Introducing Webflow, a visual eCommerce platform that revolutionizes website creation without coding. Webflow offers a customized end-to-end customer experience and design control, perfect for physical, digital goods, and services.
Webflow Top Features
Customizable product fields, cart, and checkout experiences
Integration properties with native interfaces and numerous Zapier apps
Built-in Google Analytics integration offering data-driven insights
Inventory sync integrations along with order management dashboard
Quick order refund, faster checkout options with Apple Pay, Google Pay, and PayPal
Feature
Benefit
Built-in SEO control
Automatic meta title, description generation from product page names
Webflow API
Streamlined order processing
Pre-built User-friendly Dashboard
Simplifies order status tracking and refunds
Webflow Limitations
Transactional fees through Stripe
Limited offline sale possibility
Dependable on third-party applications like Zapier for store management
Webflow Pricing
Prices for Webflow start at $29/mo when billed annually, offering a range of plans tailored for varying needs.
Webflow Use Cases
Web Designers
Webflow is highly appreciated by professional web designers owing to its enhanced design capabilities and live prototyping, reducing development time.
Content Creators and Web Agencies
For content creators and web agencies, its customizable web pages and SEO boost support present an advantageous trait.
eCommerce Businesses
eCommerce businesses reap the benefits of its simplified digital product creation, automated shipping processes, and customizable store layouts.
WordPress
A powerhouse in global content management systems (CMS), WordPress is behind an impressive 40% of all websites globally. A platform with immense flexibility and a dynamic plugin ecosystem.
WordPress Top Features
An extensive plugin system, spearheaded by the widely adopted WooCommerce.
Over 1,200 eCommerce-focused WordPress themes for customization, making unique site design accessible.
Powerful SEO tools available, bolstered by plugins like Yoast SEO.
Automated updates
Ensures your site is always up-to-date with the latest features and security.
Real-time shipping prices
Enhances online store efficiency, providing accurate costs for customers.
Various Payment Gateway
Includes WooCommerce Payments, Stripe, PayPal, Afterpay, Authorize.Net, Square, Amazon Pay.
WordPress Downsides
Occasional plugin compatibility issues, potentially leading to site functionality downtime.
Though utilized for eCommerce, WordPress is not primarily an eCommerce CMS.
WordPress Pricing
Utilizing WordPress includes variable costs. Domain registration, SSL, and other essentials range from $15-$50 monthly. Custom design ranges from $1,000-$10,000, with development services starting at $25,000. Additionally, plugins and marketing services can cost within a range of $250-$5000 per month and hosting costs average $20 monthly.
WordPress Use Cases
Use case 1: eCommerce
WordPress combined with WooCommerce, powers 30% of online stores. Tools for storefront creation, product page customization, and multiple payment and shipping options make it a strong choice for online business.
Use case 2: Blogging
Driving content for 70% of websites worldwide, WordPress is a robust platform for blogging. Intuitive interface, integrated SEO tools, and a wide variety of themes support bloggers to reach their audience effectively.
Use case 3: Corporate Websites
WordPress offers the capacity for unlimited pages and users, making it an ideal platform for large corporate websites which require extensive customization and user management.
GoDaddy
In the world of website builders exists a rapid and easy-to-use platform, known as GoDaddy. Favored by entrepreneurs and small businesses, it’s a platform with an arsenal of tools to fuel growth.
GoDaddy Top Features
ADI assistance for layout creation, product upload and sales management.
An intuitive interface and strong onboarding process encouraging users to create a site seamlessly.
GoDaddy Insight, a smart learning system providing deep metrics for better business decisions.
A versatile e-commerce toolset that allows listings of up to 5,000 products on their basic plan.
Multi-channel sales integration enabling product selling on platforms such as Amazon, Etsy, Google, Instagram, and Facebook.
No transaction fees with multiple supported payment processors including PayPal, Stripe and Square, in addition to GoDaddy’s internal gateway.
Feature
Benefit
Email marketing capabilities with pre-built templates
Enables effective communication and engagement with customers
Built-in SEO spotlight tool
Assists in optimizing your site for search engines
Shipping through USPS, UPS, FedEx
Ensures reliable and timely product delivery
GoDaddy Limitations
Though robust, it lacks powerful features compared to Shopify and BigCommerce.
SEO management is an additional cost of $4.99/mo, which can add to overall expenses.
The renewal cost on GoDaddy plans may be greater than its first term price.
