Tag Archives: builder

Website Builder Comparison

The post Website Builder Comparison appeared first on HostGator Blog . When the time comes to build your new website, you’re going to have a lot of different types of website builders available. Even though the search might be a little overwhelming, this is actually a good thing. Back in the day, it was much more difficult to build a website and use to involve having to hire out the work. But, the plethora of beginner-friendly tools available today makes the process of building your website much simpler, and even enjoyable. The two main options you’ll probably consider are using WordPress or a website builder . Although they both accomplish the same general goal you’ll find that the process for doing so differs greatly. Below we’ll explore what a website builder is, how it works, provide a website builder comparison,and finally offer you some advice for choosing the best option for your needs. What Is a Website Builder? At the core, a website builder is a tool that lets you quickly create a website without any previous design or programming experience. Most of these builders will come equipped with drag and drop or point and click functionality that’ll allow you to easily add and remove site elements. Website builders are usually equipped with dozens or even hundreds of different starting themes or pre-made templates. These act as the foundation for your new website. Usually, you’ll find themes that cater to different niches or industries, as well as offering eCommerce specific themes. They’ll also be fully responsive, mobile-friendly, and based on the latest web design trends . Depending on the builder you’re using you might also have access to tools that allow you to turn your site into an eCommerce store, including shopping cart capabilities. You’ll find dozens of different website builders to choose from. Some are purely built for eCommerce, where other’s let you create a myriad of different types of sites.   Right here at HostGator, you’ll find a website builder that’s perfect for beginners, that includes the option to add eCommerce functionality to your website. Advantages of a Website Builder Website builders are incredibly popular, because they make building a website almost too simple. Here are some of the biggest benefits of using a site builder : 1. Very Easy to Use Website builders shine in how easy they are to use. Even if this is your first day on the internet, you could figure out how to use a website builder software. If you’re intimidated by things that are technical in nature, then a website builder is perfect for your needs. Not only are website builders created to be very intuitive, but you’ll find a wealth of tutorials that’ll walk you through building your site step-by-step as well. 2. Speedy Site Creation Website builders are fast. Fire up the tool, select your theme, drag and drop your site customizations, then hit publish. With website builders, you don’t have to worry about things like domain name propagation, site maintenance, and other technical tasks that might slow you down. 3. No Technical Skills Needed When you use a CMS like WordPress you’re responsible for all the technical tasks required to get your site online. Plus, things like ongoing maintenance and website updates. When you use a website builder all these things are taken care of for you from your web host. Also, when you’re building out your site, you’ll never have to adjust or code anything yourself. Drawbacks of a Site Builder Even though website builders are great for a variety of reasons, they’re not a perfect fit for everyone. Here are the most common drawbacks you’ll find when using a site builder: 1. Limited Site Functionality With website building, you’re limited to the features that are included with the builder. Any new features or functionality need to be added and approved by the team who created the tool, so new features will be added at a slower rate. If you need to create a site with extensive features, you might want to consider using something like WordPress.   2. Stuck to a Platform Depending on the website builder software you’re using, you might be stuck using that tool for the lifetime of your site. Most website builders aren’t cross-compatible, so if you want to move platform or hosts, then there’s a good chance you’ll have to rebuild your site from scratch. 3. Might Run Into Builder Limitations If you want to build a content heavy site or a massive eCommerce store, then you’ll probably run into the limits of whatever website builder you’re using. Overall, it depends on how well your website builder can scale up to support larger projects. In some cases, you might end up paying a very high monthly fee just to be able to support a larger site. When Should I Use a Website Builder? Website builders are generally best suited for specific types of websites. Simple sites that don’t require too many pages or complex functionality are well-suited for website builders. Generally, this applies to several types of websites you can create , like portfolio websites, small business sites, creative sites for musicians and other artists, sites offering your freelance services, and even simple eCommerce shops. If you’re building a site like one of those mentioned above, and want to get your site online as fast as possible, then consider using a website builder. Website builders will help you save time and get rid of any complex tasks standing in the way of getting your site online. Popular website builders often come with web hosting included, so you don’t have to worry about finding a host and going through the technical steps of configuring your hosting account to work with your new site. What is WordPress? WordPress originally started as a website builder, but in time has morphed into a full-fledged content