Introduction
Building a website used to require strong coding skills and technical expertise. But with the rise of intuitive website builders tailored for non-developers, anyone can now create a beautiful, functional site without needing to know how to code.
As more businesses move online and establish a web presence, easy-to-use website builders are becoming invaluable for empowering non-technical founders and small business owners to build their own sites. No longer held back by a lack of coding abilities, entrepreneurs can rely on powerful drag-and-drop editors, designer-made templates, and robust features to launch sites that rival those built by developers.
While experienced coders still prefer the endless customization of open source platforms like WordPress, website builders enable those without coding skills to turn their ideas into reality. With the right tools, you can build a stunning site that drives business growth in just a few clicks.
In this post, we'll overview the key features to look for in website builders for non-coders. We'll also explore some of the most popular options on the market based on ease of use, customization capabilities, scalability, and ideal use cases. Let's dive in to find the perfect website builder to launch your online presence!
Key Features of Website Builders
The best website builders for non-technical users have a robust set of features that make building a site intuitive yet flexible. Here are some of the core capabilities to look for:
Flexible Customization
- Editable templates: Choose from professionally designed templates and edit colors, fonts, layouts and more to fit your brand. Unicorn Platform offers over 100 templates tailored specifically for startups and web apps.
- Logo and media uploading: Easily upload your brand assets like logos along with images, videos, and other media. Unicorn Platform has a built-in media manager for accessing your brand assets.
- CSS/code editing: Many builders like Unicorn Platform allow modifying CSS or adding custom code snippets for advanced customization.
- Widget and plugin integrations: Extend functionality by integrating forms, social media, calendars, maps, and more. Unicorn Platform has over 100 integrations.
User-Friendly Interface
- Drag-and-drop editor: Visually build pages by dragging, dropping, and arranging elements with minimal effort.
- Mobile previews: See edits in real-time across desktop and mobile to optimize responsiveness.
- Media galleries: Browse and access built-in images, icons, animations, and illustrations.
- Collaboration tools: Enable team members to collaboratively edit and provide feedback in some builders like Unicorn Platform.
Robust Functionality
- Contact forms: Collect leads and inquiries with customizable forms.
- Blog and news modules: Publish blog posts and news articles directly on your site.
- Portfolio and gallery: Showcase work samples, products, case studies in organized galleries.
- Surveys and polls: Get feedback with polls, surveys, and questionnaires through integrations.
- Chatbots: Engage visitors via conversational chatbots integrated into your site.
- Ecommerce: Sell products directly on your site with some website builders.
- Memberships: Offer exclusive access to members-only content and portals.
Optimized Performance
- Speed optimization: Built-in tools like image compression, caching, content delivery networks (CDNs), and HTTP/2 improve site speed. Unicorn Platform offers free CDN and HTTP/2.
- SSL certificates: Free SSL certificates enable HTTPS security on sites. Automatically provided by Unicorn Platform.
- Responsiveness: Mobile-friendly responsive design adapted to any device size.
- Uptime monitoring: Get alerts and uptime reports to resolve any errors.
SEO-Friendly
- Search-friendly URLs: URLs are optimized to be short and keyword-rich for search engines. Unicorn Platform creates SEO-optimized URLs.
- Auto-generated page titles & meta descriptions: Page titles and descriptions are automatically generated for better indexing. Unicorn Platform handles metadata automatically.
- Sitemaps and robots.txt: These files help search engines efficiently crawl your site. Unicorn Platform generates sitemaps.
- Analytics integration: Connect Google Analytics or other analytics platforms to track site traffic and performance.
- ALT text automation: ALT text for images is automatically generated to optimize SEO.
Top Website Builders for Non-Coders
With an overview of key features for website builders aimed at non-technical users, let's explore some top options:
Wix - With 500+ designer-made templates, Wix is ideal for portfolios, online stores, restaurants, photography sites, and blogs. Built-in SEO and marketing capabilities.
Squarespace - Gorgeous templates made by world-class designers. Powerful ecommerce functionalities make it great for online stores. Advanced features can get pricey.
