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Best Website Builders for Small Businesses (2024)

Updated: December 11, 2024
ER

Written by

Eric Renfro

If you’re starting a small business, you probably have a massive checklist of things to do. In addition to doing things like deciding on a business name, opening a business bank account, and writing a business plan, creating a website for your business is likely pretty high on your list. A website is a great way to present your company to the world, advertise your services and products, and get new customers. But which is the best website builder for small businesses?

woman on computer in home

When you first start your business, however, there are unfortunately many expenses that can add up quickly. You’re probably wondering whether it’s worth it to shell out money yet again to hire a website designer or if creating a small business website is something you can actually do on your own. The good news is that you can get a professional website that you’ll be proud of without needing to pay someone to design it for you! The trick is to use a website builder to easily make your dream business website yourself.

Our top picks for December 2024

Best Website Builders for Small Businesses

While there are a number of great website builders out there, some are better for small businesses than others. As a small business, your needs are unique. The best website builder for small businesses will be affordable, easy to use, and offer the features you need. These could include the ability to sell products and services, make reservations, and process secure payments, among other things. A wide array of attractive industry-specific template designs for your business website also helps. If you’re looking for the best website builder for small businesses, these recommendations will help clear things up for you!

Wix

Searching for the best free website builder for small businesses? Wix offers a generous free option with no expiration date, unlike some other website builders that limit you to 30 days. You can choose from hundreds of templates that have been conveniently sorted into categories for small businesses such as real estate, restaurants, pet care, consulting, coaching, services, photography, online stores, and more! Wix understands the importance of mobile-friendly sites, and it's incredibly easy to switch to the mobile view in the Wix editor to check what visitors who access your site from their mobile devices will see. Then, you can easily click "Optimize Now" on the mobile editor to optimize the page layout or drag and drop elements to different locations if you want your mobile version to appear differently.

Additionally, Wix users have the option to utilize tons of truly helpful apps such as for SEO, processing payments, and booking clients. In addition to the free plan, Wix also offers premium plans that allow you to use a personal domain and access other features like removing Wix ads and increasing storage and bandwidth. Prices for premium plans start at just $6.25 per month with a 14-day money-back guarantee.

Want to learn more about Wix? Check out our full review!

Another small business website builder you should check out is 1&1. It utilizes an easy drag and drop editor as well as hundreds of templates suitable for quite the array of industries. All of these free templates are mobile-optimized. You can edit the text of the templates, change the photos (there is an image gallery of 17,000 photos, plus you can upload your own), and add apps to personalize your site. Add PDF documents, a newsfeed, online scheduling calendar, multiple languages and locations, maps, and more.  Take advantage of email marketing, blogging, and social media functions.

E-commerce is simplified when choosing 1&1 for your online business. In addition to adding your products to your site, you can also connect to different platforms like eBay, Amazon, and Google Shopping. SSL keeps your customers safe while shopping and they have a choice of different payment and delivery methods. You can backup and save multiple versions of your site. 1&1 offers three different plans, all of which come with a 12-month promotion period. These plans start at $1 per month (jumps to $10 per month after a year). While it is certainly not a free business website builder, it is still a good deal. The 12-month promotion period is nice considering the first year you may not have as much money coming in during that time.

Want to learn more about 1&1? Check out our full review!

GoDaddy

GoDaddy is another website builder that is easy for small business users to navigate when creating their websites. It utilizes a fantastic combination of templates and intuitive tools so that users can create a business website with ease. Template categories that would interest small business owners include real estate, education, agriculture, construction service, food & drink, home services, and beyond. All of these templates are fully customizable so you can add your own photos, text, and other features.

The Business and Business Plus premium plans come with mobile websites.  GoDaddy also has an Online Store plan which allows users to add up to 5,000 products to their small business websites. It comes with such useful features as abandoned shopping cart reminders, service appointment bookings, multiple payment options, inventory management, and sales reports. SSL is included in this package so your customers will feel safe submitting personal information on your site. GoDaddy’s best plans for small business owners start at $9.99 per month.

Want to learn more about GoDaddy? Check out our full review!

A Good Choice for Someone Running a Small Business

Using a website builder to create a business website is a smart move for someone who is running a small business. They are easy to use and will save you time. You won’t need to waste precious time interviewing website designers or waiting for a website to be coded and designed from scratch. Instead, you simply choose a template and get started. Because they are often industry-specific, they usually already feature the pages and plugins you’ll need. In other words, you won’t have to reinvent the wheel.

Additionally, using a website builder is easy. You don’t need to have any coding or website design experience to create a professional, attractive website when you use a website builder. The templates are easily customizable so you can add your own pictures, text, and more. The drag and drop editors are intuitive to use. There are also countless plugins and apps that you can add to your site. If you are starting an online business, you can choose an e-commerce design where you can feature your goods, process payments, manage inventory, and more. Powerful SEO and business advertising tools walk you through attracting more people to your website and business.

Finally, a website builder saves small business owners money. Website builders are available at affordable monthly prices. Some small business website builders, like 1&1, even offer steep discounts for the first year, which is a great option for while you’re getting your business up and running. You won’t need to pay for a website designer or for business advertising and SEO experts. Many of the best website builders for small business come with free image galleries, so you won’t need to pay extra for photographers or stock photos. Many website builders will include other features along with your plan that you’d otherwise have had to pay for, such as hosting, professional email, domain, and other perks.

All in all, you can't go wrong as a small business owner if you choose to use a website builder to meet your professional needs.

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Jolene
JoleneJ
5 years ago

Thanks this was really helpful.

ER

Eric Renfro

Eric is a master when it comes to web development. With seven years of experience, Eric has successfully assisted numerous well-known companies and individuals create and develop their desired websites. He is a contributing writer to the Top 5 Website Builders blog.