management system (CMS). This makes it perfect for sites that either has a lot of content or are planning to scale up content creation in the future. The single aspect of WordPress that trips up a lot of beginners is the fact that there are two different versions of WordPress available. The first is a self-hosted version of WordPress, where you host a site using the WordPress.com subdomain . In this case, your URL will read something like “catsanddogs.wordpress.com”. Using this version will give you access to a handful of themes and some basic features. However, taking this route isn’t recommended as your theme customizations and plugin access will be limited. Along with only getting access to a restricted feature set your domain name won’t be the most professional or sharable since you won’t have a branded domain. The other version of WordPress is fully downloadable and you install the CMS on your own server. If that sounds difficult, don’t worry, most hosts have bundled software installers that make it incredibly easy to install WordPress and configure it properly within minutes. Similar to a website builder, WordPress also relies upon themes that act as the foundation for the rest of your site’s customizations. You’ll find a ton of different free and premium themes to choose from that will give you endless customization options. You select a theme, install it, then customize it to make your own personalized website design. The process of customizing your theme will depend upon the theme you’re using. Some themes will operate in a drag and drop fashion, while others will handle there customizations via a theme setting panel, or the use of shortcodes. Plus, you have access to a massive library of popular WordPress plugins , which will allow you to add even more features to your site. Overall, WordPress gives you a lot of control over how your site looks on the web. However, all of this control and flexibility means that there’s a much steeper learning curve when compared to using a website builder. Advantages of WordPress WordPress is a powerful and flexible tool.Here are some of the most common reasons people choose WordPress :: 1. Incredibly Flexible WordPress really shines in its flexibility. You’re truly only limited by your own imagination (and your technical skills). With WordPress, you not only have a massive theme selection but a nearly endless plugin library as well. Since it’s an open-source platform, there’s no limit to what can be built to unlock the power of WordPress. However, with this added flexibility and ability to create to your heart’s desire there’s a steeper learning curve and a lot more things you’ll need to master to get your site up and running. 2. Gives You a Lot of Power WordPress has a powerful internal engine. It has everything you need to get to where you want to go. That means you can build virtually any kind of site you desire. Plus, it has the necessary technical foundation to scale with you as your site grows. Some of the largest sites in the world, including TechCrunch, BBC America, and the HostGator blog, utilize WordPress to power their sites. Drawbacks of WordPress Still, WordPress isn’t perfect. Right out of the gate it has a higher learning curve. Here are some of the most common reasons people will opt for a simpler solution: 1. Higher Learning Curve WordPress is a beginner-friendly CMS. But, there are a bunch of technical tasks that you’ll need to accomplish before your site will be online. And the more features you want to add to your WordPress site, the more technical it’ll be to setup your site the right way. Luckily, you’ll be able to find extensive documentation, tutorials, and how-to guides that can walk you through almost everything. However, it might take some trial and error to get your site how you like it. 2. Might Need to Edit Code If you truly want to get the most out of WordPress you might have to edit some code. For some, this can be a very intimidating process, but others won’t mind getting their hands dirty and learn a bit about how their site’s work. You won’t have to write anything from scratch. But, sometimes you might need to copy and paste existing code, or fire up the HTML editor and add WordPress shortcodes and more. When Should I Use WordPress? WordPress will help you build content-heavy websites. The range of sites you can build using WordPress is quite vast, from basic blogs to massive highly-trafficked sites with thousands of pages of content. Put simply, it’s quite scalable. If you’re building a very simple website, then you might not require the power that WordPress can provide. However, if you have plans to scale up your website, or you simply want a higher level of control over your website, then WordPress is worth considering. You still might be wondering, is WordPress a website builder? At its core, WordPress doesn’t fit the traditional description of a site builder, but yes, it does help you build a website. Using WordPress will take more effort and technical knowledge. But, even if you’re starting at zero, you’ll be able to get a grasp on WordPress without spending too much time. Website Builder vs WordPress: Which Is Right for You? If you want to get a website online this afternoon and you don’t need any advanced features, then using a website builder can be a great option. By using a website builder all you have to do is select your template, make a few modifications, and publish your site. The entire process is very simple and straightforward. However, if time isn’t your biggest concern, and you want to use a platform that can grow with you and support any kind of site you desire, then using WordPress is a great idea. WordPress gives you more control over your site, and with access to the nearly endless supply of themes and plugins, you can create any kind of site you desire. Overall, a website builder will allow you to quickly build a beautiful and functional website without any coding skills. On the other hand, WordPress affords you immense flexibility and gives you a very powerful platform to build any kind of site. However, you can expect to put more time and learning into the building process. Hopefully, you have a better idea of how using a website builder vs. WordPress compare, as well as the right direction to take for your new site. Find the post on the HostGator Blog Continue reading