GoDaddy Pricing
GoDaddy offers two pricing plans: A Commerce plan which costs $14.99/mo and is ideal for new stores with fewer than 50 orders per month. The Commerce Plus plan at $29.99/mo is for larger order volumes and includes automated sales tax calculations. Both plans support POS and GoDaddy Payments.
GoDaddy Use Cases
Use Case 1: Small Businesses
With GoDaddy, small businesses can swiftly establish a robust online presence, managing sales across multiple channels and leveraging the provided tools for growth.
Use Case 2: Entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurs looking for a quick and user-friendly way to launch their online presence will find GoDaddy’s all-inclusive platform a perfect fit.
Use Case 3: Beginners in Website Building
GoDaddy’s intuitive builder, accompanied by its strong onboarding process, makes it a fitting platform for those embarking on their first digital project.
Google Sites
Provided at zero-cost by Google, Google Sites offers an easy-to-use tool for creating visually appealing websites
Google Sites Best Features
No design or programming skills needed
Optimized for all screen types
Automated design rearrangement
Real-time collaboration and sharing
Integration with Google Workspace
Customization
Through Google’s themes or custom properties
External Access
Visitors without a Google Workspace account can still access Google Sites
Domain Acquisition
Facilitated by Google through domain hosting partners
Google Sites Downside
Limitations in flexibility and features
No in-built blog tool or eCommerce functionality
Reliant on other Google Services for additional features
Google Sites Use Cases
Basic Web Presence
Perfect for businesses seeking an online presence with a simple structure. Allows creation using pre-made templates or from scratch with drag-and-drop editor.
E-commerce Site
Though there’s no in-built eCommerce functionality, the addition of selling functions to a site is possible by incorporating Ecwid’s Google Sites eCommerce extension, downloadable directly to existing sites. This includes a shopping cart addition for increased customer engagement.
Product Listing
Google Sites is beneficial for businesses looking to list their products on Google Shopping, made possible via Ecwid.
Wix XP
Born in Israel in 2006, Wix XP has grown to become a global powerhouse in the field of web development, with a staggering 220 million users as of 2022. Its freemium model and integrated HTTPS and SSL protocols underscore its commitment to accessibility, security, and SEO-friendliness.
Wix XP Top Features
User-friendly CMS platform: Ideal for beginners with step-by-step guides for template selection and implementation.
Social media marketing and blogging integration features: An excellent choice for small businesses.
Drag and drop: Simplifies page selection and design process.
SSL and HTTPS: Encrypted data transfer, automatic SSL certificate provision, and a boost to SEO.
Feature
Benefit
Pre-created templates
Allows customization for unique web design
Wix app market
Access a variety of apps and plugins
Third-party tool integration
Complements Wix’s capabilities, including Salesforce
Wix XP Limitations
Unsupported on older browsers and some mobile versions.
Content is tied to the Wix platform – with no migration support.
The “App Store” does not support features for professional websites.
Bandwidth and storage are restricted – even on expensive plans.
Wix XP Pricing
Wix XP works on a freemium model. The free plan features Wix-branded domain and hosts ads. Pricing ranges from Combo at $16/month, Unlimited at $22/month, Pro at $27/month, to VIP at $45/month.
Wix XP Use Cases
Use case 1 – Small Business Owners
With its user-friendly CMS and integration features for social media marketing and blogging, Wix XP allows small businesses to establish a secure, SEO-friendly web presence.
Use case 2 – Beginners in Web Development
Wix XP’s tools and step-by-step guides, combined with its abundant template options, make it an excellent starting point for those venturing into web development.
Use case 3 – Organizations Using Salesforce
Thanks to its ability to integrate third-party tools like Salesforce, Wix XP is ideal for organizations that need to coordinate their website and CRM.
Elementor
Amongst the leading lights in website building solutions, Elementor stands out with its vigor for user experience and data security. It is known for personalizing clientele journeys using functional cookies, assuring a bespoke journey through the web.
Elementor Top Features
Utilizes functional cookies to personalize and enhance the browsing experience.
Employs third-party services to set additional cookies, augmenting functionality.
Deploys targeting cookies to provide users with relevant advertising.
Makes use of strictly necessary cookies crucial for website functionality that cannot be switched off.
Performance cookies are used, enabling Elementor to track visits and traffic sources for optimum performance.
Feature
Benefit
Functional Cookies
Personalized browsing experience
Third-Party Services
Additional, enhanced functionalities
Targeting Cookies
Relevant advertising for users
Elementor Limitations
Heavy reliance on cookies may deter privacy-conscious users.
Lack of feature personalization without cookie acceptance.
