Our top 3 website platforms for startups
Starting out as a small business? You’ll need a website, right? And a question we get asked a lot is, which platform is best? Which one is easier for me to manage myself if I’m not that great with computers? Which one is more budget-friendly? We’ve taken all your questions and thrown all of our answers into this journal, covering everything from design, features, usability, cost and overall value.
1. WIX
Yup, WIX gets #1 spot for the best all-rounder. It’s easy-to-use, even for those who aren’t confident with computers, it’s super affordable with lots of plan options and regular deals and discounts, most plans come with a free domain for the first 12 months which means everything sits under one roof making life easy going forward, and it comes with a free support service for all its customers.
Cost: £7.50 - £27 per month depending on which plan you choose
Best for: Small businesses
E-commerce functionality: Yes, with certain plans only
2. Squarespace
Squarespace was a close contender. It comes with lots of beautifully modern design templates which are easy to edit once you get the hang of it, it’s a touch more expensive than WIX but still hugely cost-effective and again, if they’re running a promo it can be even cheaper. Like WIX, Squarespace also offers a free domain for the first 12 months with most of its plans.
Cost: £10 - £30 per month (Use code STARTUPS10 for a 10% discount - which may or may not be valid depending on when you’re reading this!)
Best for: Small businesses wanting design flexibility
E-commerce functionality: Yes, with certain plans only
3. Shopify
If you’re wanting to sell products online, Shopify is a great option. With a fixed monthly subscription, you won’t be paying a fee for how much you sell either - which other platforms such as WIX and Squarespace do charge for. So, if you’re looking to sell products in mass amounts, we’d highly recommend Shopify as your platform. It comes with some great free templates, or some better ones for around $180, and offers a great built-in order management system to handle inventory and order fulfilment.
Cost: £19 - £259 per month
Best for: Small businesses wanting to sell products online
Wondering what else you’ll need to kick-start your new business? Read our journal on start-up essentials.