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10 Reasons to Love HostGator’s New Gator Website Builder

The post 10 Reasons to Love HostGator’s New Gator Website Builder appeared first on HostGator Blog . HostGator is pleased to announce our new website builder, Gator Website Builder . Gator was created for anyone who has an idea for a website and wants a frustration-free solution to build and launch a website with ease.   Gator is a full-featured website building and hosting tool with an easy to understand, drag-and-drop page builder so you can get started quickly. In addition, Gator comes with some of the basics you need such as free website hosting , security basics like an SSL certificate, and a free domain name. Unlike other website builders, the Gator Website Builder offers a breadth of tools to fit every need. No more shopping around for a site builder that has either blog or eCommerce functionalities, Gator has it all. Plus, it’s backed by HostGator’s powerful website hosting, so you can upgrade your website as your online business grows.   Unlike other website builders, Gator by HostGator offers a breadth of tools to fit every need. No more shopping around for a site builder that has either blog or eCommerce functionalities, Gator has it all. Plus, it’s backed by HostGator’s powerful website hosting, so you can upgrade your website as your online business grows.   10 reasons to love Gator Website Builder by HostGator:   1. Drag-and-drop elements   Using Gator, you can add dynamic elements to your site, without the help of a professional designer. Some of the things you can add to your website with our easy website builder are buttons, images, maps, text blocks, videos and more! When you set up your account, the first thing you’ll see is a quick, interactive tour that shows you how to add sections and make revisions  to your site. Follow these instructions and you’ll be designing a website in no time! 2. More than 200 professional design templates to choose from.  These design templates are so good that you might wonder why they’re free. Where other website builders limit your options, Gator comes with more than 200 professional design themes, all of which are scalable to fit your business. When you set up your account, scroll through all the options available and choose the one that best fits your business. The templates are organized by category so you can quickly find find a theme that is suitable for your type of business. There’s even a full screen preview so it’s easy to see all the theme’s features. Plus, the designs are fully customizable – you can quickly change the color scheme, fonts, or text style to match your business. 3. Mobile-friendly design templates.  Search engines give a boost to rankings of mobile-friendly sites and can penalize websites that are only optimized for desktop computers. Since so many people are browsing websites on their phones, in the long run, you’re hurting your business if you don’t have a mobile-friendly version. With Gator Website Builder, all of the professional design templates come with a mobile-friendly version. You can view the desktop and mobile version of your site individually to be sure the necessary information is correct and looks great no matter which device your site visitors use. In addition, you can make changes in the mobile editor that won’t affect your main website. This is handy if you want to reduce some content for mobile website visitors.   4. Stock photo library included and integrated.  No more searching for stock photos, downloading, and then uploading to your website. Gator Website Builder comes with an integrated library of high-quality stock photos courtesy of Unsplash. These photos are available in all Gator packages at no charge and are license free, meaning you can use them however you want. Best part? The photos are searchable and sorted by category to make it easier to find what you need. If you have your own photos, that’s great! You can upload and store them in your Gator “my images” library. 5. Integrated website analytics and tracking.  Analytics can be intimidating, but with Gator, you can keep on eye on the backend of your website right within the platform! Easily keep track of pageviews, bounce rate and visitor demographics with a few clicks of your mouse. This detailed data about your website visitors will help you make informed decisions about what to do with your website and how to promote your business. But, of course, if you’re already using Google Analytics, Gator has an easy way to insert your tracking code in the “manage site” section. 6. Easy blogging feature.  Some website builders give you the choice of either a basic website or a blogging platform. However, Gator Website Builder gives you both options on the same website. If you’re ready to start a blog , Gator has blog templates that seamlessly integrate with the design of the rest of your website. The “blog” tab allows you to easily organize your blog posts into one place so you can create, edit, and schedule your posts with confidence. If you’d rather start a blog later, the blog feature comes with all Gator packages so you can easily add a blog as your business grows. 