Web page maker templates are a perfect solution for those who want to build a website without the help of a web developer. However, choosing the most suitable website builder can be tricky, especially if you have never worked with one before.
There are many web page maker software in the market nowadays. Have you thought about which one is right for you?
This post will help you decide which web page creator to use by going through the pros and cons of several popular options. But before that, let’s discuss some prerequisites that you need to make a more informed decision on the matter.
7 Things to Consider Before Choosing a Web Page Creator
Here are a few things to keep in mind before you proceed with a suitable web page maker.
1. List Down Your Website Goals
You need to list down what you want to achieve with your website. This will allow you to think clearly about what features you want to have on your site. Then you can move on with selecting a website builder that focuses on and offers those features at a reasonable price.
For example, if you want a photo gallery, a blog, a reservation system, and social media features, you can choose a web page maker accordingly that offers all of these. If you are not sure what you are looking for, browse through some of your competitors’ websites and observe the features they have. This will give you some useful inspiration to apply to your web pages.
Most web page creators have a drag and drop user interface, which you can use in a trial account to get familiar with. This allows you to test drive the website builder before selecting it as your final option.
2. Consider Your Growth Options
Determine whether you will be updating your website content regularly or not. For example, if you are building a blog, you would probably need to publish 1 or 2 new articles every day to keep it rolling. If you are creating an online store, you might need to add new products every week.
Depending on how often you would need to update your site, you would need to look for a web page maker software that makes it easy to edit and update content. You need to make sure that the web page creator you choose can handle your business growth needs.
3. Select Based on Ease of Use
Since you do not want to get into the hassle of working with a web developer, it is best to use a web page maker that’s easy to use. Go for a web page maker software that’s built for being used by non-techy users. It must have a drag and drop interface, making it easy for you to key in, upload, and arrange your content components in any way you like. Customization options and powerful editing tools are also important factors to consider.
4. Compare the Pricing
Since web page maker templates thrive in a competitive space, you need to see which one offers you the most value for its price. Does it provide free SSL? Does it provide a free domain? Does it give you access to a free business email? Does it have excellent and free e-commerce features?
If any of these features are not included in the free plan of a web page creator, check how much you would need to spend on the extras or add-ons.
5. Check Out the Design and Features
Make sure that the web page creator you choose offers a lot of professional website templates. It should also be flexible enough to add other features to your sites, such as Google Analytics and third-party marketing tools.
6. Look for Customer Support
Even though most website builders come with an intuitive interface, make sure the one you select offers 24/7 customer support. You never know which hour of the day you might need technical support when working on building your web pages.
7. Check Data Ownership and Portability
This is often skipped by many beginners. You need to pay close attention to the terms of service of the web page creator you use so that your data remains under your ownership. It should also be portable in case you need to switch to another web page maker.
The Best Website Builder Platforms to Choose From
Now let’s have a look at a few web page creators for you to choose from.
1. WordPress
Image taken from Wordpress
This is by far the most popular website builder. Over 40% of the websites on the internet are created using WordPress. It offers powerful features, ease of use, and scalability. It is a free and open-source web page creator, giving you maximum control over the pages you create. You need a WordPress hosting account to host your own website on the platform.
You can create any kind of web page on WordPress, such as an online store, a membership website, a social network, a community forum, or just a simple landing page. The platform offers thousands of pre-made, high-quality themes that can be used as web design. It comes with multiple drag-and-drop builders like Beaver Builder, SeedProd, and Divi, making it easy for you to edit and adjust the layout of your web pages.
When you build a website on WordPress, you get access to over 58,000 free plugins. These plugins are like apps that add features to your sites, such as contact forms, shopping carts, photo galleries, Google Analytics, live chat, social media tools, and CSS customization. You can create a website in multiple languages because WordPress can fully translate into so many different languages.
WordPress also offers SEO tools that help you enhance your search engine rankings. All these functionalities make WordPress the cheapest web page creator in the market. It is also commonly used as a content management system by many business owners, web developers, web designers, and bloggers.
On the flip side, a disadvantage of using WordPress is that you have to manage your website independently. This means you will need some time to familiarize yourself with the system, which might sound overwhelming, especially if you rush to get your site up and running. You will also need to put up with all the WordPress updates, plugin updates, and backups.
2. Wix
Image taken from Wix
This is another cloud-based web page creator. It offers a powerful set of features and ease of use for beginners to build a website.
Wix is a fully hosted web page maker software, which means you do not have to pay separately for web hosting. It has hundreds of website templates to use as web design. The templates are editable with the drag and drop interface.
The platform comes with an artificial design interface that helps you build beautiful web pages. It offers many free and paid apps that add new functionality to your site. Some of these apps are developed by Wix, while others are built by third-party developers.
The free plan of Wix gives you limited storage and bandwidth but is helpful in getting yourself familiar with its system. The free plan does not provide a domain name, which means you will have to upgrade to one of the premium plans if you want to keep your website. All Wix plans come with a free SSL, but it needs to be turned on manually for your website.
A major disadvantage of using Wix is that the Free and Connect Domain plans show Wix branded ads on your web pages. To get rid of these ads, you will need to upgrade to the Combo or Unlimited plan.
3. Strikingly
Image taken from Strikingly
The third and the last on our list of great web page creators is Strikingly. This is a relatively new website builder that offers a lot of ready-to-use templates and an easy-to-use editor interface. You do not need to spend hours to familiarize yourself with this platform and can have your website up and running on Strikingly in just a couple of hours.
Image taken from Strikingly
Our pricing is quite reasonable, and our free plan offers all the features required to build basic free websites.
We offer 24/7 live chat support. That’s an excellent benefit for our users, as they can ask us anything that they do not understand about our tools. We are available to solve any technical issues with your website as well.
Image taken from Strikingly
Among the advantages of using Strikingly as your web page creator is that you can create a simple website and add different sections, such as a simple blog section, a simple store section, or a social feed section.
Image taken from Strikingly
These features help you convert a simple landing page into a feature-rich website that you can use for multiple purposes.
If you are not yet sure which web page creator to pick, you need to take note of what you really want out of your website. It is important for your site’s theme to match with its purpose. The clearer you are about your website’s purpose, the easier it would be for you to choose your best fit.
The best thing about using Strikingly is that we allow you to style your web pages the way you like. We help you cut down the website development time by coming up with more and more new features every few months. Our focus is on helping you build trendy web pages that go well with your business objectives and branding visuals.
If you would like to create a website on Strikingly, you can start by signing up for your free account with us.