Pros and Cons of Starting an eCommerce Business with a Website Builder Platform

The use of website builders has become one of the most popular options for those individuals who are looking for a quick and easy way to create a business website for themselves. Over the past several years, using a website builder has evolved into what is now easy to use, more affordable, and technically better in the way that the features on offer are far more sophisticated than before. However, there are some things to consider before using a website builder, as there is a chance that what is involved with using a website builder may have a negative impact on your business.

We are going to look into the things to consider with a website builder, which may become a pro or a con for your business.

Pros–Pricing, Ease of Use

When running any business, expenditure is one of the most important things to consider. A primary reason for a small business to choose to use a website builder rather than using a costly professional website developer is because the price associated with them is usually far lower. Website builders that are popular, such as Wix, even offer free website hosting.

As a business, you can expect to pay anywhere from $0-$30 per month for a smaller business website with one of the market-leading website hosts. Having a website should not always be seen as an expense, but more of an investment as it gives your business a professional look, and allows you to reach a much wider customer base. There is no expenditure with free website hosting, however, the website will come with limitations and unwanted content.

For instance, ads may appear on your website, the domain name may well not be personalised, and possibly several other key features. If you choose to hire a professional developer to build your site, the initial cost could well be over $1000, and then there is the added costs of $30+ per month for management and hosting, and $75+ per month for any customisations that you make in the future. Hence, pricing is one of the biggest advantages of using a website builder.

Using a website builder is an ideal choice for beginners who have very little experience, or no experience at all in designing a website. Website builders have simplistic features like being able to just simply drag an element and drop it in place.

It is easy to add content, and then once it is finished, press the publish button, and away you go. Additionally, a user may wish to use a built-in template which the majority of website builders will offer. With a website builder, you are unlikely to be concerned with hosting, support, and emails, as these platforms offer that all in the same place.

As your business grows, you will require more advanced features, which will mean that you will probably have to pay for it, rather than continuing to use the free web hosting service.

Cons–Ownership, SEO Limitations

When you decide to use a website builder, you are making the choice to not own your website.

This less costly option may not be a problem when you are starting out as a business as price monitoring will help to develop your business, but when you outgrow the limits of the website builder, you will more than likely have to build a new website for your business from scratch. If you have used a website builder but you now feel it is time for migration, then you will not be able to because the website doesn’t belong to you. This means the pages, design, and the other elements.

A website builder essentially does not want you to migrate, and so will make it as difficult as possible to transition away from their platform. Checking the limitations of a website builder before getting started is highly recommended for this exact reason. If the website builder’s most advanced plan will not be able to meet your requirements, then it is better to not use them as it will be more trouble than it is worth later down the line.

A website builder will offer SEO limitations compared to a professional, custom-built website. This means getting a good rank on a search engine like Google will be harder when using website builders.

Website Builder–Yes or No?

The important thing is to do what you feel is right for your business not only now, but in the future, too. At the same time, budgeting is very important for a startup business, so don’t spend what the business cannot afford. There are many things to consider when using a website builder, and we have covered most of them. The final decision is down to you, so make sure you do what you feel is right for the business.

Rupali Gupta

Rupali Gupta is a blogger and professional writer who loves to write about technology and entertainment. Techzimo is one of her successful websites filled with great tech news, Know more about her on Youtube Facebook Twitter Linkedin Instagram