Network Solutions vs Site123
Written by
Daniel Ndukwu
In this day and age, getting your business online is no longer optional, it’s one of the most important things you can do. The pandemic made that even more apparent and accelerated the movement from offline to online.
If you’re making the transition from offline to online or from one website builder to another, you know that there are many options. Each one brings something slightly different to the table so it can be difficult to do a direct comparison.
Some of them focus on ease of use, some are ideal for eCommerce stores, and others will allow you to build a blog without learning the nuances of coding. The one you choose depends on your needs, budget, and the features it brings to the table.
In this guide, the question of Network Solutions vs Site123 is laid to rest. You’ll get a side by side comparison of what each one offers its customers and what it’s best for. By the end, you’ll be in a better position to choose one or the other to build a website you’re proud of.
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Network Solutions – Ideal for Simple Websites
Network Solutions is an old player in the domain registration and website building space. It started as the first DNS registry working with the US government then began offering its services commercially. Over time, it built a suite of tools to help individuals and businesses secure the perfect domain name and build websites to match.
In 2011, it was acquired by Web.com which led to an improvement in its website builder and associated products. It has some of the cheapest hosting and website builder packages on the market with the entry-level plan only costing $2.95/m but there is a steep price increase during your second term. For its site builder, Network Solutions offers many templates across different business verticals that will allow you to get a head start when building your website. Other features include:
Integrated Blog
For many brands, blogging is no longer optional, It’s a necessary and inexpensive way to attract the right people to their website. Once there, the visitors explore further and often purchase a product or service. Network Solutions provide an integrated blog with the features you need to optimize for SEO and provide a positive experience for visitors.
Stock Photos
Part of building a compelling website is using images properly. Most of us aren’t professional photographers which are why stock photos are so important. This website builder gives you access to a large stock photo library so you can find the images you need without paying an extra fee.
Generous Bandwidth
As your website grows, more and more people will visit which means you need more bandwidth. Many website builders severely limit you so you’ll have to upgrade or pay overage charges. Even on the lowest plan, Network Solutions provides 300GB of bandwidth and the higher tiers come with unlimited bandwidth.
Shopping Cart
A well-designed storefront can help you boost sales without any added effort. This website builder gives you the tools to create a storefront and start collecting payments. Add your product catalog, control inventory, get real-time shipping information, and even add the store to an existing website.
Customer Support and Ease of Use
Network Solutions offers 24/7 customer support across various channels which include phone support, live chat, and email support. Even though these support options are available, it’s not the best in the industry. You’ll often have long wait times before you can get in contact with the people who are there to help you. With that being said, they tend to know what they’re talking about when you finally reach them and will be able to solve the issues you’ve encountered. You can get all the details of Network Solutions by reading the full review.
Site123 – Best for Ease of Use and Excellent Support
When compared to Network Solutions, Site123 is a newcomer to the world of website builders. Founded in 2015, there’s a clear emphasis on ease of use for the person or business that’s just getting online. To make this possible, it stripped away many features that most people don’t use. What’s left is a simplified platform that helps you build good looking websites in a fraction of the time.
Even though many features have been removed or simplified, that doesn’t mean it’s a bare-bones platform. It has many professional-looking templates to choose from, allows you to get a free domain based on your subscription plan, and has packages that start as low as $5.72/m. It has even more features which include:
SEO Tools
Search engine optimization is one of the most important marketing strategies for any website. It’s almost like free traffic. Site123 offers SEO tools like meta tag optimization, control of 301 redirects, sitemap creation, and integrations with webmaster tools for search engines.
eCommerce Store
The eCommerce features from Site123 are more than a simple shopping cart. It allows you to build an entire storefront and gives you multiple options to customize and control it. You’re able to select from over 80 different currencies, integrate with PayPal, accept offline payment options, offer coupon codes, track leads, and so much more. It’s a complete eCommerce solution that manages to stay simple.
Email Marketing
While not comparable to dedicated email marketing services, Site123 provides email tools to capture leads and send newsletters to your contacts. You can bulk email subscribers with emails you’ve built from scratch or you can send messages that were designed using the templates from Site123.
Booking and Scheduling
If you run a consulting firm or any business that requires regular meetings with clients then you know scheduling can be a challenge. This platform has integrated booking and scheduling features that allow you to manage your calendar, collect payments, and create multiple types of bookings. The end result is more clarity and a better experience for everyone involved. Together, these features just scratch the surface of what Site123 offers its customers.
Customer Support and Ease of Use
As mentioned earlier, Site123 has a clear emphasis on customer support. You can talk to the support team via email or live chat and there’s a knowledge base that will answer almost any question you have. If you do reach out to them using the live chat widget, you can expect someone to reply in less than 5 minutes – it’s usually faster. Not only are the support reps responsive, they know what they’re talking about and won’t bounce you from one department to the next to get an answer. You can get the full rundown of Site123 with our detailed review.
Final Verdict
Both Network Solutions and Site123 bring something unique to the table. Network Solutions allows you to build simple websites by taking advantage of the template library it has developed over the years. The features, though not as varied as Site123 are solid and won’t let you down when it matters.
Site123 on the other hand has a clear leaning towards simplicity and customer support. It has removed features that people tend to ignore and instead doubled down on the ones that can have the largest impact on their website. This includes eCommerce features, email marketing, and SEO tools.
If you’re ready to build a site that doesn’t need too many bells and whistles, can handle most things on your own, and your marketing stack is already set up then Network solutions will serve you well. You can get started for as low as $3. The customization options are simple and you’ll be able to learn how to use them in a few hours.
If you see your website growing and changing a lot in the coming years or need one place to handle most of your business then Site123 would be the better choice. It has a simple interface and handles marketing, eCommerce, and SEO. In addition to that, the support team is world-class so if you get stuck, they’ll be there to bail you out.
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