Welcome to the era of digital design – where top-notch webdesign tools help you set up your website without breaking thebank. Here at Maven Marketing Group, our goal is to bring your business out of digital obscurity. We build websites. To help, we have selected 15 small business website design tools that will best aid your business’ web design, hosting & maintenance, & online marketing!
However, not all startups have the capacity to engage the services of a website builder. This is where the unrivaled benefits of the many affordable and free website design tools come in.
Using these website design tools; the hosting & maintenance of your website have never been easier. They are not only affordable, but also simple to use – so you can easily get a great small business website up and running in no time! However, if after reading this you feel you want a professionally built website, Maven offers some affordable web design solutions that are great for any business.
You’ll come to find that there is no one-for-all web design tool. It all boils down to their functionality and purpose, as well as your intended result.
Hosting & maintenance of websites is made possible using these design softwares. Some have a free version, others have transaction fees and almost all of them let you use your own domain. Below are some of the best design software, a website maker would use when creating a website.
Our first recommendation is WordPress. This is because we have found that WordPress provides the tools you need to create your website, no matter what skill level. Many website builders for small businesses gravitate towards WordPress.
With WP, small business owners have access to basic ecommerce tools, analytics tools and many other advanced features that a normal web developer would have access to.
It is by far the most popular website platform as about 35% of all websites are hosted here and is the leading digital publisher on the internet. They have some of the most elegant and customizable designs and free templates.
WP comes with a wide range of SEO tools, plugins, and website builders all in one platform. You can also use a custom domain. All these aspects will help create a website that you complete control over the website building process.
Although WP produces the best websites on the internet, it can be challenging when building your own website. Don’t Worry! There are many website builders for small businesses who specialize in WordPress who can help.
If you want flexibility and simplicity, then Wix is your best shot. It gives you over 500 expertly designed templates to choose from. We would not consider it the best website builder for small businesses, however, it is a cheaper alternative to having a professional website created.
This website builders editing interface allows you to create your unique website by simply using a drag-and-drop editor.
Wix makes for a quick and easy web design process. Users can also sell online, and create landing pages for their simple website; this is perfect for an online store with a custom domain.
Wix’s useful tools give you an unpaid ad-sponsored plan. And if you desire to have your own domain, you can always buy the paid membership. There are also a number of premium plans a business website creator can access, but in our opinion, it is not worth it.
In our experience, Wix is the easiest website builder to navigate. It is great for getting your basic site online.
The drag-and-drop program is great for getting your small business online initially. With that being said, you will never see the best website builders using a site builder like Wix. To be honest, most small business websites built on Wix are not that great.
Another popular website platform is Weebly. Just like Wix, Weebly offers a drag and drop editor that allows you to customize your website. Best website builder? It is not so much the builder and more so the person who is using the software.
Recently renovating its theme galleries, this website builder now offers you about 50 designer templates. These templates are designed to suit your business and automatically adjusts to any device. I wouldn’t say it is the best website builder, but considering it is a small business website builder, it gets the job done.
Like I mentioned above, Weebly is a website builder that is great for small business owners websites as there are no hidden costs. At the same time, unlike other platforms, it allows you to make a monthly payment for their ecommerce platform and premium versions.
Weebly has a number of ecommerce features and is more described as an ecommerce website builder. Small businesses that are selling online tend to gravitate to this platform because of their professional and performance plans and the ability to use a custom domain.
Although GoDaddy doesn’t have a free plan, it has a generous 30 days of free trials for website builders. Likewise, GoDaddy offers web hosting & maintenance services for its users.
You won’t get a free domain, however, if you need a custom domain, go no further than the GoDaddy website builder. Also, if you already have a domain, they have a free domain transfer service. We all remember the Superbowl commercials; GoDaddy has been helping small businesses for a very long time and it is a great place to purchase a custom domain for your online business.
As for small business website builders, GoDaddy’s ADI features can be quite restrictive, but it offers you over 100 themes for your web design. It also has a drag and drops feature and ample storage limits.
GoDaddy is not the best website builder, but it is a good place to end up if you are just starting an online store. However, it is a great web hosting solution.
For a great web design experience, GoDaddy has magnificent photo editing software. Its user-friendly interface makes it easy and fast to customize your website in a matter of minutes.
Although Squarespace has no free plan, it offers you a two weeks free trial plan of its premium version. Squarespace is one of the most popular website builders for online stores. Most website builders don’t focus on ecommerce plans, but Squarespace has all the features one needs to be a website builder.
Also, Squarespace’s exquisite web design and many e-commerce tools make it the perfect website builder for small online stores. What sets it apart from other website builder platforms is its color customizations and numerous themes. It is a website builder for small business operations and medium size businesses.
With Squarespace, you may need basic technical knowledge to pull it off. However, when you do, its polished templates and ecommerce plans will give your website the best touch of professionalism you need for success.
Graphic design software enables designers to create graphics as well as alter images. If you have the best small business website you definitely have a knack for graphic design. These are our top selections for you.
Awesome for beginners with no web design skills, Canva is our first pick on the best software for graphic design. Website builders love using this product.
Its drag and drop features make it easy and fast to customize and create professional-looking websites. It is one of the business tools Maven Marketing Group recommends if you are using a website builder, running an email marketing campaign, or promoting your business on social media.
Canva comes with a wide range of over 8000 free templates, fonts, and images. Nevertheless, in order to enjoy other attractive features, you will have to upgrade to the pro option.
With Canva, you can choose from existing templates and you can create your design de novo. This is great if you are a web designer. Its graphic design app makes it accessible on Android and Apple devices.
Another graphic design software recommended at Maven Marketing Group is the GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP). It is not only perfect for beginners but best suitable for raster images.
