Our Pick Of The Best Website Builder For Australians (May 2024)

Contributor,  Editor

Published: Mar 28, 2024, 11:00am

Johanna Leggatt
editor

Edited By

Editorial note: Forbes Advisor Australia may earn revenue from this story in the manner disclosed here. Read our advice disclaimer here.

Thanks to website builders, it’s easier than ever to create your own website without having any coding knowledge. There are even site builders meant for specific uses, such as e-commerce stores and blogs. The best website builders are easy to use, affordable and allow room for growth.

The most popular options include templates or themes, so you have a design starting point. This makes it much easier for you to add your own images or content and then publish quickly. Most of the website builders that made our list are all-in-one solutions that include web hosting, domain registration and a built-in editor for one monthly fee.

To select the best website builder for Australian users, we analysed dozens of options based on cost, ease of use, features, storage and bandwidth allowances, user reviews and more. Follow our guide to find the best option for your unique needs and budget. Note that all prices below are listed in Australian dollars in instances where the company offers a specific Australian dollar pricing page; otherwise they are listed in the original currency (US dollars) and converted within the copy into AUD for local readers. All prices are current as of March, 28, 2024.

Also note that Hostgator is not currently offering new plans for its website builder, which was ranked highly in our review. Existing customers will not be impacted by this change.

Related: Our Favourite Free Website Builders

Note: The below list represents a selection of our top category picks, as chosen by Forbes Advisor Australia’s editors and journalists. The information provided is purely factual and is not intended to imply any recommendation, opinion, or advice about a financial product. Not every product or provider in the marketplace has been reviewed, and the list below is not intended to be exhaustive nor replace your own research or independent financial advice. For more information on how Forbes Advisor ranks and reviews products, including how we identified our top category picks, read the methodology selection below.

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Our Pick Of The Best Website Builders of 2024


Weebly

Weebly
4.4
Our ratings take into account a product's rewards, fees, rates and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.

Starting price

$7 AUD per month

Drag-and-drop editor

Yes

E-commerce in entry-level plan

No

Weebly

Starting price

$7 AUD per month

Drag-and-drop editor

Yes

E-commerce in entry-level plan

No

Why We Picked It

Weebly gets the top spot for one of the best website builders because of its low cost, flexibility and ease of use. In 2018, Square acquired Weebly, which combined the power of Weebly’s drag-and-drop editor for site building and Square’s e-commerce prowess. Now you have the option to create a small business website with Weebly’s popular editor, or choose an online store and build it using Square’s no-frills e-commerce site builder.

Even if you choose to build a website with Weebly, you can add shopping cart functionality later. Plus, Weebly gives you hundreds of stylish theme designs (that are mobile-responsive) to get you started. You can choose a design based on industry, or simply choose one you like. Adding elements, such as text boxes and buttons, is easy enough, but you’re locked into designing on a grid, so you’re limited on how much you can customise your site.

Weebly is generous with its storage and bandwidth, and it includes features to help you build an audience through email and social media marketing tools. Plans start at $7 AUD per month  for a custom domain.

Standout feature:If you decide you don’t like your Weebly theme, even after adding your own content, you can switch themes and your content stays. It’s an uncommon feature for most website builders.

Who Should Use It: Weebly is one of the best website builders for small business, entrepreneurs, bloggers, creatives and e-commerce sellers. Put plainly: It’s a great choice for anyone—especially beginners. Its intuitive site editor takes little time to learn, and the themes it includes ensure your site will look like a pro designed it.

Pros & Cons
  • Easy to use
  • Affordable plans
  • Unlimited storage & bandwidth
  • Hundreds of free stylish themes
  • 300+ apps
  • Limited customisation
  • Limited live chat & phone support
  • Business plan required for e-commerce capabilities

IONOS

IONOS
4.3
Our ratings take into account a product's rewards, fees, rates and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.