Elementor Pricing
As this blog post revolves around company data, specific pricing for Elementor is not available. However, readers are advised to visit Elementor’s website for the most accurate pricing details.
Elementor Use Cases
Use case 1
With their functional and targeting cookies, businesses looking to provide a highly personalized user experience will find Elementor a perfect choice.
Use case 2
For advertisers and marketers, Elementor’s ability to deliver relevant advertising using targeting cookies is a major asset.
Use case 3
Companies needing insights into their website’s performance will glean valuable data from the tracking cookies implemented by Elementor.
Wix
Wix, a renowned eCommerce platform, comes with an intuitive interface and provides an all-in-one solution for businesses looking to sell online. Its features span from high-volume sales handling to rapid web deployment tools, making it suitable for businesses of varying sizes and stages.
Wix Top Features
High volume sales capacity, capable of handling up to 750 transactions every second
500+ designer-made templates
Offers solutions for both online and brick-and-mortar businesses with Wix Retail/Mobile POS
Expandable functionality with features like dropshipping and print on demand
Fully customizable store frontend with features like ‘Buy now’ button, a currency converter, and more
Comprehensive product catalog management for up to 50,000 products
Integrated marketing, promotional tools, SEO, and data analytics and insights
Optimized for speed and performance
Feature
Benefit
80+ Payment solutions
Accept payments from a wide range of providers
Velo rapid web app deployment
Faster and seamless application launch
Wix App market
Expand functionality with numerous third-party apps and integrations
Wix Limitations
May be challenging for beginners
Limited flexibility in some design options
Wix Pricing
Wix offers various cost-effective pricing plans catered to different business sizes and needs, details of which can be found on their official website.
Wix Use Cases
Use case 1: Startups
Startups with a tight budget can leverage Wix’s cost-effective plans, user-friendly interface, and rapid deployment tools to quickly begin their online journey.
Use case 2: Brick-and-Mortar Businesses
Brick-and-mortar businesses can smoothly transition online with Wix. Its Retail/Mobile POS system can sync online and in-person sales, providing customers a seamless shopping experience.
Use case 3: High Volume Online Retailers
High volume eCommerce businesses can benefit from Wix’s capacity to handle up to 750 transactions per second, support for a wide range of payment solutions, and advanced inventory management system.
Squarespace
An all-in-one website builder platform, Squarespace excels in the aesthetic aspect of web design. It’s more than just a visual powerhouse; it’s also a reliable e-commerce platform.
Squarespace’s Best Features
Website Templates: Curated designs for visually driven sites.
Squarespace Commerce: Unrestricted transactions with built-in inventory manager.
Appointment Synchronization: Useful for service providers, educators, and communities.
Analytic Tools: Monitor visitor behaviors for strategic sales tracking.
Email and Social Media Marketing: Seamlessly integrates with MailChimp and social channels.
Advanced Commerce Options: Includes automatic discounts, abandoned cart recovery, and subscription products.
Customer Support: 24/7 assistance available via live chat, email or Twitter.
Product Support:
Manage an unlimited line of physical, digital products, and services.
Payment Gateway Integration:
Multiple options for seamless transactions.
Automated Emails:
Transactional updates, boosting engagement with the clients.
Squarespace’s Limitations
Limited options in the Squarespace Extensions app store.
Localized shipping fees via third-party carriers instead of in-house choices.
Squarespace templates may be limited in customization.
Squarespace Pricing
Exact pricing specifics aren’t in the summary. Visitors are encouraged to visit the Squarespace website for detailed pricing.
Squarespace Use Cases
Use case 1 – E-commerce Businesses
Squarespace’s end-to-end e-commerce tools make it an ideal choice for all sizes of online businesses. Manage products, track sales, and engage customers effortlessly.
Use case 2 – Professional Service Providers
For those in the service industry, Squarespace’s scheduling feature is invaluable. Easily manage client appointments, reservations, or class bookings.
Use case 3 – Content Creators & Bloggers
With optimized SEO and integrated blogging platform, Squarespace is popular amongst content creators. Plus, user-friendly social media integration simplifies content sharing.
Shopify
An eCommerce platform that offers an array of pre-made templates for creating your online store, Shopify has established itself as a popular choice in the market. Known for its cost effectiveness and flexibility, its major drawback might be the lack of unique, brand-specific aesthetics in its templates.
Shopify Best Features
Feature-rich templates: Offers a variety of pre-made templates catering to various eCommerce needs.
