A website is a sure shot way to make a long lasting impact on your virtual customers and expand the enterprise globally. It’s surprisingly easy to build websites thanks to the many robust and interactive website building software that assist you in designing powerful blogs, stores, and web pages without writing a line of code. From budding bloggers to amateur entrepreneurs, WYSIWYG website builders are a boon for anyone who wants to make a mark on the internet.
However, with so many applications popping up by the day it becomes increasingly difficult for the user to choose a website builder that would apt for his business. Mentioned below are the top five website building applications that score highly on being beginner-friendly.
Wix is a multi purpose free WYSIWYG website builder that uses ADI or Artificial Design Intelligence to help you develop responsive web pages in a matter of minutes. It has been in business for a while now, supporting over 90 million users worldwide. Wix is known for its intuitive interface and responsive tools that give users complete control over customizing the website the way they want to. You are directly taken over to the editor once you have registered and chosen an appropriate template for your website. Choose a theme that is best suited to your business; the themes are divided into several categories such as Business, Online Store, Photography, Music, Design etc.
Wix also comes with cloud storage, auto-backup feature, and unlimited storage facility! It automatically creates a mobile-friendly version of the web store that runs smoothly on every Android, Windows or IOS device. This free software also supports over 16 languages and gives you a choice of five premium plans if you ever want to upgrade from the free package and explore the advanced features.
WordPress is a popular website builder and blogging platform that is known for promoting budding bloggers and entrepreneurs in setting up powerful e-stores and sites. It supports over a million websites. The interactive WYSIWYG interface is very flexible and responsive coming with all the necessary tools required for customizing content. You can drag and drop elements directly from the dashboard, insert graphics, edit the margins, tweak the padding and embed widgets with a simple click.
WordPress also offers an extensive range of themes and templates, all compatible with multiple devices. There are loads of plugins and extensions that you can access here including Yoast SEO support, Shopify, WooCommerce and MailChimp for robust e-commerce solutions. Even the technical support team is pretty competent and offers 24*7 assistance to users who might have some issues with the platform.
Site123 is so easy that it allows you to design fully functional websites in three simple steps! You start by clicking the “Start Here” button that will direct you to the intuitive interface. Next, you have to choose an appropriate theme (there are over 100 premium quality themes, each very attractive and compatible with all devices). There is the help option at the top right corner of the editor where you can browse through the guides and tutorial videos in case of any complication.
The in-house live editor has all the designing tools and features necessary for adding content and customizing it the way you want. The drag and drop interface gives you a preview of the web page exactly as it would appear to the final viewer. Both free and paid plans are available here; the free package offers 500MB storage space and 1GB bandwidth. The Pro plan costs only $8 and gives you access to advanced SEO tools and e-commerce solutions.
Jimdo has over 20 million users till date and is a powerful contender in our list. The free open source WYSIWYG web creator that comes with cloud support offering users benefits such as unlimited storage space, wide bandwidth, auto-backups and solid firewall protection against online threats. Jimdo combines the best of creativity and convenience- a perfect option for first-time users who want to develop attractive websites but have no idea how to.
The Germany-based website builder has an interface that’s super easy to manage, you can add images, embed videos, add content, align margins with a single click. Coders and tech-savvy users even get the option of tweaking the HTML5 code and CSS style sheets. The multi-lingual platform also offers some advanced perks such as SEO tools, CMS solutions, e-commerce support and free web hosting services. You can create catalogs, add shopping carts, link payment gateways such as PayPal and Bitcoin for faster and safer monetary transactions.
Weebly is perhaps one of the best WYSIWYG website builders. It is a hit among amateurs and professional web developers alike. This open source SaaS based platform offers really lucrative free shared hosting plans for start-ups as well as established enterprises. The drag and drop interface comes with a WYSIWYG in-house editor for customizing the arrangement of the content and inserting images in real-time. You just have to register and select a template from a collection of 48 responsive and very attractive options. The templates are segregated into several categories Featured, Online Stores, Businesses, Portfolio, Personal, Events, and Blogs. The user-friendly interface assists you in editing individual pages directly from the sidebar; you can even customize some elements and embed widgets from the main page view (a very innovative approach to editing that you won’t get an anywhere else). Weebly also comes with powerful SEO tools and e-commerce solutions boost your page ranking and help you get noticed.
Website designing was once a domain exclusive to professional coders and software engineers. Today almost anyone can create a website! Time efficient, user-friendly and not to mention free, website builders have simplified life beyond belief. The website building software mentioned above are all free and designed especially for first-time users. Consider the scope and scale of your business before making a choice.