Starting price

$US1 or $1.50 AUD per month for the first six months, then $US18 per month or $27 AUD

Drag-and-drop editor

Yes

E-commerce in entry-level plan

Yes, as an add-on

Starting price

$US1 or $1.50 AUD per month for the first six months, then $US18 per month or $27 AUD

Drag-and-drop editor

Yes

E-commerce in entry-level plan

Yes, as an add-on

Why We Picked It

IONOS is better known as a web host, but its website builder MyWebsite competes with some of the most popular standalone builders. The interface is intuitive, and the drag-and-drop functionality makes it easy for anyone to use.

New users get a deep discount on the six months with IONOS on their cheapest plan, and renewals aren’t that pricey ($US12 or $18 AUD, per month, without an e-commerce store). There’s also a $US1 per month ($1.50 AUD) deal for the first six months of IONOS’ Plus plan, with renewals going to $US18 per month  ($27 AUD) after six months.

What isn’t immediately apparent is that the lowest-priced plan still includes IONOS ads (that’s usually done on free website builder plans). So, you’ll have to upgrade to the Plus plan to get rid of them. The low-priced plan is fairly limiting with features—you don’t get the multilingual translation feature, parallax scrolling or photo galleries. No business apps for added functionality either, so you’ll have to upgrade if you want to add apps for reviews or booking, for example.

Standout feature: On IONOS’ Pro plan, you can create personalised content for specific visitors. So, first-time visitors will see something different than return visitors. You can also set it up to display content differently based on sales, holidays or other specific events.

Who should use it: If you’re willing to pay a bit more for the mid- or top-tier IONOS plan, this website builder could work well for a small business website.

Pros & Cons
  • Multiple language translations
  • Excellent user reviews
  • 24/7 customer support
  • Privacy & analytic tools included
  • Personalised content available
  • Low monthly fees
  • Ads on lowest-priced plan
  • Limited, dated templates
  • No membership sites

Squarespace

Squarespace
4.2
Our ratings take into account a product's rewards, fees, rates and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.

Starting price

From $16 AUD per month

Drag-and-drop editor

Yes

E-commerce in entry-level plan

No

Starting price

From $16 AUD per month

Drag-and-drop editor

Yes

E-commerce in entry-level plan

No

Why We Picked It

Squarespace is one of the most popular and best website builders because it’s packed with useful features. You can create an online store, blog, portfolio site, a small business website or a membership site. The editor is user-friendly, but it may take a while to learn the location of menus and features. It’s kind of a cross between a drag-and-drop editor and a point-and-click editor.

Squarespace is known for its templates—the website builder has literally won awards for design. Most of the templates are minimalistic, bold and modern, and they’re all created by professional designers. They’re also mobile-responsive, so you don’t have to design a whole other site just for mobile users.

Standout feature: Squarespace lets you enable accelerated mobile pages (AMP), which lightens the load of blog pages. Reducing the size of images, using a specific font and removing custom code speeds up loading time on mobile phones.

Who should use it: Squarespace is one of the best website builders for creatives—photographers, designers and other artists would do well with a Squarespace design. It’s also a good choice for an online store, especially with specialty features like the limited availability labels.

Pros & Cons
  • Stunning, modern designs
  • User friendly editor
  • AMP formatting available
  • Limited availability labels for e-commerce
  • Good amount of apps for added functionality
  • Limited customer support
  • Lacks design & customisation freedom
  • More expensive than most website builders
  • Pricing page is difficult to find

HostGator

HostGator
4.1
Our ratings take into account a product's rewards, fees, rates and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.

Starting price

From $US3.84 or $5.90 AUD per month (entry discount) on an annual plan

Drag-and-drop editor

Yes

E-commerce in entry-level plan

Add-on

HostGator
Learn More

On HostGator's Secure Website

Starting price

From $US3.84 or $5.90 AUD per month (entry discount) on an annual plan

Drag-and-drop editor

Yes

E-commerce in entry-level plan

Add-on

Why We Picked It

HostGator is one of the most affordable options of all the best website builders. The editor itself is simple to use. The true drag-and-drop editor is intuitive and allows you to drag an element anywhere on the page you’d like. There’s no need to get separate marketing tools for your site, as HostGator includes email marketing campaign features and lead capture forms.

