There are currently approximately 1.8 billion web pages on the internet. That's a significant amount of competition. As a result, it's critical to consider how you can make your website stand out and attract visitors.
Consumers prefer to see something beautifully designed over something simple and uninteresting, both online and offline. This is especially true for eCommerce stores and corporate websites. Fortunately, you can develop a gorgeous website with free web design software. We'll look at some of the best free web development software below to help you build or improve your current design.
What to Look for in Free Web Design Software?
What are the most important characteristics to look for in free web design software? Look for the following capabilities and features while evaluating tools.
∙ Visual Editor
Web design, as opposed to content management, is largely concerned with the visual elements of websites. As a result, excellent website software should feature a visual editor that allows you to design visually rather than using code unless you wish to.
∙ Compatibility with Existing Technologies
Your selected free web design software should be compatible with your current website building software or content management system, whether you're using CMS Hub or WordPress (CMS). For example, you should be able to export the prototype's CSS code and import it into your preferred CMS after using Sketch.
∙ Templates
Image is taken from Strikingly
A good piece of website design software will provide you with a starting point. You shouldn't have to start from scratch with this type of software because it is designed to be user-friendly. This is where templates may help. The program should include a number of templates that you can use to construct a site that looks and feels exactly how you want it to.
∙ Graphics and Fonts
Image is taken from Strikingly user’s website
When attempting to use free web design software, you should not feel cheated. Instead, you should be able to get your hands on the typefaces and visuals you'll need to develop a spectacular prototype or wireframe. It's critical that web development software gives you a lot of font and graphic alternatives.
Hosting services, SSL certificates, content management systems, and domain names are all examples of web design tools. Others will simply provide wireframing and graphic design tools. Others are solely intended for the purpose of writing code. With this list of top web design tools, we've got you covered whether you're searching for an all-in-one solution or a standalone design tool.
The Top Ten Most Effective Website-building Platforms
So, how do you go about selecting one of the best free website builders for your needs? We'll look at the benefits and drawbacks of ten of the most popular website-building software on the market today.
1. Strikingly
Image is taken from Strikingly
Strikingly is at the other end of the website-building spectrum, with an all-in-one platform that includes everything you'll need to get started and expand your business. Using our free web design software is like renting and personalizing an apartment in a magnificent building instead of buying a home.
Features:
- Easy to use - One of Strikingly's biggest selling points is how easy it is to get your website up and running. All you have to do now is fill in your information and choose a theme. Your website's appearance, upgrading, and upkeep are still completely within your control. On the other side, you have no influence over its technological infrastructure
- Reasonable pricing - For $192 per year, you can create and manage three premium websites instead of one, making it a great deal
- We give exceptional customer service by live chat and email 24 hours a day, seven days a week
- You can create a website, build a blog, or eCommerce site in less than 20 minutes
- New features are released every week
- No prior coding experience is required
2. WordPress
Image is taken from Wordpress
Because of its popularity, scalability, and ease of use for even inexperienced website building software, WordPress is at the top of this best website design software list. The software is free to download but to get your site online, you'll need to pay for a WordPress hosting account or find another server. It may appear challenging, but it isn't actually that difficult.
Features:
• Gives you complete control over every part of your website
• Drag-and-drop feature is simple to use
• It is available for download and use at no cost
• It's suitable for a variety of websites, including e-commerce, forums, and blogs
• There are many WordPress themes to pick from
• Over 50,000 plugins are available for free
3. Wix
Image is taken from Wix
Wix is the favored platform for much budget-conscious website building software. It's free to use and build your website, and they also offer free hosting; however, unless you upgrade to a premium plan, your site will be branded with the Wix logo. Anyone with even a rudimentary grasp of computers can get started with Wix's hundreds of pre-made templates.
Features:
• It's a free web design software, with free hosting
• It has a big variety of website themes that anyone may use
• The ability to alter the appearance and feel of your website
• Web design using drag-and-drop functionality
4. Shopify
Image is taken from Shopify
One of the most popular e-commerce systems is Shopify. They've nailed the online store, and it's quite easy to add your products and start selling. They employ a third-party hosting service that handles all upgrades and backups for them. Although users can choose to install their own payment system, an integrated payment option is also available.
