I’ve been building websites from code since 1996. Back then, learning code was like trying to learn a foreign language, however I built my first website from instructions in a magazine.  Times have really changed since then. For many years after I started my agency, I would “cringe” when someone wanted to edit their own website. I remember how people, not understanding the media, put up huge photos that took forever to load and often didn’t display correctly. Text was full of typos, sometimes they used 3 and 4 types of fonts and as many colors as they could think of.

Today, thanks to many new programs and platforms, anyone can build a decent website and maintain it. All of these platforms require that your website be hosted with the software provider and is included in their pricing structure. Here are some popular website builders that are simple to use:

  1. Shopify Shopify
    Shopify is mostly used for ecommerce but it can also be used for a simple HTML online catalog. This is one of the easiest e-commerce programs I have ever used. My clients can easily manage the store. The dashboard is very intuitive, signing up to process sales through the Shopify payment processor is convenient and the reporting is excellent. It has tons of apps designed to offer many special features that you may want.
    PROS: Affordable, easy-to-use, lots of add-ons available easy to customize.
    CONS: Special needs may require a Shopify specialist to create for you if that specific add-on is not available. Customizing the code will most likely require a Shopify developer.
  2. Weebly
    Weebly is a simple drag-and-drop website builder. Select the element you want and drag it into the page where you want it. It has several nice templates to choose from and allows for some simple customization. It’s ideal for smaller websites, huge websites with tons of pages can be problematic to manage in this platform. It also offers an e-commerce package that can process through Square.
    PROS: inexpensive, easy to use, includes e-commerce
    CONS: Like most DIY programs, you are limited on the layout unless you know HTML and CSS.
  3. SquareSpace
    Squarespace also offers a click-and-drag web layout builder. I found their older version to be easier to use, not sure about their current version, but I found myself wrestling with version 7. It also has its own built-in e-commerce platform, which I can’t speak to because I’ve never tried it.
    PROS: Robust program with several popular add-ons, includes e-commerce built-in
    CONS: I struggled with getting content in the specific position where I wanted it – like left column, right column, across the top, etc.
  4. WordPress
    One of the oldest and most recognized names for a website builder, WordPress can be great or it can be torture. It depends on the page builder you use or your designer installed. WordPress is much more of a “hands off” system than the other three. While you can find a theme that you like and make some changes to it, you will most likely find yourself frustrated. My recommendation is to go to a WordPress designer and let them install and set the site up for you. If he/she installs a page builder like SiteOrigin, you will find it much easier to manage. Doing it yourself if you don’t know PHP can be disappointing and frustrating.
    PROS: Site can be zipped up and moved to a different hosting company that supports WordPress, if you need to move it (i.e. your hosting is always down or going out of business).
    CONS: Because WordPress is so well-known and is open-source code, it is vulnerable to hacking. You should be careful to host your site with a provider than specializes in providing security for WordPress sites, like WPengine.com – it may cost a bit more, but your site will stay online. Also, while there are tons and tons of add-on widgets for WordPress, tread with caution. Sometimes these widgets don’t play well together and your site can go down.

While it may cost a bit more, I highly recommend hiring a web designer to setup your website and show you how to maintain it. It will pay for itself in productive time as opposed to a slow learning curve and it will yield professional results.

Best Build-it-Yourself Website Programs