There’s something about HostGator’s templates that seem decades older than its competitors. Many of them are too minimal (large image with a button in the centre) with very little actual design. Another take on this is that it gives you a blank slate to make it uniquely yours.

Standout feature: HostGator includes a helpful tutorial to get you started using its editor. Although many other website builders have the same feature, HostGator’s is particularly detailed, so you likely won’t need to contact customer support.

Who should use it: Unfortunately, Hostgator is no longer accepting new customers for its website builder, although existing customers are not impacted and it is still offering new sign-ups for hosting. You can read more about this change here.

Pros & Cons
  • 24/7 customer support
  • Affordable plans
  • Sell online with any plan
  • Email marketing tools included
  • Easy-to-use editor
  • Renewal rates are double or more
  • Not currently accepting new sign-ups for the web builder
  • Added transaction fee for low- and mid-priced e-commerce plans
  • Lack of modern templates

GoDaddy

GoDaddy
4.0
Our ratings take into account a product's rewards, fees, rates and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.

Starting price

From $13.95 AUD per month

Annual plan

Drag-and-drop editor

Yes

E-commerce in entry-level plan

No

Starting price

From $13.95 AUD per month

Annual plan

Drag-and-drop editor

Yes

E-commerce in entry-level plan

No

Why We Picked It

Designing a site with GoDaddy’s website builder requires zero technical skill—all you have to do is answer a few questions about the purpose of your site and you’ll get a prebuilt site that’s ready for customisation, or you can choose a template you like and start adding your content through the drag-and-drop editor.

GoDaddy doesn’t offer as many design options as some of its competitors, but the templates are clean and professional. The pricing page  is, mercifully, easy to find, too.

The all-in-one domain registrar, web host and site builder includes features to help you with marketing and SEO. Upgrading to an e-commerce site is easy too, and starts at $26.95 AUD per month with a long-term contract.

Standout feature: GoDaddy uses Artificial Design Intelligence to design a site for you based on your needs. It will even add stock images that relate to your site or business theme.

Who should use it: GoDaddy offers features specifically for small businesses and online stores. Many of the marketing and SEO tools are built into the editor or dashboard, but not all come with your monthly plan.

Pros & Cons
  • Uses AI for quick design
  • 24/7 customer support, including in Australia
  • Unmetered bandwidth
  • Good value for introductory plans
  • Pricey add-ons
  • E-commerce is only available on the e-commerce specific plan
  • Limited customisation
  • Limited app market

Wix

Wix
4.0
Our ratings take into account a product's rewards, fees, rates and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.

Starting price

From $15 AUD per month

Drag-and-drop editor

Yes

E-commerce in entry-level plan

No

Wix
Learn More

On Wix's Secure Website

Starting price

From $15 AUD per month

Drag-and-drop editor

Yes

E-commerce in entry-level plan

No

Why We Picked It

Wix is one of the most popular website builders because it offers something for everyone. You can use the free plan to create a website, but you’ll be on a subdomain and have Wix display ads. The lowest-priced plan is a bit limiting, but you have access to lots of free apps to extend your site’s functionality (and for a reasonable $15 per month).

On the higher-tier plans, you’ll get SEO and analytics tools, an events calendar and a logo maker. E-commerce plans offer even more, but they’re also fairly pricey, starting at $30 per month for basic e-commerce and $44 for standard.

Wix has recently revamped it pricing options, which you can read more about in our Wix pricing guide for Australians.

Standout feature: Wix offers one of the biggest template libraries for an all-in-one website builder. There’s more than 900 designer-created templates. Not all of them are winners—some look very dated—but most are modern and fit for multiple industries.

Who should use it: Wix is a great option for new small business owners, especially those that want to try running an online store. Although the e-commerce plans seem pricey, Wix’s plans are comparable to competitors.

Pros & Cons
  • Free plan available
  • 900+ designer-made templates
  • 250+ apps available
  • Pricing in AUD
  • Easy to use
  • 24/7 customer support
  • Dropshipping features
  • Limited storage
  • No SEO & analytics tools for low-tier plan
  • Pricey e-commerce plans

Shopify

Shopify
4.0
Our ratings take into account a product's rewards, fees, rates and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.