7. Build an online store with eCommerce plans. Our special eCommerce Plan has all the functionality you need to sell your products or services in a professionally designed, mobile-friendly store. Simply choose your favorite eCommerce template then add your product images and details. Gator includes inventory management and coupon features to help you run your business efficiently. The eCommerce store also comes with our integrated statistics feature. Using this feature you can explore which products are your top performers so you can continue to drive more sales, more revenue, and more growth. 8. Add and manage all your social media accounts.  Quickly and easily communicate with your customers by cross-promoting your social media accounts from your website homepage. This drag-and-drop feature allows you to seamlessly connect your live-feeds from popular social networks like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Additionally, Gator has a social media productivity tool, My Social Suite, that allows you to seamlessly engage and communicate with your customers as you make updates to your website. My Social Suite is an add-on product that makes social media marketing easier than ever by allowing you to manage multiple social media profiles from one dashboard. 9. Website Security.  HostGator offers free SSL certificates for all of our customers!  An SSL certificate shows website visitors that your site is secure and that they can shop or browse confidently knowing that their personal information will be protected. 10. No ads.  Some website builders promise that your website will be free, only for you to later find out they will add advertisements to your site. With Gator Website Builder, you don’t need to worry about unwanted ads on your site because all Gator plans have zero ads. After all, we know that your customers should focus on your business, nothing else. Ready to get started? No matter what type of website your business needs, Gator Website Builder has you covered. Gator gives you access to customizable design templates, image libraries, live social feeds, and integrated analytics to help you keep tabs on your website performance. The frustration-free, drag-and-drop website means that creating and editing your website requires no prior website building or coding experience. Simply choose a template for blogs, business sites, or eCommerce sites from a category that aligns with your goal, and get online fast. Choose your Gator package and get online today. Find the post on the HostGator Blog Continue reading

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Do You Need a Website Builder for Your Portfolio?

The post Do You Need a Website Builder for Your Portfolio? appeared first on HostGator Blog . When you’re working as a creative, or you’d like to start your career as a creative, then showcasing your portfolio in the best light possible is incredibly important. Your portfolio is an extension of you and what you can do as a designer or an artist. For this reason, you’ll want to use the tools you have available to create the best portfolio site possible. The last thing you want to do is to throw up a few images of your work on a basic website. Your professional portfolio website also needs to be easy to use, give an introduction to you as a creative, highlight your creative work, and give people a way to get in touch, or actually hire you. If all that sounds like a lot, don’t worry. Below we’ll dive into what a website builder actually is, why you’ll want to use a website builder for your portfolio , the various website builders you’ll have available to you, and finally, you’ll learn how to use one without any coding skills required. What Is a Website Builder? In the old days of the web, if you wanted to build a website and have it live on the internet, you’d need to know how to code. But, since the proliferation of website building tools and portfolio templates, even complete beginners can have a site online in a single afternoon. What are website builders ? To review, they are pieces of software that are created to simplify the website building process. Most website builders are built for complete beginners, so you won’t have to touch a line of code in order to build your very first website. Website builders are also engineered with web best practices in mind. So, you’ll get a site that’s going to be in alignment with user expectations, have a professional design, and have all of the features you require to highlight your projects. Most website builders you use to build a website rely upon themes or templates that offer you a basic foundation to work from. Then you’ll add and drag and drop different site elements until your site is complete. There are all kinds of themes you’ll be able to choose from, including specialty graphic designer themes or artist portfolios.   Benefits of Using an Artist Portfolio Website Builder Website builders have been used to create millions of websites. Probably at least a handful that you’ve visited before. For a lot of people, yearning to build a website, using a website builder is a no-brainer. Here are a few of the biggest reasons website builders have become so popular.   1. No Technical Skills Required You can literally fire up a website builder right now and have a fully built website in a couple of hours. If the thought of digging into your own website’s code scares you, then don’t worry. With a website builder, you’ll never have to have any coding skills.. When you’re using a website builder you’ll mostly be using drag and drop features to literally build your website by clicking around with your mouse. Then, the website builder will automatically create the necessary code required for your website to be rendered by a browser. Making changes to your website is easy too. You just use the same process of building your site the first time to change pages, add to new content, or give your site a facelift.   