Quick Guide to Choosing the Right Website Tool

Quick Guide to Choosing the Right Website Tool for Small Business Owners and Entrepreneurs

By: Cheryl Gleason

Starting a new website can be overwhelming, especially for small business owners and entrepreneurs who don't know where to begin. Cheryl Gleason Consulting has created an easy-to-follow guide to help you select the right tool for your new website based on your budget and technical know-how. Included in this ranking are Wix, Weebly, GoDaddy, Squarespace, WordPress, Joomla, Shopify, and BigCommerce. We'll rank these tools by ease of use and low to high pricing to make your decision even easier.

Wix

Ease of Use: Wix is known for its user-friendly drag-and-drop interface, making it easy for beginners to create stunning websites without any coding knowledge.

Setup: Setting up a website on Wix is straightforward. You can choose from various templates and customize them to fit your brand. The approximate setup time is around 1-2 hours.

Pricing: Wix offers a range of pricing plans, from a free plan with Wix ads to premium plans that remove ads and provide additional features. Estimated pricing ranges from $14 to $49 per month.

Maintenance: Wix handles all maintenance tasks, including updates and security, allowing you to focus on your business.

Flexibility for Plugins, APIs, and Connectors: Wix offers a variety of apps and integrations through the Wix App Market. You can add functionalities like contact forms, social media feeds, and e-commerce features. However, it has limited flexibility for custom APIs and connectors.

Use Case: Wix is perfect for a small bakery looking to showcase their products and services online. With its easy-to-use interface, the bakery can quickly create a visually appealing website with menus, photos, and contact information.

Pros: User-friendly interface, wide range of templates, no coding required, Wix handles all maintenance and includes extensive SEO assistance when setting up pages.

Cons: Limited customization options compared to other platforms, higher pricing for premium plans.

Weebly

Ease of Use: Weebly provides a user-friendly drag-and-drop interface, making it easy for beginners to create websites.

Setup: Setting up Weebly is simple. There are various templates to choose from and customize. The approximate setup time is 1-2 hours.

Pricing: Weebly offers free and premium plans, with additional features in higher-tier plans. Estimated pricing ranges from $6 to $26 per month.

Maintenance: Weebly handles all maintenance tasks, including updates and security.

Flexibility for Plugins, APIs, and Connectors: Weebly offers a range of apps and integrations through the Weebly App Center. You can add functionalities like contact forms, social media feeds, and e-commerce features. However, it has limited flexibility for custom APIs and connectors.

Use Case: Weebly is ideal for a local restaurant wanting to create a website with menus, reservations, and contact information. Its easy-to-use interface lets the restaurant set up and manage its site quickly.

Pros: Easy to use, affordable pricing, no coding required, Weebly handles all maintenance.

Cons: Limited customization options, fewer advanced features compared to other platforms.

GoDaddy

Ease of Use: GoDaddy offers a user-friendly website builder with drag-and-drop functionality, making it easy for beginners to create websites.

Setup: Setting up GoDaddy is simple. There are various templates to choose from and customize. The approximate setup time is around 1 hour.

Pricing: GoDaddy offers several pricing plans, including basic and premium plans. Estimated pricing ranges from $6.99 to $29.99 per month.

Maintenance: GoDaddy handles all maintenance tasks, including updates and security.

Flexibility for Plugins, APIs, and Connectors: GoDaddy offers a range of integrations and apps through the GoDaddy App Market. You can add functionalities like contact forms, social media feeds, and e-commerce features. However, it has limited flexibility for custom APIs and connectors.

Use Case: GoDaddy is ideal for small business owners who want a quick and easy way to get their website online. With its user-friendly interface, the business owner can create a professional-looking website without technical knowledge.

Pros: Easy to use, affordable pricing, no coding required, GoDaddy handles all maintenance.

Cons: Limited customization options, fewer advanced features compared to other platforms.

Squarespace

Ease of Use: Squarespace offers a sleek and modern interface with drag-and-drop functionality, making it easy for users to create visually appealing websites.

Setup: Setting up Squarespace is straightforward. There are a variety of templates to choose from and customize. The approximate setup time is 2-3 hours.

Pricing: Squarespace offers several pricing plans, including personal and business plans. There are no transaction fees for e-commerce. Estimated pricing ranges from $12 to $40 per month.

Maintenance: Squarespace handles all maintenance tasks, including updates and security.

Flexibility for Plugins, APIs, and Connectors: Squarespace offers a range of integrations and apps through the Squarespace Extensions. You can add functionalities like contact forms, social media feeds, and e-commerce features. However, it has limited flexibility for custom APIs and connectors.

Use Case: Squarespace is perfect for a freelance photographer looking to showcase their portfolio online. With its beautiful templates, the photographer can create a stunning website to attract potential clients.

Pros: Sleek and modern interface, visually appealing templates, no coding required, Squarespace handles all maintenance.

Cons: Higher pricing compared to other platforms, limited customization options.

WordPress

Ease of Use: WordPress offers a more flexible platform but requires some technical knowledge. It is ideal for users who want complete control over their website.

Setup: Setting up WordPress involves choosing a hosting provider, installing WordPress, and selecting a theme. It may take more time than Wix. The approximate setup time is 3-5 hours.

Pricing: WordPress is free, but you must pay for hosting, themes, and plugins. Costs can vary depending on your choices. Estimated pricing for hosting ranges from $3 to $30 per month, with additional costs for premium themes and plugins.