Starting price

From $42 AUD per month

(Offer: $1 for first month)

Drag-and-drop editor

No

E-commerce included in entry-level plan

Yes

Starting price

From $42 AUD per month

(Offer: $1 for first month)

Drag-and-drop editor

No

E-commerce included in entry-level plan

Yes

Why We Picked It

Shopify is primarily an e-commerce website builder. All of the paid plans come with built-in shopping carts and marketing features to help you sell online. There are only nine free e-commerce templates from which you can choose. If you don’t mind paying, there are dozens of premium templates available, but they cost about $100 on average.

The editor isn’t a true drag-and-drop editor, which may add to the learning curve a bit. It’s more point-and-click navigation, but it’s easy enough to figure out and use after you spend some time with the tools.

Standout feature: Shopify’s Basic plan costs $42 AUD per month (when billed on a yearly plan) and allows you to add a buy button to a site you already own, a Tumblr blog or sell in person with the Shopify point-of-sale mobile app. There is also a deal on at the moment offering the first month for $1 AUD.

Who should use it: Only serious e-commerce small businesses should consider Shopify. It’s meant for building online stores, not just websites. It’s an ideal solution for brick-and-mortar businesses that want to sell inventory online too.

Learn more: Read our guide to using Shopify.

Pros & Cons
  • Dropshipping options available
  • Only 9 free online store templates
  • Pay lower transaction fees with higher-tier plans
  • 24/7 customer support
  • Most templates are premium and cost extra
  • No automatic image optimisation
  • Expensive plans

Zyro

Zyro
3.9
Our ratings take into account a product's rewards, fees, rates and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.

Starting price

$2.99 per month or $4.59 AUD (discount rate)

Drag-and-drop editor

Yes

E-commerce in entry-level plan

No

Zyro

Starting price

$2.99 per month or $4.59 AUD (discount rate)

Drag-and-drop editor

Yes

E-commerce in entry-level plan

No

Why We Picked It

Zyro is a website builder that often offers low cost introductory plans. At the time of writing in March 2024, its AI website builder entry plan is 75% off, coming in at $US2.99 a month or $4.59 AUD plus three months for free. With Zyro, you’ll get your choice of more than 100 free templates to get you started on your website, with clean designs that rely on hero images to anchor the pages.

The drag-and-drop editor is simple to use and includes basic elements you need to build a website for personal or professional use. Keep in mind that the low-tier plan is fairly limited. Plus, while there’s no shopping cart feature for the low-priced plan, Zyro offers e-commerce plans as well.

Standout feature: Zyro offers a new tool that allows you to import an existing website to its platform. It’ll pull in the content from the site to its site builder, so you can essentially plug the content into a new design quickly and easily.

Who should use it: Zyro seems like a good fit for first-time website creators that don’t plan to add a lot of content. Its editor is very easy to use, and the frequent discounts make it an attractive choice.

Pros & Cons
  • Free domain for a year
  • Includes SEO tools
  • AI-powered website creator
  • Import website tool
  • 100+ free templates
  • Email is only included for free for a three month period
  • Discounts aren’t available all year round and are instead presented on an ad hoc basis
  • High costs for renewals
  • Pricing page and details is hard to find

WordPress.org

WordPress.org
3.7
Our ratings take into account a product's rewards, fees, rates and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.

Starting price

Free

Drag-and-drop editor

Yes

E-commerce in entry-level plan

Add-on

WordPress.org

Starting price

Free

Drag-and-drop editor

Yes

E-commerce in entry-level plan

Add-on

Why We Picked It

First, we’d like to be clear that the WordPress we’re recommending here is the open-source free content management system (CMS) from WordPress.org, not the site builder of the same name at WordPress.com. The popular CMS is also one of the best website builders because of how much flexibility and freedom you get with the platform.

It’s important to know that if you choose to use WordPress to create a website, you need to secure web hosting separately. There are several (more than 8,000) free WordPress themes available, and many paid themes you can find.

