1. What is your budget?
Most web builder websites have a free trial or plan that is perfect for getting started. The downside to the free options is that they usually have ads or company branding attached to the templates. These items can be disruptive or distracting for the user. The lowest cost web builder, including hosting, storage, and more, is Wix starting at $18/month for entrepreneurs and freelancers and $27/month for their Business Unlimited plan. The highest builder is Shopify. Their basic plan starting at $29/month. Custom code will cost more than using a pre-established web template but depending on what product services you are selling, you may want to work with an agency. For example, some agencies build custom Wix, WordPress, Webflow, or Shopify websites and tailor the price based on negotiation. This method is usually used by larger companies with many products and services that reach a vast audience.
2. What is your skill level?
Do you know how to code or not? Most web builders are simple drag and drop, so coding isn't required to make a decent website, but if you want unique layouts and don't see what you are looking for in templates or features, you may have to learn how to code. Do you know what fonts are legible and compatible with most web browsers? Web builders provide standard fonts, but either be old or a little boring. GoogleFonts is an excellent place to look for fonts that work well, but specific browsers have trouble reading the fancier text. Do you know what size photos must be to get the best quality? The stock photos look so clear on the template because they are usually taken by a professional photographer and appropriately sized for desktop and mobile devices. If you don't have any of these skills, you may want to take time to learn. If taking time out isn't possible, consider hiring an agency, a freelancer, or creating an in-house team to create and maintain a website.
3. How intuitive do you want your website to be?
How much interaction do you want the users to have? A template from a web builder is perfect for an information-based website or small e-commerce business with limited products. If you have a massive backlog of products, downloadable documents, and videos, you want to hire an agency with more storage. Certain web builders have limited storage, and this can stagnate business growth. Some people like to customize icons or mouse graphics for their brand that may not be available on web builders. What you see is what you get with web builders, and this could hurt when you are trying to stand out from the competition, but if you need something to get yourself off the ground, you can create a simple site on the web builder and hire a freelancer or agency later.
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