Review of Online Website Builders
Online website builders are becoming more and more popular.
Online Website builders enable the average HTML-Challenged
person to build (dare I say...cool) websites online without
having to code a thing. These time saving tools come with some
features built in, such as forums, link exchanges, password
protected member areas, RSS feeds and more.
I've looked into a couple of offerings lately in an attempt to
replace the poor hosting I was getting from another web host. I
compared 3 site builders:
1. VeryVip at www.VeryVipHosting.com: This host offered three
options. One standard everday hosting option and two online site
building options. Prices started at $14.95.
2. The WebWizard at www.Probuildertool.com: This host offered
three options. All included the online site building option.
Prices started at $9.95.
3. HomeStead at Homestead.com: Offered 4 options all including
online site building. Prices started at $9.99 (you get you first
three months at $4.99).
Each vendor had their strengths:
Homestead had a large selection of designs.
VeryVip offered built in RSS feeds.
Probuildertool offered free forums and link exchange pages.
Ultimately as a programmer I had to go with the tool that I
thought would give me the most flexiblity for the cost and the
one that didn't look like I built my site using an online site
builder.
VeryViphosting.com was nice, but for a product that has been on
the market for a couple of years, it offers very little in the
way of templates. You cannot use third party templates unless
you use the hosting only option.
Homestead had nice designs, but the designs demonstrated by the
customer sites they listed were very...well...generic. In
addition, you had to download the editor (how that makes this an
online site builder is beyond me...)
Probuildertool.com had several templates, though the 180
templates is actually more like 70 templates and a combination
of color and graphics changes. The one thing that this site
offered that was lacking with the others, was the ability to
truly build a community site and grow from there. Neither
Homestead nor Vip offered a forum in thier lower level packages,
while probuildertool offered it on the very first level.
Homestead didn't offer an option for creating a newsletter at
all at any level, while VeryVipHosting offered it only on their
top level. Probuildertool offered it on their mid level package.
Email a friend links could be placed on any page in
Probuildertool without typing in any code. This was not
available with VeryVipHosting or Homestead.
Multimedia support (i.e. flash movies, music, etc.,) was
available for Homestead and Probuildertool, but not on VeryVip
hosting.
Homestead, based on the customer sites, was not what I was
looking for. They have been in the online web building business
since 1998 (according to their website) and won awards for thier
product, but honestly the designs were a little bland. Most
likely because the users didn't use the software to its fullest
potential.
Conclusion on Homestead: This is a very strong product
and is obviously geared toward people who have never had a web
presence but need to create on quickly or those that may already
have a brick-and-mortar presence.
I've got give it to George Little and the people over at
VeryVip. If you are trying to start a business online and you
are just getting started, their option is the choice for you. If
you read any "internet guru" book, ebook, website or email
course you will find everything they recommend that you have on
a website as an option on VeryVipHosting. RSS display, RSS
publishing, Ad management, content, content, content.
Conclusion on VeryVipHosting: A solid product for the
beginning online entrepreneur.
The Probuildertool offered me a lot for only a $9.95 investment
per month. They give you just enough freedom to make your site
your own. I typed in my information, set up my forums, put in my
article source link code (one line of javascript) and within a
few minutes I was up and running.
Conclusion on Probuildertool: Offers a lot of options and
flexibility. Great price and gives the experienced web designer
enough freedom to create a really unique site.
If you are just getting started on the web or just need a web
presence quickly any of these tools can, honestly, do the job. I
just found more flexiblilty with probuildertool, but that's my
opinion. I encourage you to check them all out and based
on your needs choose the one that is right for you.