Unicorn Platform - Startup-specific templates designed for SaaS, web apps, and digital products. Robust landing page builder and 100+ integrations ideal for lean startups.
WordPress - Open source CMS with thousands of free templates and plugins. Extremely customizable but steeper learning curve.
Webflow - Visual web design tool with professional-grade CSS control and no coding required. Integrated hosting and limited built-in SEO.
Wix
- 500+ templates for varied sites like restaurants, events, portfolios
- Built-in SEO, email marketing, and other business features
- Some limitations for modifying CSS and code
- Best for blogs, small business sites, online stores, portfolios
Squarespace
- Beautiful designer-made templates with minimal customization needed
- Advanced ecommerce features like automated tax calculations
- Can get pricier as more advanced features are added
- Ideal for building online stores, branding sites, galleries
Unicorn Platform
- Specialized templates for startups, SaaS, and web apps
- Robust landing page builder with 100+ integrations
- Lower learning curve compared to advanced platforms
- Great option tailored specifically for lean startups
WordPress
- Open source CMS with thousands of free templates and plugins
- Endless customization capabilities for advanced users
- Steep learning curve compared to other website builders
- Ideal for developers and technically advanced users
Webflow
- Visual designer tool enabling pixel-perfect CSS control
- No coding experience required
- More limited built-in SEO compared to Wix or Squarespace
- Powerful for designers and developers collaborating
If you're a startup founder struggling to build landing pages due to limited coding skills, you may find the customizable templates and robust landing page builder offered by Unicorn Platform well-suited to launch your online presence quickly. With over 100 integrations, it provides the functionality needed to scale your site as your business grows.
Key Evaluation Criteria
With an array of options on the market, here are some key factors to evaluate when choosing a website builder as a non-coder:
Ease of Use
- Intuitive drag-and-drop editor to visually arrange elements
- Mobile editing capabilities
- Tutorials, webinars, and documentation
- Technical support via email, chat, phone
Customization
- Adaptability of templates for your brand
- CSS/code editing capabilities
- Integrations and plugins
- Media manager and built-in assets
Scalability
- Options to upgrade plans as your site grows
- Built-in SEO and analytics
- Lead generation and conversion optimization capabilities
- Ecommerce functionality
Support Resources
- Documentation, tutorials, onboarding guides
- Community forums and discussion boards
- Email, live chat, and phone customer support
- Ongoing customer success management
Pricing
- Published transparent pricing
- Free trial to test the platform
- Ability to upgrade and scale plans
- Value relative to features and ease of use
- No lock-in contracts
Pros and Cons of Top Website Builders
Let's objectively compare the pros and cons of top platforms:
Wix
Pros
- 500+ templates for varied sites
- Built-in SEO, email marketing, and analytics
Cons
- Less control over CSS/code
- Costlier for advanced features
Squarespace
Pros
- Beautiful designer-made templates
- Powerful built-in ecommerce features
Cons
- Blogging capabilities more limited
- Complex custom coding features
Unicorn Platform
Pros
- Tailored templates for startups
- Easy-to-use landing page builder
Cons
- Smaller template selection compared to Wix
- Newer platform with smaller user base
WordPress
Pros
- Extremely customizable with plugins
- Open source CMS
Cons
- Steep learning curve
- Security vulnerabilities
Webflow
Pros
- Pixel-perfect design capabilities
- No coding required
Cons
- Limited built-in SEO
- Less robust CMS
Key Takeaways
- Website builders empower non-coders to create gorgeous sites through intuitive drag-and-drop editors and professionally designed templates.
- Consider key criteria like ease of use, customization, scalability, support, and pricing when evaluating options.
- Leading solutions like Wix, Squarespace, and Unicorn Platform enable building robust sites without technical skills.
- Match the platform capabilities to your goals - ecommerce, blogging, customization needs, etc.
- For startups and lean teams, explore Unicorn Platform's specialized templates and robust landing page builder.
- With the right website builder, anyone can now effortlessly build a stunning online presence.
Don't let limited coding skills hold your startup back. Explore Unicorn Platform's tailored templates and robust landing page builder to launch your online presence quickly and easily.