On its own, WordPress’ site builder is easy to use, but it sticks to the bare minimum elements. There are literally tens of thousands of plugins you can add to extend functionality of your site, and many are free to use.

Standout feature:You won’t find a more customisable website builder than WordPress. The only caveat is that you may need to hire a freelance developer to help code your website to make it do what you want, or learn how to use the right combination of plugins to get what you want.

Who should use it:WordPress isn’t difficult to use by any means, but it isn’t as easy as the all-in-one website builders. If you have some tech know-how and you want a customised website with web hosting of your choosing, then WordPress is good for you—whether you want an info-only site or an online store.

Pros & Cons
  • Free to use
  • 8,000+ free themes available
  • Fully customisable
  • 50,000+ plugins
  • Slight learning curve
  • No web hosting included
  • No security included
  • No free domain

Duda

Duda
3.5
Our ratings take into account a product's rewards, fees, rates and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.

Starting price

$US19 per month ($29 AUD)

Drag-and-drop editor

Yes

E-commerce in entry-level plan

Add-on

Duda

Starting price

$US19 per month ($29 AUD)

Drag-and-drop editor

Yes

E-commerce in entry-level plan

Add-on

Why We Picked It

Although Duda is an outlier in this list of the best website builders, it earns its spot with its simplicity, flexibility and unique features. The lowest-priced plan is $US19 per month  or $29 AUD with no introductory discount.

Like most site builders for small business, Duda doesn’t limit bandwidth or storage. The editor is easy to use with drag-and-drop functionality. Most of the elements are basic with a few advanced features. Duda offers more than 100 pre-built templates that you can customise however you’d like. All designs are mobile-responsive, and most of them are modern, clean and professional.

Standout features: You can create rules for visitors to your site and it gets fairly granular. For example, you can have specific content show for site visitors who are geographically near your business. There’s also a content library that makes it easy for you to import content from a client’s existing website into a new design you’re creating.

Who should use it: We only suggest Duda for freelancer web designers or agencies. It’s a bit too expensive for personal projects, and it’s really made for specific use cases. So, if you have multiple businesses that require multiple sites, or you run a design or development agency, Duda could be a good fit for you.

Pros & Cons
  • 100+ professional pre-built templates
  • Easy drag-and-drop editor
  • Very customisable
  • Website personalisation for all plans
  • Limited low-priced plan
  • API only available on top-tier plan
  • No domains included

What is a Website Builder?

A website builder is a platform that offers a drag-and-drop interface that makes it easy to create a website for users with little to no coding experience. These platforms generally offer integrated storage for photos and videos, options for adding a custom domain, hosting capabilities, pre-built themes and more. Third-party integrations are often available as well, allowing you to add elements such as shopping carts and lead capture tools. Advanced plans may even include custom email addresses and SEO analytics tools for next-level marketing campaigns.

Note: There are two different types of website builders: online and offline. An offline website builder is software that you download to create the website on your personal computer. Online website builders are web-based and allow you to create and edit your website directly on the company’s server. This article focuses on online website builders, such as Squarespace, Wix and Weebly.

You can read more in our guide to website builders.

How Does A Web Builder Work?

A website builder converts your drag-and-drop commands into code. Your website can either be hosted by the company or connect to your hosting provider. Most website builders offer a selection of themes or templates that are suitable for different types of websites.

For example, a portfolio would use a different template than an e-commerce store. Once you select a template, you’ll be able to customise many of the features. Depending on the website builder, this includes elements like typeface, the layout and the size of the text and images. You may also be able to add contact forms and embed videos.

While coding is often not required for many of the most popular web builders, most platforms do allow users to customise HTML and CSS to suit their needs.


How to Choose the Best Website Builder

There is no magical one-size-fits-all approach to choose the best website builder. You need to find the right balance of cost and features to fulfill your needs.

