So, you want to build your own website, and you’re ready to pick out which website builder software you’ll use? Most website builder software packages available today are offered through a website that sells web hosting services — check the list at the bottom. We’ll ignore the web hosting side for now and just look at the website builder software they offer.
Pay attention to the functions:
- Is there a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor?
- Is the user interface intuitive, or do you get lost in the menus and controls?
- Does it seem like it will be easy to learn, or will you have to devote days to learn how to do anything?
Try out the free trial version on the website, but don’t count on the free result being the first step in building your own website — at this point, all you are doing is evaluating features and functions.
Check the User’s Guide and the Support section of the website.
- Is documentation available online?
- How does the company offer support for problems, questions, or issues?
- Are there online forums for users of this software?
- Are there tutorials on the website?
Go into the details that you know you definitely want for your own new website:
- Is there support for the graphics formats that you want to use?
- Does the website builder offer creation of interactive features like membership signups, polls, and message boards?
- Can I use my own domain?
Most of these websites make their money from hosting websites, and the free or low-cost website building software is a way to bring in the customers. But, every one of these web hosting sites has its own rules, fees, and restrictions on what you can and cannot do for free and for fees. So, create a multi-column table, fill it up with all the details for each web hosting company, and compare, compare, and compare.
We have experience in using several Website Builders in the past, and our number 1 choice has always been Host Otter’s Website Builder. You can check off every question asked on this page about whether or not their software will be able to handle the demands you require for building a polished-looking website.