2. Libraries of Themes and Templates to Choose From Want to change up how your site looks, just select a new theme or template. Most website builders are equipped with massive theme libraries that have been designed by professional designers. This means you can get a professionally designed website without the cost of paying an expensive web developer. Plus, all of these themes will be up to the latest design and usability standards. So, you don’t have to worry about getting an outdated website if you rely upon a website builder. If you’re looking for the perfect theme for your graphic design or artist portfolio, you’ll have a few different themes to choose from. Plus, with all the customization options offered you don’t have to worry about your website looking like every other site out there.   3. Speedy Website Creation Want to get your website online yesterday? Website builders offer you the ability to create your website super quickly. Just choose the builder you want to use, select your theme, make a few customizations, add your content, and publish. If you aren’t satisfied with your design you can always tweak and update your site after you publish too. Without a website builder to create a website, you’re going to have a lot of trouble creating the perfect online portfolio website. Of course, you can teach yourself how to program and then build your site. But, that’s going to take a ton of time, and you still might not end up with a website that you like. Save yourself the time and the headache and invest in a quality website builder.   How to Choose the Right Website Builder Since website builders are so popular you’ll find a lot of different companies that offer top-notch website builders. But, not all of them are going to be suited for your portfolio website. When comparing different providers keep the following in mind. Whether you need an artist portfolio or a graphic design website builder , the following will apply.   1. How Easy Is It to Use? There’s no point in using a website builder if you can’t figure out how to make it work. Most website builders are created so there’s virtually no learning curve, but some might be better suited to your particular technical abilities. Before you decide to use a website builder spend some time playing around with the tool. Most builders will allow you to create a free account in order to test the tool.   2. How Large Is the Template or Theme Selection? The template or theme selection that’s included with your builder should match the goals of your site. Most website builders will allow you to view the entire, or at least a sample, of the theme library before you sign up. This will give you a chance to take stock of the current theme selection to see if there’s any that you like. Most builders will have their themes broken down by different categories, so look for sections that say “portfolio”, or are otherwise related to your niche.   3. Is There a Large Feature Set? In time you might want to add more features to your site. You might start with what amounts to a digital business card, but in time you might want to expand this. For example, is it easy to integrate social media into your site? Can you add a blog if need be? What about other forms of media, like video? Do you have the ability to sell things like prints directly from your site? Think about the eventual direction you might want to take your site in the future and see if the existing feature set can help you achieve those goals.   4. What Pricing Options Are Available? Finally, you’ll want a website builder that’s actually in your price range. You’ll usually find that there are different price ranges depending on how large your site is, what kind of features you need, and the levels of traffic you’re getting. Many website builders have monthly subscriptions that you’ll have to pay for the lifetime of your site. Finally, when examining different website builders look for scalability. For example, if your site all of a sudden starts getting tens of thousands of visitors per month will you be able to upgrade your plan, or will you have to switch to a different provider entirely?   Elements Your Portfolio Website Needs to Have An Online portfolio website is a little bit different than other sites. Instead of selling products, you’re selling yourself and your work. Although your portfolio will take the main focus, there are still some other pages you’ll want to include.   1. Your Home Page and USP Your home page should hook your visitors’ attention and communicate what makes your creative work unique, or at the very least it clearly states what you do. For example, maybe you’re a graphic designer who specializes in app design? Make sure you communicate this clearly on your home page. It can also be helpful to include snippets of your work, but most people don’t opt for the portfolio page straight away. Try to hook your user’s interest first with your best work, then invite them to dive deeper into the rest of your portfolio.   