Custom Design Availability: Though Shopify doesn’t provide custom design services, store owners can employ third-party templates or professional web design agencies for a unique storefront.
SEO Capabilities: Shopify recognizes the importance of SEO, which drives approximately 43% of eCommerce sales, thus offering features that aid SEO.
Engagement features:
Shopify encompasses critical elements for user retention and engagement. These include search functionality, promotional tools, wishlist creation, and product reviews.
Custom Page Designs:
Shopify websites can include individual page designs for product pages, blog pages, and category pages, enhancing user experience.
Headless builds:
Shopify builds can be both native and headless, offering more flexibility to developers.
Shopify Limitations
Template Aesthetics: Shopify templates may not cater to unique or brand-specific aesthetics.
Additional Costs: Costs for custom website design, added functionality, and integrations can rack up.
Shopify Pricing
Shopify’s cost factors in a monthly subscription ranging from $29.99-$299.99, additional charges for theme/template purchases, costs for custom website design, and extra functionality development.
Shopify Use Cases
Use case 1 – New to eCommerce
Shopify is perfect for newcomers to eCommerce due to its straightforward and cost-effective setup, and its rich set of features enabling seamless store operation.
Use case 2 – SEO Drive Stores
Shopify’s SEO capabilities make it an excellent choice for stores that rely heavily on search-driven traffic.
Use case 3 – Unique Aesthetics
For brands seeking to establish a unique online presence, Shopify provides the flexibility to outsource custom website design to third parties or professional agencies.
Bubble
Bubble.io is a versatile, cloud-based platform that empowers users to build web applications without the need for coding. Designed for non-technical users, it aids in creating websites, landing pages, e-commerce stores, and more. The platform opens up a world of possibilities for anyone wishing to establish an impactful online presence.
Top Bubble Features
Visual drag-and-drop builder for easy web application creation
Capability to customize Bubble apps using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
Hosting and server management features
Integration with Airtable, Integromat, Weglot, Tidio, Stripe, etc
Sales management capabilities for effective sales scenarios
Similar drag-and-drop feature, e-commerce capabilities, free plan, community support forums; differing in level of design freedom and compatibility with APIs and backends.
Collaborative Usage
Can be used alongside Webflow, to combine the strengths of both platforms for complex web applications.
Bubble Limitations
Lacks the SEO friendliness of platforms like Webflow
While collaborating with Webflow is beneficial, it potentially leads to dependency on two platforms
Bubble Pricing
Though exact pricing is not available in this summary, Bubble offers 4 distinct pricing plans to cater to varied user requirements.
Bubble Use Cases
Use Case 1: Small Businesses
Bubble’s capabilities in sales management, order management, and e-commerce make it a noteworthy platform for small businesses seeking to enhance their online operations and presence.
Use Case 2: Personal Websites
With its easy-to-use drag-and-drop builder, Bubble is a perfect choice for individuals wanting to create personal websites without requiring advanced coding skills.
Use Case 3: Non-Technical Users
Bubble’s no-code use, comprehensive tutorials, and community support forums make it an ideal platform for non-technical users to build complex web applications sans prior coding or designing experience.
Framer
A powerful web design platform, Framer is an AI-assisted tool that aids non-coders in constructing responsive sites with ease. Popular among a diverse user base ranging from startups to large corps, Framer presents an intuitive drag-and-drop interface coupled with several noteworthy features.
Best Features of Framer
Dynamic, freeform canvas for building websites.
Comprehensive SEO optimization and site management features.
Smooth Figma plugin integration for hassle-free design transition.
Collaborative environment fostered with features like custom code integration, unlimited viewers, and advanced security for business plan users.
Framer’s Design Components Marketplace, a community-driven platform to share pre-made design elements.
Feature
Description
SEO Optimization
Improve search rankings with Framer’s SEO tools.
Site Management
Seamless tracking & controlling of website functionalities.
Collaborative Workspace
Real-time collaborations, streamlined design hand-off process & strong designer-developer communication.
Framer Limitations
Minor learning curve for beginners.
Limited free plan features.
Absence of native e-commerce functionalities.
Framer Pricing
The Mini Plan starts at $5/month. Upgrades to Basic and Pro plans cost $15/month and $25/month respectively, with a free plan offering limited features also available. Framer also provides team pricing and custom Business plans.
Framer Use Cases
Startups
Startups can leverage Framer’s affordability and functionality to develop engaging, responsive sites without requiring deep coding expertise.
Designers
Framer helps designers manifest their concepts into responsive websites with itscollaborative features, Figma integration and freeform canvas.
