Ecommerce is heating up and so is the race for leadership in this space. Here in Malta, companies constantly strategize to excel in this sector and our economy depends on the type of innovation that bright minds can bring. Research suggests that increasingly, SMEs rely on multiple channels to succeed in the global ecommerce space. In its latest report seeking to evaluate the best website builders, The Really Useful Information Company (TRUiC), sought to depict to what extent larger gateways like Wix, Squarespace and Godaddy com enable entrepreneurs along this journey.

Are mass-market solutions crushing niche providers?

Here in Malta, niche providers thrive because they can help create the type of infrastructure some American corporations do not offer as standard. Solutions for the mass market are quite different: A website is necessary for any brand or business to reach a larger audience. It will enable businesses to effectively promote their products or services while also providing a handy location for existing and potential customers to learn more about the company.

Even if you're a skilled developer working on a deadline-driven project or a business owner with no prior experience of HTML code, using a website builder does not have to be a difficult process.

With easy-to-use templates and user-friendly navigation, it is no surprise that website builders have grown in popularity - they make the process of building and maintaining a website a lot easier.

For a single monthly fee, businesses can access web hosting, templates, editing tools, and a domain name.

However, when it comes to deciding which website builder is best for a business, many of them have similar features, making it difficult to choose the best one.

In this article, TRUiC will examine the differences between Wix, Squarespace, and GoDaddy, three of the best website builders aimed at helping businesses create professional-looking websites without knowing how to code.

Wix vs Squarespace vs GoDaddy

In comparing Wix, Squarespace and GoDaddy we will look at their pricing, interface, e-commerce features, and support, which will allow users to choose the tool that is best suited for their business.

Wix

Wix is a simple website builder with a drag-and-drop interface that allows users to create an online presence quickly and effortlessly. Users only need an email address to get started, and if they don't mind the advertisements, they can even build a site for free.

However, a business must upgrade to a premium account if they want an ad-free site with a personalised URL or e-commerce capabilities. The pricing for these plans range from $14 per month for a Combo account with 3GB of storage and 2GB of monthly data transfers to $39 per month for the comprehensive VIP plan, which includes 35GB of storage, a domain name, unlimited monthly data transfers, a professional logo, and priority support.

On the other hand, if businesses want to include a shopping cart and other revenue-generating features, the business and e-commerce plan costs between $23 and $49 per month.

Squarespace

Squarespace does not offer a long-term free account like Wix, but it does provide a two-week free trial. Unfortunately, users will not be able to access the test site until they pay for an account.

Personal accounts cost $16 per month or $12 per month if paid annually, and include up to 20 pages of content, whereas business accounts cost $26 per month or $18 per month if paid annually, and allow users to sell products for a 3% transaction fee.

The Basic Commerce package eliminates this fee but costs $30 per month or $26 per month if paid annually, while the Advanced Commerce package, which includes real-time shipping integration, costs $46 per month or $40 per month if paid annually.

Included in the price, users are offered website hosting, unlimited storage, and monthly data transfers. If users opt to pay on an annual basis, they get a year of free domain registration, and can also connect an existing domain to the Squarespace-built site.

GoDaddy

GoDaddy websites and marketing are available in four pricing packages meant to cater to various hosting needs of each user. All of the plans come with an SSL certificate, a mobile-friendly site design, a PayPal button, a free business phone number for a year, 24/7 support, and other beneficial features.

The Basic package is priced at $14.99 a month or $9.99 paid annually and allows users to connect one custom domain, one social media platform, create five social media posts a month, and send 100 marketing emails.

Next up we have the Standard package, which costs $19.99 a month or $14.99 annually. It is similar to their entry-level package, with the exception that it increases the number of social media listings to three, the number of social posts to 20, and the number of marketing emails to 500 per month.

The Premium plan costs $24.99 a month or $19.99 annually and adds limitless social media platforms and posts, appointment booking capabilities, and 25,000 marketing emails per month.

Finally, GoDaddy's top-tier Ecommerce plan costs $29.99 per month or $24.99 annually. It gives users the ability to add and edit product listings, set up delivery options, sell things through an online store, manage promotions and discounts, and sell on various online marketplaces.

As a result, GoDaddy was favoured by the TRUiC report for the best website builder because of its simplicity, affordability, and multifunctionality. It is a great option for businesses to build a quick and efficient website. This is not to say that it will retain that position indefinitely as other providers constantly innovate.

Final take:

It is fair to say that large American companies like Wix, Godaddy and Squarespace are also dominating Europe. But one thing is certain: our needs are so diverse and specific, that Maltese companies will hardly be dependent on big tech solutions in San Francisco - and we can offer a lot to other economies. 

Brought to you by TRUiC