Maintenance: Maintenance is user-managed, including updates and security. Regular backups are recommended.

Flexibility for Plugins, APIs, and Connectors: WordPress offers extensive flexibility for plugins, APIs, and connectors. With thousands of plugins available, you can add almost any functionality to your website. It also supports custom APIs and connectors, making it highly customizable.

Use Case: WordPress is ideal for a tech startup with a blog that shares industry insights and updates. Its extensive plugin library allows the startup to add features like social media integration and SEO tools.

Pros: Highly customizable, extensive plugin library, free platform (excluding hosting and premium themes/plugins).

Cons: Requires technical knowledge, user-managed maintenance.

Joomla

Ease of Use: Joomla is a powerful content management system (CMS) that offers flexibility but requires more technical expertise than Wix and WordPress.

Setup: Setting up Joomla involves choosing a hosting provider, installing Joomla, and configuring the site. It is suitable for users with some technical background. The approximate setup time is around 3-5 hours.

Pricing: Joomla is free, but you must pay for hosting and any premium extensions you choose to use. Estimated hosting pricing ranges from $5 to $20 per month.

Maintenance: Maintenance is user-managed, like WordPress, with regular updates and security measures.

Flexibility for Plugins, APIs, and Connectors: Joomla offers extensive flexibility for plugins, APIs, and connectors. Its wide range of extensions allows you to add various functionalities to your website. It also supports custom APIs and connectors, making it highly customizable.

Use Case: Joomla is perfect for a non-profit organization with a robust website to manage events, donations, and volunteer sign-ups. Its flexibility allows for custom features tailored to the organization's needs.

Pros: Highly customizable, powerful CMS, free platform (excluding hosting and premium extensions).

Cons: Requires technical knowledge, user-managed maintenance.

Shopify

Ease of Use: Shopify is designed for e-commerce and offers an intuitive interface for setting up online stores. It is user-friendly and requires no coding knowledge.

Setup: Setting up Shopify is simple. You can choose a template, add products, and configure payment options. The approximate setup time is around 2-3 hours.

Pricing: Shopify offers various pricing plans with more features, from basic to advanced plans. Transaction fees are charged for each sale. Estimated pricing ranges from $29 to $299 per month.

Maintenance: Shopify handles all maintenance tasks, including updates and security, allowing you to focus on selling products.

Flexibility for Plugins, APIs, and Connectors: Shopify offers a range of apps and integrations through the Shopify App Store. You can add functionalities like contact forms, social media feeds, and e-commerce features. It also supports custom APIs and connectors, making it highly customizable for e-commerce needs.

Use Case: Shopify is ideal for a small business selling handmade crafts online. With its easy setup and e-commerce features, the company can quickly start selling products and managing orders.

Pros: User-friendly interface, designed for e-commerce, no coding required, Shopify handles all maintenance.

Cons: Higher pricing for advanced plans, transaction fees for each sale.

BigCommerce

Ease of Use: BigCommerce is designed for e-commerce and offers a user-friendly interface for setting up online stores.

Setup: Setting up BigCommerce is straightforward. There are templates to choose from and customize. The approximate setup time is 2-3 hours.

Pricing: BigCommerce offers various pricing plans, from standard to advanced plans with more features. There are no transaction fees. Estimated pricing ranges from $29 to $299 per month.

Maintenance: BigCommerce handles all maintenance tasks, including updates and security.

Flexibility for Plugins, APIs, and Connectors: BigCommerce offers a range of apps and integrations through the BigCommerce App Marketplace. You can add functionalities like contact forms, social media feeds, and e-commerce features. It also supports custom APIs and connectors, making it highly customizable for e-commerce needs.

Use Case: BigCommerce is perfect for a growing online retailer looking to scale their business. With its advanced e-commerce features, the retailer can manage a large inventory and process orders efficiently.

Pros: User-friendly interface, designed for e-commerce, no transaction fees, BigCommerce handles all maintenance.

Cons: Higher pricing for advanced plans.

Hidden Costs and Customer Service

Hidden Costs:

• Wix: Premium plans can be costly, especially if you need additional features.
• Weebly: Higher-tier plans come with additional features, which can increase costs.
• GoDaddy: Premium plans can be expensive.
• Squarespace: Higher pricing compared to other platforms.
• WordPress: Costs for hosting, themes, and plugins can add up.
• Joomla: Hosting and premium extensions can increase costs.
• Shopify: Transaction fees for each sale.
• BigCommerce: Higher pricing for advanced plans.

Customer Service Responsiveness and Helpfulness:

• Wix: Generally responsive and helpful customer service.
• Weebly: Known for good customer support.
• GoDaddy: Offers 24/7 customer service, generally responsive.
• Squarespace: Provides helpful customer support.
• WordPress: Support depends on the hosting provider; some offer excellent support.
• Joomla: Community support is available, but it may require technical knowledge.
• Shopify: Known for responsive and helpful customer service.
• BigCommerce: Offers good customer support, especially for e-commerce needs.

Cheryl Gleason Consulting is partnered with and experienced in working with all of these platforms and tools and can assist you in making the best decision based on your business goals, budget, and timelines. 

Whether you're looking for ease of use, affordability, or advanced features, Cheryl Gleason Consulting can guide you through the process and help you create a website that meets your needs. Connect with us for a 15-minute consultation today to get started on your journey to a successful online presence.