2. Your Portfolio Here’s the section you came here for—your portfolio. Beyond showcasing visual examples of your work, you might want to also want to highlight more details about each project. Ask yourself the following questions about each project you want to highlight: What were the overarching goals of the project? What solution did you come up with? How long did the project take? Why are you proud of this project? Who was the client? Do you have a testimonial from them? The more relevant information you can include about each project the better. Think about questions that your potential clients might want answered and include them in your copy. Your portfolio isn’t just a way to showcase your work, but also how you apply creative problem solving to problems your clients might have.   3. Your Hire Me/Contact The other very important page is your hire me or contact page. Once you’ve impressed people with your portfolio you want to give them a way to reach out to you! Make sure that your contact page, or hire me page, has a link in your main menu and is easy to find. This page doesn’t need to be overly complex, but it should include multiple methods of reaching out to you. The most common approach is a little intro, followed by a contact form. But, on the off chance, you’re having a technical error and the contact form isn’t working, then you’ll also want to list your email and maybe even your phone number. Some creatives also like to create regular blogs where they’ll talk about past projects, trends in their field, their perspectives about working as a creative and a lot more. Blogging can play a role in driving traffic back to your site, but it’s not an absolute requirement. Especially, if your main goal is to use your blog as a digital showcase for you and your work.   The Best Website Builder for Your Portfolio Now, you’re probably thinking what’s the best website builder for your portfolio? There are literally dozens of different options for artists and designers to choose from when creating their online platform. You can either spend time researching all of your options online, or you can take a spin with the HostGator website builder. Here at HostGator, you’ll find a very easy to use and beginner friendly website builder. There are over 100 different website templates to choose from, and it relies upon drag and drop technology to build your professional portfolio website. It’s incredibly cheap and hosting is included in the price. You have the ability to use one of the pre-built website templates, or you can create your site entirely from scratch. Plus, with the ability to integrate PayPal you can even sell your work directly from your site. You’ll also have the ability to upgrade to a higher package to unlock additional features and be able to create a much larger site.     Build Your Online Portfolio Website So, are website builders worth it for portfolios? We say yes. Hopefully, you have a better idea of how using a website builder can help you build the perfect portfolio website . Why create a website  from scratch using custom coding when you can rely on a professional website building tool to help you build a stunning creative portfolio online? Spend some time researching the best website builder for your needs, and keep in mind that you can always change your site down the road too. By using a website builder for your portfolio you’ll have a beautiful portfolio online in no time. Find the post on the HostGator Blog Continue reading

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How to Choose the Best Website Builder for Your Business

The post How to Choose the Best Website Builder for Your Business appeared first on HostGator Blog . Your business needs a professional website, but you’ve been overwhelmed trying to figure out where to start . Web design looks really complicated and you find it easier to just not get started than to try to figure out everything you need to learn to build a new website. We have good news. You don’t have to understand coding or learn complex web design principles to build a good business website anymore. You can use a website builder instead. A good website builder is easy for even the newest of web design beginners to figure out and get started with. And website builders typically provide templates and features that are based on web design best practices, giving you a leg up on creating a website that gets results without having to spend as much time learning the ropes of website building . For some businesses, using a website builder vs. hiring a website designer will be a better choice . And that’s definitely true of any business that’s putting off building a website due to not knowing where to start. Every day your business goes without a website, you’re losing sales. Whether you are a large or small business owner, this article will help you choose the best website builder platform for your website.   7 Tips for Choosing Your Business Website Builder If you’ve determined that a website builder is right for you , now you just have to figure out the best website builder. There are a few important steps to take in making the right decision for your business.   1. Determine Your Budget. First things first, you have to figure out what you can afford. Start by considering the other costs involved in building your professional website.  Every website budget has to account for domain registration and hosting. And you’ll likely need to invest in images and copy for your website as well. Many website builders offer a free plan, but most charge somewhere between $5 to $40  a month for plans that provide the kind of features businesses are likely to need. If your budget is limited, you can save money by looking for plans that bundle different website services you need. For example, GATOR, our website builder here at HostGator, includes hosting with the price of your builder. You’ll have to pay for hosting anyway, so a plan that includes both services for one price removes one line item from your budget, while still providing you with everything you need.   2. Consider Your Needs and Priorities. Before you can decide on the best website builder platform, you need some idea of what you want your website to be and do. This will clarify your priorities so you know what to look for in your search. A few good questions to consider include:   What level of experience do you have in design? Most websites builders are made with inexperienced designers in mind, but some will still be easier to figure out than others. If you’ll be learning from scratch as you go, look for a builder that offers  website theme templates and drag-and-drop design options. How particular are you about getting things just right? If you want a lot of options and flexibility in designing your website, then the best website builder for you will include a lot of templates for you to choose from or more flexible editing options that allow you to make extensive changes to the design.   