In the hustle to get a website online, many aspiring entrepreneurs often skip the homework phase of testing and comparing different website building options. With so much energy and time spent into improving their products, odds are they want to get their websites up and running in a very fast manner.
This is where Do-It-Yourself website builders come into play. These platforms help aspiring webmasters turn their ideas into modern, professional-looking web destinations without writing a single line of code, in one sitting. But benefits are never the full story. The market of DIY website builders is highly saturated these days and unfortunately, it offers many low-quality products.
Choosing a platform for your project is a crucial step, and it’s no overstatement to say that it can make or break your business. Hopefully, this brief post will help you make the right, informed choice. Below is my comparison of three well-established online site makers that serve different target audiences: uCoz, Wix and Squarespace. Join me exploring their benefits and possible disadvantages.
uCoz
Benefits: uCoz is a versatile site builder that operates as a system of 22 modules that can be mixed and customized at will. These include: Forum, Blog, E-shop, Ad board, Guest Book, Social Media Publisher, Web Polls, Site News, Users and many others. In other words, uCoz allows to create websites of any complexity, from simple 5-page ‘brochures’ to complex E-shops with forums and inbuilt blogs. uCoz lets users tweak HTML and CSS. You can attach your own domain name even when on their free plan.
Disadvantages: uCoz doesn’t support drag-and-drop editing. It’s a site builder with a steep learning curve.
Best for: Complex websites, forums, blogs, membership sites.
Cost: $0 (Basic, ad-supported plan); ;$3.09 – $10.99/mo.
In-depth review: http://superbwebsitebuilders.com/ucoz-review/
Wix
Benefits: Wix is dead simple. With Wix you’ll be doing a lot of dragging, dropping and resizing. It has tons of beautiful templates for all tastes. Wix is one of the most intuitive site constructors.
Disadvantages: Wix doesn’t open up the codes. This means you’ll be able to customize your Wix site only to the extent that is offered in their drag-and-drop editor. Once you have chosen a template, you can’t switch it.
Best for: Basic portfolio websites. Product-centered websites with a focus on imagery and UX.
Cost: $0 (Basic, ad-supported plan); $4.08 – $16.17/mo.
In-depth review: http://superbwebsitebuilders.com/wix-review/
Squarespace
Benefits: Squarespace is a solid web publishing platform with a client-centered philosophy. It offers some of the most elegant templates on the market. The site builder has its own eCommerce platform and a whole suite of supporting iOS applications.
Disadvantages: Its interface isn’t as easy as that of Wix. Squarespace is pricier than its competitors.
Best for: Corporate websites, online portfolios of independent professionals, web stores.
Cost: $8 – $24/mo. Free 14-day trial. No free accounts.
In-depth review: http://superbwebsitebuilders.com/squarespace-website-builder-review/
If years of creating and maintaining websites have taught me anything, it’s that selecting a publishing platform is one of the most important steps. Your site performance, look, speed and overall feel is directly connected to the site builder/content management system you use.
Howard Steele mostly spends his time testing online site construction kits. He loves meeting new people, so feel free to contact him anytime.
Featured images: License: Image author owned
Marty Huggins