Determine Your Needs

Ask yourself some questions to help narrow things down:

  • Do you just need to display information, or should site visitors be able to interact with the pages?
  • Are you planning to sell products or services, or capture contact information of potential customers?
  • Will you be managing your site yourself or working with a third-party service provider?
  • Are you willing to pay extra for more features?
  • How much customisation do you want in terms of layout and design?
  • Do you need to create any unique functionality like quizzes, forms, or newsletters?

Consider these elements when comparing products and you’ll soon find a service that fits the bill.

Explore Key Features

A website builder makes many of the complicated aspects of running a website simple and intuitive. Here is a list of some of the most common features.

  • Drag-and-Drop Interface. Many website builders allow you to drag and drop the components of a web page to design it as if you are assembling a collage. This could include text, photos, video or any other component on your web page. Each website builder offers different flexibility for customisation options. Some companies use themes that are harder to adjust, while others allow you to customise almost every aspect of the web page with no coding whatsoever.
  • Pictures and Video Storage. Website builders make it easy to upload pictures and videos. With Squarespace, for example, you’ll have access to an image gallery on your account. This way, you’ll be able to edit and remove photos and videos from different pages, but still store them and refer to them in the future. Storage capabilities generally vary by subscription plan.
  • Hosting and Domains. When you’re building a website, you need two components other than design: a website host and a domain name (the URL used to navigate to your site). Many website builders offer all three services. If you already own a domain name but want to use a different website builder (for example, you purchased your domain name through GoDaddy but want to use Wix for design), you’ll have to migrate your domain to the new platform.
  • Third-Party Integrations. Website builders make it easy to integrate third-party applications like social media feeds or shopping carts. Lead capture forms are another commonly used integration, allowing potential customers/clients to provide their information and dump it directly into your preferred CRM or data repository.
  • Mobile Compatibility. Because so many people browse the web, mobile compatibility is an important feature for any website. Many website builders integrate this feature automatically and allow you to view the mobile version of your website as you edit. Some can even automatically adjust the elements on your site so that a single design functions well on multiple devices.
  • Business Email. Most website builders come with the ability to create an email address with your domain name as the extension. Some always charge extra for this feature while others offer one or two emails for free and charge for each additional email, so be sure to choose the best plan for your needs.
  • SEO Analytics. While many Australian businesses use Google Analytics to assess traffic, most website builders come with their own form of traffic analysis that is easier to follow for average people. This will give you information about which websites your traffic is coming from and how viewers found you. If you are actively trying to develop your SEO and expand the reach of your website, you may find the need to invest in specific software for analytics. However, for most individuals and small businesses, the insight available through their website builder is sufficient.

How Much Does it Cost to Build a Website?

When building a website, choosing a platform is only one piece of the puzzle. You also need to consider hosting costs, domain names, SEO analytics, custom email options, graphic design and more. You may even want to hire a content manager to make sure your site is updated regularly, keeping it fresh for new visitors. You should research prices of all web design costs in order to get the full picture of how much your site will cost.

Australian users should also note whether the pricing is in US dollars or AUD. Some companies have dedicated AUD pricing plans, which gets top marks from us, but many will offer a flat fee in US dollars, so be aware of currency conversion rates.

If your business is new and money is an issue, there are a range of free website builders you can choose from. Check out our guide to the Best Free Website Builders for Australian Businesses.

Here’s a quick breakdown of the cost to build a website per year:


Service Cost Notes
Domain Name $12 to $60 You will need to purchase a domain name and maintain active registration with a domain registrar.
Hosting $100 to $500 A web host is necessary to keep your site live. If you expect higher traffic to your site, be sure to select a plan that can handle that traffic.
Website Builder Free to $500 As you can see in the guide above, there are many top website builders with options for all kinds of business and personal needs.
SSL Free to $250 SSL certification helps to keep your website secure. Some web builders include an SSL in their package for free.
Total $212 to $1,350 These are the most basic costs to build a website. You’ll also need to consider additional costs for site plugins, SEO services, website management services, imagery licenses, and more.

2024 Web Design Trends

If you’re a web designer, staying on top of design trends can ensure you deliver your most demanding clients’ dreams on the first try instead of the fifth.