Features:
• Easy drag-and-drop interface
• Comprehensive e-commerce features include inventory management, payment management, and sales statistics
• Choose from hundreds of templates and designs, all of which may be personalized
• For the best of both worlds, a simple WordPress integration is available
5. GoDaddy
Image is taken from GoDaddy
GoDaddy is most known for its domain and hosting services, as well as its Super Bowl advertisements. The program is simple to use and allows you to design professional-looking websites. They have a number of extensions and plug-ins that you may use on your website, such as Getty Photography photo galleries.
Features:
• It is simple to use because of the drag-and-drop capability
• Work on your website while on the go with your tablet or smartphone
• Using a professional image library saves you time and money by eliminating the need to search for stock photos and pay license costs
• If you currently use GoDaddy for hosting or domain registration, this is a great tool to use for website creation
6. Weebly
Image is taken from Weebly
Weebly is one of the most user-friendly free web design software available, with a superb small business plan. Weebly includes a drag-and-drop editor that is similar to Wix's and is incredibly user-friendly. Weebly stands out as the best website design software for small businesses because of its ease of use, outstanding SEO features, semi-professional free domain, and plenty of opportunities for development to scale your website.
Features:
• The most adaptable features
• Free professional domain
• Easy to set up
• Free plan available
• Paid Plans range from $6 to $29 per month
7. Jimdo
Image is taken from Jimdo
Jimdo's team is dedicated to assisting you in creating a free website, and the interface is made simple so you can get started right away.
Overall, Jimdo can be recommended to anyone seeking a quick and easy website to use as a backdrop for an online Facebook store or similar project. With Jimdo, you may sell up to five things for free, and upgrading your plan to build up your store later is simple (and inexpensive).
- There is a free plan available
- Paid Plans range from $9 to $40 per month
- Cheapest plan with the option to remove ads later
- Subtle footer ad that isn't too apparent
- Completes a lot of design and SEO work for you
8. Joomla
Image is taken from Joomla
In the CMS sector, Joomla is a well-known name. Although it is not as well-known as WordPress, Joomla gives the same two options: build a site using the web app at launch.joomla.org and have it hosted on the company's servers, or download the software and host it yourself.
If you go with the second choice, you'll find that the UI is far less user-friendly than WordPress'. It's not absolutely opaque, but there are numerous menus and settings to navigate, and it lacks the refinement of WordPress.
- A large selection of themes and extensions
- An online builder that is appropriate for beginners
9. CoffeeCup HTML Editor
Image is taken from Coffeecup
CoffeeCup HTML Editor is a free web design software with an HTML editor. CoffeeCup Free HTML Editor is one of a dwindling number of web-building apps that don't employ a content management system (CMS) (content management system). Free HTML Editor isn't in the same league as Adobe Dreamweaver, but it still carries a professional punch. With split-screen code/preview views, you can immediately see the impact of the changes you make.
There are a lot of templates built into the application to help you get started quickly, as well as some very helpful features like tag and code recommendations as you enter.
- Awesome template selection
- Innovative features like tag and code suggestions
10. Site123
Image is taken from Site123
If you want to create a simple, attractive website, SITE123 is a wonderful place to start. SITE123 is straightforward to set up, but it's not for you if you want to be creative with your site's design. It's extremely limited, and the free domain is a jumble of letters and numbers, which is a significant disadvantage.
- There is a free plan available
- Paid Plans range from $12.8 to $41 per month
- Builds sites with ADI
- ADI quickly generates a basic site for you
- 24/7 live chat assistance
- Useful design guidance
- Friendly live chat suitable for beginners
- There are no advertisements showing when the page first loads
Conclusion
Image is taken from Strikingly user’s website
You'll have to put in a lot of time and work if you're designing your own small company web design. The complexity of your site and your level of experience play a big role.
Flexibility, control, and customization are required in almost all small business web designs. As we all know, though, one size does not fit all. Avoid stuffing your company's website with things that may hurt you. It's critical that you weigh each of these elements differently based on your company's needs.
Our suggestion has come to a close. Hopefully, the information in this blog post has helped you choose the best free web design software for small businesses from our list of recommendations.
