Website Builders & Web Design Packages
Website builders are a great option for small business owners who don’t have the budget to hire a web designer.
The good news is that you don’t need to understand coding or break the bank to build a great website.
Website builders are also one of the fastest ways to get your website up and running.
If you do have the budget, or you’re simply not comfortable using an online website design tool, we also have a range of packages from professional website designers to get your started.
Not all website builders are the same, so we’ve put together some key information to help you decide which one to use for your business.
Website builders vs hiring a designer: Which is better?
Website builders are undoubtedly cheaper - you can even create a website for free. You can also log into the site’s admin panel whenever you want to make changes or add new content yourself.
Website builders are a good option for small businesses with simple requirements.
However, do bear in mind that unless you have a natural knack for web design, you might not be able to customise your website exactly how you’d like.
You should hire a professional web designer for custom web design when your business grows bigger and needs to stand out, especially for e-commerce businesses.
Website designers are pros at all the technical stuff that is much too complicated for us non-web design folk to do.
That being said, if you want a simple website without too many fancy features, or you’re on a budget, website builders are the way to go.
Who should use website builders?
Website builders are ideal for small businesses on a low budget or business that need a simple design such as:
- Small business owners
- Startups
- Bricks and mortar businesses wanting to establish an online presence
- Freelancers
- Bloggers
How do website builders work?
Here's the general gist of how a website builder works:
1. Domain name
First, you need to set up a domain name (very important).
You can either use a free domain name through the platform or purchase a domain name.
2. Customise
Website builders have a library of themes, layouts and templates to create and customise your site.
Experiment with colours, fonts, text placement, backgrounds and other visual elements to capture your brand.
You can also add brand assets such as your business logo for a professional look.
3. Create content
Make sure you have content to load onto the site before it goes live. Create an ‘about us’ page, blogs, employer profiles, product descriptions, etc.
4. Set up analytics
Most website builders ve in-built data insights and analytics tools to track the performance of your site like impressions and traffic.
However, you should definitely set up a Google Analytics account as well to track key performance metrics and monitor how well your site is performing on Google.
The market is brimming with online website builders, so which one should I use?
Some website builders are more suitable for certain types of businesses. We’ve broken some popular sections below.
What are the best website builders for e-commerce?
The best website builders to create an online shopping website are:
- Shopify
- SquareSpace
- GoDaddy
- WooCommerce
What are the best portfolio websites?
Portfolio websites let you showcase your work online. Popular platforms include:
- Weebly
- Wix
- Duda
- SquareSpace
What are the best free website builders?
Website builders with the best freemium plans for small businesses include:
- Shopify
- WooCommerce
- BigCommerce
- Wix
- Magento
- Squarespace
- Weebly
- 3DCart
- Big Cartel
- Volusion
What is the easiest website builder for beginners?
Most website platforms are simple with drag and drop functionality, but the easiest website builders are:
- Wix
- Weebly
- SquareSpace
- Strikingly
- Jimdo
How do I choose a website builder?
Here are some top tips to choose the best website builder.
- Affordability: How much are you able to spend? Freemium plans have limited options so consider the upgrade options.
- Requirements: What functions will you need for your website?
- Templates, themes and customisation: Is there ample flexibility to customise your site?
- Ease of use: How easy is the platform to use? Do you have time for a learning curve if there is one?
- SEO features: How easy is it to optimise your site for search engines?
- Help and support: Is there ongoing technical support available?
How much do website builders cost?
Most website builders offer a basic freemium plan which includes limited features and customisation options.
If you stick with a freemium plan, your site’s domain name will be affiliated with the site, e.g: “[site name].wordpress.com.”
There are then tiered plans that give you access to more features, themes and customisation options. Paid subscriptions typically range between $10 to $30 per month.
Upgrading will also allow you to register your own domain name and remove the “.wordpress.com.”
Be wary of the costs involved with tiered plans as you usually have to subscribe for a year- many people forget and end up paying for ongoing costs they weren’t aware of.
What are the best wireframing tools?
Wireframing tools and apps allow you to create a mockup of your website to see if the design elements you have chosen work together.
Popular wireframing tools are:
- Sketch
- Adobe Xd
- Figma
- InVision Studio
If your project is more complex, a web design package may be more suitable.
What is a website design package?
A website design package is a custom web design package made especially for your business.
What types of website design packages are there?
There are many different kinds of web design packages that can be tailored to suit your business and type of website you’re looking to create.
Some examples of web design packages include:
- Website design and SEO
- Website redesign
- WordPress website design
- Logo website design
- Branding and website design
- Website design and development
- Website design and hosting
- Website design and development
- Ecommerce website design
What’s included in a web design package?
If you decide to go for a web design package, how does it all work? Here’s what’s typically included
- The briefing process: You get together with a web design company to discuss your needs and requirements. They get to understand your business to start thinking about the best solutions.
- The planning process: The designers will create a wireframe of your site and explore how various elements work together to create a great user experience.
- The design process: The designers implement the plan and start putting the website together.
- The rollout: After all the discussions and planning the site goes live.
Modification/maintenance: Any issues and suggestions are fed back to the designers to modify and maintain the site after it goes live.
How much do website design packages cost?
In Australia, you can expect to pay from $5,000 upwards for a full custom web design package.
Cheaper and more basic web design packages start from around $1,000.
Have any more questions about the best way to get started with your business website? Reach out to our community or get expert advice from a web design company.
