E-Commerce Website Builders: Which One is Right for Your Business?
Choosing a website builder for your business can be a difficult task, numerous companies offer a variety of benefits, with highly varied costs. So how would you know which service best fits your business?
Rule 1: Define the problem you’re trying to solve.
What purpose will this website serve? Is it for too generating more awareness around your product or service, to collect subscription payments from customers, or is it too simply to increase knowledge about your company.
Considering this question is crucial if you want to choose the correct website builder.
Rule 2: Don’t get fooled by attractive designs and templates, focus on functionality.
Far too many people prioritise design over functionality and features. You need to establish whether the functions that your business requires are possible and efficient on the platform you’ve chosen. Consider functions first, then apply a design.
So now you’ve considered these rules, which provider is right for you?
Check out a list of criteria for choosing E-Commerce services HERE
Squarespace-
Squarespace is one of the leading companies offering website building services, Squarespace specialises in offering a highly customizable and aesthetically pleasing website. For business users, plans begin at £15 per month billed annually, or alternatively £21 per month on a month to month basis.
Benefits of SquareSpace
- Unlimited Pages, Galleries and Blogs with unlimited bandwidth.
- Mobile-Optimized Website
- 24/7 Customer Service
- Advanced Website Metrics
- High Levels of Customization
Limitations of SquareSpace:
- Offers Basic E-Commerce Functionality
- No Ability for E-Commerce Subscription Services
- Not Easy to Use
- Costly
- Can Be Time Consuming Before Website is Functional
Woo Commerce -
WooCommerce allows for highly customizable and functional websites to be created through WordPress. WooCommerce acts as an add-on to WordPress websites, allowing for E-Commerce payments to be taken. The base plugin for WooCommerce is free, although there are also premium extensions.
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Benefits
- Simple, Easy to Use
- Functional in minutes
- Minimal Initial Investment
- Lots of Payment Options to Choose From
- A plethora of Additional Add-ons
Limitations
- Must-Have Built Website with WordPress
- Free Version is Basic
- Doesn’t allow for Subscription Services
- Requires Knowledge of WordPress to Resolve any Issues
SupaDupa-
SupaDupa offers custom website building and store capabilities. What SupaDupa excels in is design, they offer a vast variety of templates and design options, ensuring your website will look incredibly sleek. Functionality is SupaDupa’s downfall, it is primarily built for designer brands, as a result, they offer very little in the functionality department. SupaDupa offer packages for business from $29 Pm.
Benefits
- Allows for Unlimited Products, Images and Storage.
- High Level of Customizability
- Specializes in Aesthetic Appeal
- Easy to Use and Edit
- Good Customer Support
Limitations
- Offers little variety in Functionality
- Only Offers PayPal as Payment Option on Basic Plan
- No Mobile Functionality
SubscriptionWebsiteBuilder-
SubscriptionWebsiteBuilder offers a platform to create a basic simple website that focuses on receiving payment for Subscription based services. Their plans begin at £10 upfront cost, with free hosting for 6 months. They boast that your business can begin receiving payments in up to 10 minutes after signing up.
Benefits
- Quick, Very Easy to Use
- Focuses on Subscription Services
- Low Investment
- Gives SSL Certification
- Mobile Friendly
Limitation
- Lacks Variety in Design
- Focuses Heavily on Subscription Services
- Basic Options For Customizability
The main point to take away is that you need to consider the purpose behind your desire for a website. Many companies will lure you in with expensive, visually pleasing designs. This may not always be the best option, take time to consider what really matters to you and your business, then design a website around those values.