Corporations
Large corporations benefit from Framer’s enhanced security, customizable plans, and capabilities to handle complex project requirements.
Editor X
Originating from the tech giant Wix in 2020, Editor X is an advanced creation platform for web professionals and designers, garnering a strong 4.6/5 Trustpilot rating. It’s an innovative tool often utilized by entrepreneurs looking to fortify their online presence, proving its efficiency and functionality.
Editor X Top Features
Customizable, responsive web design: Incorporates a drag-and-drop tool with design templates, appealing to users of all skill levels.
Comprehensive business tools: Invoicing, lead generation, secure web hosting, analytics reports are all under one roof.
Team collaboration: Allows multiple users to simultaneously work on projects, with defined user permissions for efficient teamwork.
Ecommerce solutions: Integrated payment processing, shopping cart and online store creation for smooth retail operations.
Coding support: Offers powerful coding, troubleshooting tools, debugging and compatibility with multiple languages, meeting both basic and advanced coding needs.
SEO and Digital Marketing
Security
Connects with Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, HotJar, and more. Email campaign builder, automated social sharing and postings, bespoke promotional videos creation are incorporated. Plus, tools to manage 301 redirects, customizable meta tags, robots.txt file, canonical tags are at hand.
SSL-certified, PCI compliant, adheres to international privacy practices (GDPR and CCPA), with encryption, tokenization and hashing algorithms ensuring data safety.
Editor X Downsides
Although the unique features brought by Editor X are robust, limitations remain. Some of the top downsides are:
Limited design flexibility compared to some other advanced website builders.
Editor X transition to Wix Studio may introduce changes not favorable to all users.
Even though it supports many languages, coding experience is still required to fully leverage its capabilities.
Editor X Use Cases
Use case 1: E-commerce Websites
Editor X’s vast ecommerce solutions facilitate seamless integration of shopping carts, payments, and online store creation, making it a perfect choice for online retail businesses.
Use case 2: Professional Blogging
The platform’s customization options, SEO tools, and analytics reports make it a powerful platform for bloggers seeking to boost their reach and improve engagement.
Use case 3: Team Projects
Its unique collaboration feature allows teams to work simultaneously on projects, making Editor X a great fit for companies and organizations where teamwork is key.
Weebly
Welcome to the domain of Weebly – the lovable, simpleton of website builders. With a lineage boasting over 50 million websites globally, it stands as the 6th most popular website builder, at least on a good day. Groundbreaking it may not be, but it’s a steadfast companion for small businesses and bloggers.
Weebly’s Shiny Trophies
Beginner-friendly interface: user-friendly enough to put IKEA assembly guides to shame.
Generous free plan: Because free things are always enticing, even when you don’t really need them.
Improved app store: Going from zero to hero, it leaped a jaw-dropping 66.67% in builder rankings.
SEO guides for the non-tech savvy: Because we all need a little help climbing the Google ladder.
Strong blogging functionality: Scoring a perfect 5 out of 5, it knows its blogs better than grandma knows her cookies.
Feature
Description
Built-in image editor
Glam your website up without the hassle.
Parallax effects
Add depth and animation to your static pages.
Video backgrounds
Breathe some life and motion into your site’s aesthetic.
Weebly’s Limitations
Limited drag-and-drop customization: Tic Tac Toe has more movement possibilities.
Poor mobile optimization: It’s like trying to squeeze a truck into a motorcycle parking spot.
Lack of multilingual support: Weebly might need to take a few Duolingo lessons.
Outdated templates: Proving that some things don’t get better with age.
Weebly Pricing
Weebly has a fairly affordable pricing, although, a lack of feature updates tend to leave some users pondering its value. Remember, it’s still tossing freebies around with its generous free plan and e-commerce functionalities. They’re perhaps the only ones not charging you to sell your old lawnmower!
Weebly Use Cases
Use case 1
If you’re looking to start a blog but all that tech jargon makes your head spin, Weebly’s got your back. With its simplicity and strong blogging functionality, you’ll be the next viral sensation in no time.
Use case 2
Small businesses seeking an affordable online presence might find a loyal friend in Weebly. Make use of its SEO guides, e-commerce, and marketing tools to put your business on the map.
Use case 3
Though not exactly the most stylish kid on the block, Weebly’s easy-to-use functionalities make it a neat choice for hobbyists or personal projects. When it’s more about sharing your passion than turning heads, Weebly has got your covered.
Tiffany Brise
Content writer @ Aircada, patiently awaiting a consumer AR headset that doesn’t suck.