Do you need an online store? An ecommerce website will need to include a shopping cart and check out functionality, and it will need a design that emphasizes getting people to take that next step of making a purchase. When choosing your website builder, consider if they offer the right templates and features to enable an online store.   What types of media will you include? Will your eCommerce website include video? A photo gallery? A blog? A map that shows where your store is located? Make sure your website builder supports the types of content formats you plan to include. And no matter what, you’ll need to learn  how to make your website mobile friendly . Make sure any website builder you go with provides responsive website templates or other options that ensure you can easily make a website that works well on mobile.   3. Consider the Number of Themes. When you use a website builder, your design process starts with the themes the builder provides. You select one of the available themes and it becomes the template you customize to turn it into your unique website. You don’t want to invest in a website builder only to find that your customization options are far too limited and you don’t really like any of the themes they offer. Make sure the website builder you choose has enough themes that you’ll be able to find one that makes a good starting point for your website. Everything else will be much easier if the theme you use is a good fit for what you have in mind.   4. See How Easy It Is to Use. Any website builder you use will be much easier than building a website with coding and programming, but that doesn’t mean they’ll all be equally easy to figure out. As mentioned, a drag-and-drop functionality makes things easier. You also want to try to find a website builder that has an intuitive editor that makes each change easy to complete. Research a website builder’s reputation for ease of use. Is it okay for someone who’s never built a website before? Turn to user reviews for this. People who come to a website builder with a similar level of knowledge to yours will be your best source for the kinds of problems you’re likely to experience, if any.   5. Look for SEO Features. Once you’re done building your website, you want people to actually find it, right? For that, you need to implement SEO best practices as you design your website. A good website builder should include SEO features that make doing on-site optimization simple. Specifically, you want an easy way to update all the SEO meta elements on each page (such as the meta description and image alt tags) and to provide your sitemap to the search engines. While on-site optimization is just one part of SEO, it’s an important one and the right website builder will give you a head start in getting it done.   6. Check Out the Resources and Support. Even an intuitive website builder will require a period of learning and the more features a website builder offers, the more you’ll have to learn. Before you make a choice, check that the website builder you’re considering has resources that will help you learn all the ins and outs of how it will work. Ideally, your website builder will provide both tutorials on how to use all the different features and make the main changes you’ll need to in designing your website. If you learn better by video or text, check to see if the website builder provides resources in the format that works best for you as well. The best website builder platform for you will necessarily be one you can actually figure out how to use.     7. Research the Company’s Reputation and Customer Service. Learning how to use the website builder and making sure everything works as it should will also be a lot easier if you go with a company that has a good reputation for customer service. If something isn’t working for you, you should be able to quickly get in touch with support staff and get the help you need. Look at the reviews of the website builders you consider to see what other business owners say about the customer service they provide (and how often they need to make use of it). Your overall experience with a website builder will be much better if you can get the help you need at the time you need it.   The Best Website Builder and Hosting Plan in One We may be biased, but we can assure you that HostGator’s website builder checks all the boxes above as a reliable web hosting plan and builder for all business owners. The website builder:      Is affordable      Is extremely easy to use      Provides ecommerce options      Supports different content formats      Offers over 100 responsive themes      Has SEO features      Comes with a wealth of helpful tutorials and resources And HostGator has a great reputation for customer service . For anyone that chooses a HostGator web hosting plan, the website builder is an affordable option to help you get your website up and running faster, while being professional and functional at the same time. If you have any more questions about our services here at HostGator, contact us today for more information! 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Everest Cloud Services: Free SSL | Free Domain | WordPress | Free Site Builder | Starting At $0.99/m

Everest Cloud Services: Free SSL | Free Domain | WordPress | Free Site Builder | Starting At $0.99/m! Our mission is to provide secur… | Read the rest of http://www.webhostingtalk.com/showthread.php?t=1739897&goto=newpost Continue reading

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