Here are some major web design trends we anticipate will spearhead the market for the remainder of the year (and into next).

Motion Design Trends

The number one trend we’ve noticed is a shift towards designs that integrate motion in some form. Incorporating active design elements is a great way to capture visitor attention and spark interest, and with a multitude of ways to add them to your site, you’re sure to find something meaningful and even fun to use.

Prioritising Download Speeds

A study by Google discovered that more than half of mobile users will abandon a website if it takes more than three seconds to load. Ensuring ultra-fast download speeds will provide a better user experience, encourage the consumer to stay on your site and increase sales potential.

Content Loading

A website can either load in its entirety upon arrival, or only load the content the client is accessing—also called smart or lazy loading. By using smart loading, it is possible for a company website to run faster and more efficiently than non-smart loading competitors.

Individualised Content

Utilising user data trends and location services can help web developers create a more personalised online experience for a consumer base, thus increasing the company’s conversion potential.

Accessibility and Availability

The demand for creating digital content accessible and usable for everybody is on the rise. For example, when designing a web page, it is important to consider accommodations for neurodivergent individuals, consumers with disabilities and consumers with visual or auditory impairments.

Artificial Intelligence

Increasingly, website builders are using AI to create templates that match users’ design ideas and business branding. For example, Wix uses a feature called ADI (artificial design intelligence) to create a site from scratch. The AI asks users a few questions to generate a new website, including fresh texts and images. Read more in our guide to creating a website with AI.


Tips to Build a Successful Website

Here are a few important tips to help you create a successful site:

Design for Desktop and Mobile Devices

A mobile-responsive site automatically adjusts images, text and design elements to show up quickly and appropriately for a mobile phone. According to Google Analytics stats, more than 60% of traffic is mobile, so it’s important that your site is mobile-responsive.

Most modern site builders are mobile-responsive, but even those that are may not be 100% perfect. Be sure to always preview your designs on both desktop and mobile screens of different sizes. If you notice any errors, you can adjust your designs by changing up element sizing or even removing certain elements on specific screen sizes.

Consider Pre-Built Templates and Themes

The terms theme and template are usually interchangeable. They are pre-built page designs that usually include menu navigation with the most common pages (home, about, contact, blog), a header and a footer. Most themes will include sample imagery and text, which you can replace with your own content. You can often customise the global template to best meet your needs as well.

Most site builders will have a variety of free and premium themes to choose from. Using these can help you get a well-designed site up and running much faster than if you were to build the site from scratch yourself. That said, not all themes are created equal. Be sure to preview all your pages to make sure there are no inconsistencies or errors as you add your content.

Add An SSL Certificate

A secure sockets layer (SSL) certificate is a file that encrypts data transfers to and from a website. So, when someone visits your secure website or enters information in any fields on your site (forms, username, password, credit card details), the SSL certificate keeps that data private. It’s important to have that security on your site for the end user, and having an SSL certificate can also help to improve your ranking in search engines.

Do I Need a Website Builder?

If you want to create a website and don’t have experience coding, a website builder is the easiest way to do it. The other option is to build your website yourself, but this requires knowledge of coding or hiring a professional. The benefit of hiring someone is that you have complete control of how the website looks.

When you are working with a website builder, you will likely come across design challenges that the website builder does not support. For example, let’s say you want a drop-down menu, but the theme you’re using doesn’t offer that feature. Or, you may love a particular template but find you’re not able to change the color theme.

Each website builder and each theme within it has different limitations, and you often only learn what they are as you go. If you don’t need complete creative control, you’ll find that the best website builders offer more than enough features to build a professional website.


Methodology

To compile our list of best website builders, Forbes Advisor gathered thousands of data points on the top website builders—and their several plans—and categorised the data into five core categories and 43 subcategories.

We paid special attention to the pricing of the various plans, using Australian currency as the default currency when the provider offered the option to do so. We also considered factors such as storage, bandwidth, tools, templates and mobile responsiveness, customer service, and user reviews. Additionally, we included an expert rating to account for qualitative things such as popularity and stand-out features or policies.

