When I first started designing websites, even I got overwhelmed by all the options out there. I quickly made assumptions and preferences, but it has taken time to form a clear view on Showit, Squarespace, Webflow, Canva, Shopify...you name it.
If you’re a small business owner trying to choose the right platform and are nervous to choose wrong, I'm here to help!
As a freelance web designer based in Salt Lake City (who has worked with all these platforms), I've found that choosing a website builder comes down to how much power you need and what kinds of powers. A factors to consider include:
- Do you want to update the site yourself?
- Do you need to sell and ship products online?
- Are you blogging?
- Is rankng locally on Google important to your business?
- Is a out-of-the-norm visual design a top priority?
- What’s your monthly budget?
With these factors in mind, here are my unofficial but hopefully helpful opinions:
Showit
Super Powers:
- You can move everything wherever you want
- Connects to WordPress for powerful blogging
- Handles overlapping elements, photos, and videos like a champ
Heads Up:
- Needs external softwares to handle newsletters or ecommerce
- Interactions are not intuitive to create, such as buttons and menus
- Consistent spacing and layout can be hard to maintain
- Around $25 per month (get your first month free with my link)
Squarespace
Super Powers:
- All-in-one platform for hosting, domain, design, blog, store, scheduling, membership
- Drag and drop editor that follows a helpful grid structrure
- Easy to update and hard to "break"
Heads Up:
- The grid can feel limiting for custom designs
- Difficult to use more than three fonts or add custom code on certain plans
- Around $23 per month (Check the latest prices)
Webflow
Super Powers:
- Fully customizable with powerful animations and integrations
- Close to custom coding without actually coding
Heads Up:
Shopify
Super Powers:
- Built specifically for online selling
- Amazing tools for inventory, shipping, marketing, and payment integration
- Lots of apps and themes to customize your store
Heads Up:
- Requires coding or templates for a custom look
- Generally less flexible for other features beyond ecommerce
- Around $29 per month (Check the latest prices)
CANVA
Super Powers:
- As easy as it gets to edit
- Perfect for one-off events or "brochure" style websites
- FREE!
Heads Up:
- Very limited functionality with no software integrations
- Not created for SEO
So... What’s the Best Platform for You?
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer here.
The “best website platform for small business” is the one you’ll actually use, enjoy, and grow with.
And if you're still not sure, that’s exactly what I help with.
As a freelance web designer in Salt Lake City, I specialize in helping small business owners choose the right platform and build websites that are both beautiful and easy to update.
Ready to Pick the Right Platform (and Build Something Beautiful)?
Whether you're just getting started or ready to upgrade your online home, I’d love to help you choose the right platform and design a website that works for you.
Let’s chat about your project!
