In today’s digital-first marketplace, your small business needs an online presence that stands out. A business website serves as your 24/7 storefront, marketing hub, and customer service portal—all in one.
Choosing the best website for small business ensures you harness powerful ecommerce tools, marketing features, and design options to grow revenue, engage audiences, and build brand credibility.
This article, brought to you by Designers Choice, guides business owners through selecting the right website builder, creating a compelling small business website, and optimizing it for sales and visibility.
Why Your Small Business Needs A Website?
A small business website extends your reach beyond local foot traffic.
With a website builder and custom domain, you control your brand’s narrative, showcase products or services, and use seo tools to attract qualified leads via search engines. An online store backed by reliable web hosting and inventory management empowers you to sell 24/7, reduce transaction fees, and manage orders seamlessly.
Even a basic plan or free plan can kickstart your online presence, while paid plans unlock ecommerce features like drop interface editors, ai tools, and advanced marketing tools.
Best Website Builders For Small Businesses in 2025
In 2025, many strong website builders will help small businesses build their online presence.
Wix
Wix remains the best website builder for small business owners who prize a drag-and-drop editor, an AI website builder, and rich design options without writing code.
Its drag-and-drop interface and app market let you add ecommerce features—inventory management, transaction-fee settings, and multiple payment gateways—in minutes.
The free plan includes a branded subdomain and Wix Ads, while paid plans unlock a custom domain, unlimited storage, SEO tools, email marketing, and Google Analytics integration.
Customer support via live chat and extensive tutorials means even beginners can launch a polished online store or business website in hours.
Squarespace
Squarespace combines sleek website templates with robust marketing features, making it a top choice for creatives and service-based businesses. Its platform offers built-in SEO tools, blogging, social media integration, email campaigns, and analytics—all under one roof.
The drop builder interface lets you customize layouts, fonts, and colors, while the ecommerce plan adds cart recovery, digital products, and inventory management.
Although it has a steeper learning curve than some DIY builders, its design tools and responsive themes ensure your small business website looks professional on every device.
Shopify
Shopify is the go-to ecommerce website builder for small businesses that want scalable online stores.
With point-of-sale integration, unlimited products, multichannel selling (Facebook, Instagram, Amazon), and an extensive app market, Shopify covers every angle of ecommerce capabilities.
Its pricing plans include built-in payment processing, fraud analysis, and drop interface editors for easy store tweaks. Transaction fees drop on higher tiers, and 24/7 customer support ensures you’re never stuck—ideal for entrepreneurs focused on growing sales.
Hostinger
Hostinger offers one of the most affordable websites for small business, with hosting plans starting under $2/month. Its website builder includes free SSL, a drop editor, unlimited bandwidth and one-click WordPress setup.
Even on the basic plan, you get ecommerce features like a shopping cart, payment gateways, and automated backups. Hostinger’s free trial and budget-friendly pricing plans make it a smart choice for cost-conscious owners who still need reliable performance and SEO tools.
Weebly
Weebly (by Square) makes it simple to launch a free website or online store with its intuitive drag-and-drop builder.
The free plan offers basic ecommerce tools and a Square-branded domain; upgrading to paid plans adds custom domains, email marketing, SEO tools, and expanded inventory management.
Built-in marketing features—like discount codes and abandoned cart emails—help you boost sales without installing extra apps. Weebly’s live chat support and extensive knowledge base are perfect for first-time site builders.
GoDaddy
GoDaddy’s ADI (artificial design intelligence) delivers a basic business website or online store in minutes by asking a few simple questions.
Its site builder includes SEO tools, email marketing, social media integration, and 24/7 phone support. Paid plans add a custom domain, Microsoft 365 email, and ecommerce features such as inventory tracking and payment processing.
If speed and ease of use rank highest on your list, GoDaddy gets you online fast with minimal setup .
WordPress (With WooCommerce)
WordPress paired with WooCommerce powers the most flexible small business websites.
You get unlimited customization options via themes and plugins, full content management, advanced SEO tools, and a vast library of marketing features.
WooCommerce adds ecommerce capabilities—inventory management, digital products, drop interface editors, payment gateways, and reporting. While there’s a steeper learning curve and separate web hosting is required, this combo offers unmatched scalability and control for growing businesses .
BigCommerce
BigCommerce stands out as a premium platform for growing ecommerce websites.