About Star Rankings

You will note that we have included a star rating next to each product or provider. This rating was determined by the editorial team once all of the data points above were considered, and the pros and cons of each product attribute was reviewed. The star rating is solely the view of Forbes Advisor editorial staff. Commercial partners or advertisers have no bearing on the star rating or their inclusion on this list. Star ratings are only one factor to be considered, and Forbes Advisor encourages you to seek independent advice in relation to your own financial circumstances and investments before you decide to choose a particular financial product or service.


Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the best website builder for small businesses in Australia?

There are a range of excellent website builders on the market today, including Weebly, GoDaddy, Wix and Squarespace. These platforms feature prebuilt themes and drag-and-drop interfaces, making it easy and affordable to create a functional, well-designed website.

How much should I pay for a website?

You can create a website for a personal project for free, if you don’t mind a subdomain and display ads. To make a small business website, you should expect to pay about $200 to $300 as an initial investment, and maintenance will likely range from $5 to $50 per month, depending on whether you have an online e-commerce store.

What is the cheapest way to get a website?

Other than the free options that are available, the cheapest way to get a website is to download WordPress, get a free theme, and build the site yourself. You’ll still need to register a domain for about $15 per year and find the best cheap web hosting, which ranges from $1 to $10 per month.

What’s the easiest way to build a website?

A website builder is the easiest way to build a website. Website builders often have design limitations, as they use templates, but many people find the capabilities and features are more than enough to create a professional website without investing in professional web development services.

How scalable are website builders?

Website builders are highly scalable, and your plan can be easily modified to meet the needs of your growing team. If you outgrow even the top-level package of your service, many vendors offer enterprise-level functionality with customised pricing. It may be worthwhile to get in touch with your system’s customer service team to learn more.

Are SEO tools included with website builders?

Yes, many leading services offer tools to help you boost your site’s visibility on search engines. Most builders are designed with an infrastructure that helps search engines easily find information. Additionally, many platforms come with tools to customise your site’s meta descriptions, automated data markup and easy social media integration to help share your content across platforms.

Are website builders secure?

Yes. Because most website builders offer cutting-edge technology, they are usually ahead of the curve when it comes to keeping their sites secure. They do this by keeping their customers’ websites protected by using top-end technology. Because of this, most website building companies offer some of the best security options available on the internet.

Is there a free website builder?

Yes, many website builders offer free plans. These include Wix, SITE123 and Ucraft. However, these free website builders do not allow you to create a website that only includes your branding. Their brand names, for example, may appear in the form of watermarks, in the free website’s domain or in the footer of the website. They also often have limited storage and other needed features for building a fully developed website.

Is Wix or WordPress better?

Both have attractive features, so which one is better depends on your needs as a business owner. Generally speaking, WordPress is attractive to those who require a wide range of add-ons and customisations, whereas Wix is renowned for  its intuitive drag-and-drop designs and extensive templates so is perfect for those with zero coding experience. You can read more in our Wix vs. WordPress review.

Is it cheaper to build my own website?

That depends on how much time it takes you to build your site, although with so many drag-and-drop templates available these days, it’s likely to be cheaper to do it yourself. However, if you’re not confident using builders, or you have a sophisticated site that involves a lot of customisation, it may be best to hire a professional.

Is it better to build your own website or use a website builder?

This depends on your level of design skills and coding knowledge. If you are comfortable building a website from scratch, and your site requires a lot of customisation, then it’s probably better to do it yourself so that you ensure it meets the needs of your business. If, however, you require a basic site, then a website builder, with a broad range of themes to choose from, will probably suffice.


Information provided on Forbes Advisor is for educational purposes only. Your financial situation is unique and the products and services we review may not be right for your circumstances. We do not offer financial advice, advisory or brokerage services, nor do we recommend or advise individuals or to buy or sell particular stocks or securities. Performance information may have changed since the time of publication. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

Forbes Advisor adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. To the best of our knowledge, all content is accurate as of the date posted, though offers contained herein may no longer be available. The opinions expressed are the author’s alone and have not been provided, approved, or otherwise endorsed by our partners.