Although a free program, GIMP is compatible with various operating systems such as Linux, Windows, Solaris, macOS, and BDS. It is a great open-source program with various free tools.
It is suitable for small or medium businesses that are trying to create brochures, graphics, or web designs for their website, social media, or email marketing campaigns. Its 3rd party plugins and customization programs help you create the best imaginable web designs.
Adobe Photoshop is one of the most popular graphic design software. It offers users a robust package, and awesome tools that are designed to accommodate both small businesses and large alike.
Though it was initially designed for photo editing alone, Adobe Photoshop has evolved. It now accommodates both video editing, interface designs, and web-design. Paired with a team of professional small business website builders this tool is top of the line.
It has 3D design capabilities and classic features such as layers, masks, and pen tools. Its specialized tools and flexible features make it the favorite of many designers.
Although there isn’t a free version, Affinity designer is a low-budget alternative to other paid programs. We often recommend it for beginners as it is user-friendly and quite fast.
Affinity designer allows users to work on both raster workspaces and vectors while switching easily between them. It is not device selective, and you can design limitless art boards with it.
Through its versatile grid system, users gain control over spacing, gutters, and angles. Its zoom feature, which can extend as far as 1,000,000%, allows designers to be accurate and precise with their designs.
Xara Designers Pro X has one of the fastest and most innovative vectors supplying engines. Its advanced tools and features help you create a state-of-the-art design. However, the tool is only available on Windows, something to keep in mind.
It offers users hundreds of designer templates and a million archived photos and illustrations. Its specialized tools encourage creative freedom and save you plenty of design time.
Its all-inclusive design tools are built both for vectors and bitmaps. Likewise, it has customized tools such as outlines and gradients that help to give your artwork and web design a unique vibe.
With the aid of prototyping tools and interface design apps, designers can envisage and convey how their website will look. These five prototyping softwares are our best picks.
Quite expensive, Justinmind is popular for its high-quality designs which can fit various screen resolutions. Its periodically updated UI templates and libraries give you an array of options.
JustInMind’s simple interface makes it ideal for both beginners and advanced designers. Their drag and drop functionality makes it easy as pie to create unique website prototypes for small businesses.
You can also explore your creative liberty by designing from the scratch using an existing range of web design templates. Most of all, you can create interactive prototypes and data lists without any coding.
New kid on the block, Figma is quickly gaining popularity in the world of web design. Its ease of switching from design to prototype mode makes it easy to control grids and text on any project. Most website builders use Figma to strategize with their team on a scope of a project & execution.
Figma is built with a vector-based interface and sturdy editing features. This makes website designing quite easy. Useful plugins like Autoflow and Figmotion improve their functionality.
With Figma, files can be quickly shared, and various group members can access a design file at the same time. Likewise, comments can be left by business stakeholders to enable modifications to the design.
Figma was most recently acquired by Adobe for approximately 20 billion dollars. It is used by the top website builders and software developers; we highly recommend it.
Balsamiq Mockups is yet another great prototyping tool for designers. With over 500 ready-made icons and components, it is one of the best prototyping tools for creating wireframes.
Whether you are a UX newbie or an advanced designer, Balsamiq mockups are easy to use. Its UX ideation phase helps you create the perfect prototype for your client’s viewing pleasure.
Put simply, its keyboard shortcuts quicken productivity and the speed at which mockups are created. Likewise, Balsamiq’s cloud-based software and rich widget library encourage team collaboration.
Another great software we endorse here at Maven Marketing Group is Sketch. After winning a design award from Apple in 2010, this program became quite popular amongst UX designers and small businesses.
Its tools, unlike other programs, are specifically made for an app, interface, and web design. It has a steep learning curve, which makes it easy for beginners to create professional-looking designs.
With Sketch’s comprehensive integrations and plugins, users have many shortcuts that help for a quick and easy design process. Its vector-based system makes it easy to design high-quality and beautiful artworks.
InVision Studio is yet another great interface and prototyping software we recommend at Maven Marketing Group. It is ever evolving with new features and functionalities for its users
Quite popular amongst web designers, their ease of creating interactive prototypes makes it outstanding. It is also compatible with many graphic file formats such as PSD, JPG, PNG, GIF, etc.
InVision’s well-developed tools allow for communication and collaboration of team members while using the software. Web design is also made easy with its presentation tools and designs.
The importance of your small business having an online presence can never be over-amplified. These affordable web-design tools make the hosting & maintenance of your website easier.
Having an online store is more than just being digitally present, you have to ensure that your small business is accessible and visible online. To get this done by experts, many businesses employ the services of freelance digital marketing companies.
Expert website builders can make a professional website at a much faster rate and have access to SEO tools to promote your site organically. The best business website builder for small corporations is of course Maven Marketing Group.
Maven Marketing Group is not just another web design company. We are Chicago’s premier choice for all your digital marketing needs, serving companies worldwide. Whether you’re looking for website management, custom web design packages, or a full suite of digital marketing services, we’re the team for the job.
Our skilled web developers and designers in Chicago have a competitive edge that will propel your business to the forefront of your industry. We’re committed to bringing businesses into the digital era—an era where an online presence is more crucial than ever before. Reach out to Maven Marketing Group today and elevate your business to new digital heights!
Hope this article helps you out! If you want more advice for expanding your reach, getting leads, & growing your business — let us know in the comment section below!
Or if you’d like help implementing any of these tactics into your business – drop us a line! We’d love if you left a comment/question for us to answer below!
Which of these small business website design tools sound like they’d benefit your business the most?
Maven Marketing Group was founded in 2019 on the core principle of bringing small businesses into the digital age. We are a Chicago based company, with clients all over the United States (& world).
Maven Marketing Group has matured into a full-stack freelance digital marketing agency that focuses on offering high-quality web design packages, website management services, and freelance digital marketing services!
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