRM platform, allowing you to easily create forms or incorporate live chat using pre-built modules.
If you are a passionate web designer, use the local web development integration with GitHub and front-end frameworks.
HubSpot also offers CDN integrations and Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) to speed up the loading time of your pages. As for security, HubSpot offers a free standard SSL certificate, malware scanning, and web application firewalls (WAFs).
The free version includes, among other things, a CMS and marketing tools. For payment options, go for the plan Starter à 23 $ per month. Additionally, it removes HubSpot branding from your website and provides email and in-app support.
Doubt
Duda is ideal for agencies and SaaS platforms that build websites for small businesses. Using this builder, web designers can create custom web pages using JavaScript, CSS, and HTML. It is also a great option for creating dynamic online stores.
If you are a beginner, Duda also offers a user-friendly drag and drop tool. Start customizing the desired template by hovering over the brush icon in the editor.
Duda users can add or create their own custom widgets, such as countdown timer, weather forecast and user reviews. Apart from playing with web design, it is also possible to integrate Zapier to automate business workflow.
Duda website builder includes cloud-based Amazon Web Services (AWS) hosting. In addition to an uptime guarantee of 99,9%, it has unlimited storage, unlimited bandwidth and a free SSL certificate.
Duda's starter plan is suitable for creating simple websites such as blogs, portfolios, and online resumes.
To unlock the Fashion Dev, the integration of Zapier and the widget builder, you must subscribe to the offer Team, which cost 22 $ per month. eCommerce features, on the other hand, are only available through paid add-ons, starting at 7,25 $ per month.
The good news is that users can sign up for the 14-day free trial before purchasing. If you have any questions or encounter any issues, contact Duda Customer Service via email, live chat, or phone.
WordPress.com
WordPress.com is a free website builder. The free plan is perfect for creating test sites, portfolios, online resumes and start a blog. Paid plans are great for more complex sites, including online stores.
Choose from hundreds of WordPress themes and use the block editor by drag and drop to customize the design. You can change the font styles, color palette, and website elements to align with your brand.
WordPress.com's free plan allows users to create unlimited pages and access to the contact form builder. When it comes to security, it protects your business website from malware, brute force attacks, DDoS, and spam messages.
To improve performance, this website builder implements global caching and integrates CDN in over 28 locations.
However, WordPress.com's free plan does not allow you to connect a custom domain. To be able to do this, you must switch to the Personal offer at 4 $ per month. This plan includes more features, such as an ad-free experience and email support.
framer
Framer has evolved from a JavaScript library to a web design platform. Its advanced features for web developers enable web professionals to help small business owners build sophisticated online stores.
For users with little to no coding knowledge, the drag-and-drop feature lets you build your small business website in minutes. You can start with a blank canvas or choose from dozens of templates available.
One of the main features of Framer is the integration of Figma. It allows you to use your own website or import a template from the application. The app also offers various animation effects including parallax scrolling.
When it comes to hosting, Framer offers an uptime guarantee of 99,99% only for the top level plan. Overall, server response time is excellent.
The free version of Framer is perfect for a simple website for a small business. To remove platform banners from your site, connect your own domain name, and access e-commerce features, you will need to upgrade to the premium version, from 5 $ per month.
If you are having difficulty, go to the channel Discord public to get help from the community. Additionally, a channel Slack private is available for those using the plan BusinessCustom.
Squarespace
Squarespace is one of the best site builders for small businesses that sell online. Apart from the user-friendly drag-and-drop interface, it has a logo and video maker.
E-commerce features include a shopping cart, customer review integrations, and product creation and checkout pages. You can set up different shipping and payment options including UPS, FedEx et Stripe.
Squarespace also makes it easier to sell services by integrating booking features.
When it comes to speed, Squarespace offers good server response time in many regions around the world. As the site owner, you can speed it up by reducing the size of your pages.
From 16 $ per month, Squarespace's plans include a free SSL certificate, unlimited bandwidth, and SEO features. However, the lowest subscription does not include e-commerce functions. In addition, transaction fees may apply depending on the chosen offer.
Squarespace customer support is available 24/24 via email and live chat if you need help.
Weebly
Weebly is another great alternative for a freemium website builder. Its clean interface is easy to navigate and its features help users build small business websites quickly.
You can edit your homepage and create categories using the drop-down menu Page. You can also edit website elements by accessing the panel Website Design. Weebly also allows users to use video backgrounds and create custom headers.
Weebly's eCommerce features include a coupon creator, gift card creator, sales badges, and customer review integration. For payment, this site builder integrates Square, Stripe et PayPal, as well as an automatic tax calculator.
The free plan includes various marketing tools, e-commerce features, and an SSL certificate. It also allows users to install extensions from Weebly App Center or embed third-party code.
Premium versions start at 10 $ per month. In addition to the features of the free version, the plan commitment allows users to connect a unique domain name and unlock more customization features.
Weebly customer support is available via email, chat, and phone if you have any questions or concerns.
Factors to consider when choosing the best website builder for small business
Along with all the features needed to run an eCommerce store, such as the shopping cart, product pages, pricing plans, and payment methods, here are some important factors to consider:
Website needs – Check the compatibility of the designer with third-party applications that your e-commerce store needs. These can include, for example, digital marketing, customer relationship management (CRM) and analytics tools.
Checking resources such as bandwidth and storage space can also help determine the ideal environment for your e-commerce site. Using a web hosting checklist is a great way to make informed decisions.
Safety – Managing a commercial website usually involves handling a lot of sensitive information. This may include customer data, such as login credentials or credit card details.
Therefore, choosing a website builder with strong security measures should be every business owner's priority. An SSL certificate is essential for e-commerce sites. Besides free SSL, you should look for protection against DDoS attacks, firewalls and automated backups.
AVAILABILITY – Most website builders offer hosting services.
While an eCommerce store should achieve as close to 100% uptime as possible, aim for at least 99,9%. To make your search process more efficient, check out our web hosting comparison.
performances – Slow pages can cause visitors to leave your website. Use BitCatcha, GTmetrix or Google PageSpeed Insights to check the performance of existing websites built with the platform.
Price – An expensive website builder is not always the best. That said, a free plan can be cumbersome, as it often displays ads on the site and doesn't allow users to connect their domain name.
Also, make sure that the website builder you choose has a tiered pricing system. This will allow you to scale as your small business grows.
Support – Email, live chat and phone calls are popular means of communication. However, many manufacturers offer customer self-help services, such as a knowledge base and blog tutorials.
Other resources:
- Bing SEO: A simple and practical guide for beginners
- SaaS SEO: The Ultimate Guide to Doing SEO for Your SaaS Business
- Which Bluehost plan to choose: Basic, Choice Plus or Pro?
- Why should you use Bluehost for your business
- A Web Hosting Checklist: What to Consider Before Choosing a Web Host
- How to monetize your YouTube channel [step by step]
Conclusion
Selling online just got easier, thanks to website builders that make it easy to launch an e-commerce store. Choosing the best website builder for your small business can be time consuming due to the many options available.
Some of the determining factors include site needs, security, and performance. Throughout this article, you have discovered 13 small business website builders. Our top three picks are:
- Hosting Website Builder – Best for creating powerful online stores. This builder is way ahead of the competition, whether it's extensive customization tools, third-party integrations, security measures or excellent performance.
- Divi – Offers one of the largest model repositories. Also, the code module is a nice feature to ensure the uniqueness of the design.
- Elementor – Ideal for WordPress sites integrating WooCommerce. It also has a widget builder, which most website builders don't offer.
We hope this article helps you find the best website builder for your eCommerce store. We wish you good luck !