It provides no-transaction-fee selling, built-in SEO tools, multichannel integration, and advanced analytics out of the box. Its drag-and-drop page builder and rich customization options require no coding, while supporting unlimited products, coupons, and real-time shipping quotes.
BigCommerce’s pricing plans include enterprise-level performance and 24/7 support, making it a solid choice for businesses ready to scale beyond the basics.
HubSpot CMS Hub
HubSpot CMS Hub merges website building with CRM, email marketing, and automation in one platform. Non-technical users benefit from a visual drag-and-drop editor, built-in SEO recommendations, and responsive themes.
On the marketing side, you get form builders, lead flows, analytics, A/B testing, and personalized content modules that sync with your HubSpot CRM. This deep integration of marketing tools and website design makes it ideal for service-based small businesses focused on lead generation and lifecycle marketing.
Jimdo
Jimdo’s AI-powered Dolphin builder is perfect for entrepreneurs who want a free website up in minutes.
By answering a few questions, you get a basic website with a branded subdomain, drop editor access, and mobile-optimized templates.
Upgrading to paid plans adds a custom domain, ecommerce features like a shopping cart and payment processing, SEO tools, and Google Analytics. Jimdo offers an extremely low-cost starting point for hobbyists and micro-businesses who plan to upgrade as they grow.
Essential Features To Look For In A Small Business Website Builder
Choosing the right website builder for your small business can feel like a lot. However, some main features can help you decide.
- User-Friendly Interface and Design Options: Seek a drop editor or drag-and-drop interface with templates and customization options. A low steeper learning curve ensures you spend time on your business, not wrestling with design tools.
- Mobile Responsiveness and Optimization: Mobile-first templates and automatic optimization are non-negotiable. Over half of web traffic comes from smartphones, so ensure your site builder guarantees responsive design.
- E-Commerce Capabilities and Payment Processing: Look for inventory management, point of sale integration, transaction fees policies, and support for digital products. Ecommerce tools should include a shopping cart, checkout, and multiple payment gateways.
- SEO Tools and Marketing Features: Built-in seo tools, Google Analytics integration, blog posts, email marketing, and social media integration help you drive traffic and convert visitors into customers.
- Customer Support and Resources: 24/7 live chat, knowledge bases, and community forums ensure help is available when you need it, especially critical during your first year online.
How To Create A Small Business Website?
Choosing Your Domain Name
Your domain name is the address customers type to find your business online, so pick something short, catchy, and easy to spell. Aim for under 15 characters and avoid numbers or hyphens that can confuse people when they try to remember or share your link.
Including one relevant keyword—like your core product or service—helps search engines recognize what your site is about and can give you a tiny boost in SEO.
Registering a custom domain rather than using a free subdomain makes your business look more professional; it shows you invested in your website and signals trustworthiness to visitors.
Selecting The Right Hosting Plan
When you compare hosting plans, think of storage and bandwidth as the shelf space and foot traffic capacity for your online store. A free website builder plan might give you 500 MB of storage and limited monthly visits, which works if you’re just testing the waters.
But as you add product photos, blog posts, or video demos, you’ll appreciate a basic or business plan offering unlimited storage, free SSL certificates for secure checkout, and room to scale when traffic spikes.
Good hosting providers also include e-commerce tools—inventory management, payment processing, automated backups, and live chat customer support to help you troubleshoot site issues quickly.
Designing Your Site’s Visual Identity
Your site’s colors, fonts, and images set the mood for your brand and guide customers toward buying.
Choose a palette of two or three colors that reflect your personality—whether bold and modern or soft and artisanal—and stick with them across your logo, buttons, and headlines. Pair readable typography with plenty of white space so your content doesn’t feel crowded, and use design options in your drop editor or AI website builder to preview how the layout adapts on mobile devices.
Consistency in design tools and templates not only looks polished but also reinforces brand recognition every time someone visits your online store or browses your blog posts.
Planning Site Structure and Navigation
Think of your site’s menu as the directory signs in a mall: it should point visitors exactly where they want to go, whether that’s your products page or the contact form.
Start by listing your must-have pages—Homepage, About Us, Products/Services, Contact, FAQ—and group similar items under clear headings. A simple top-bar or side menu with dropdowns ensures shoppers on desktop and mobile can move seamlessly between pages.
Logical site structure not only keeps customers happy but also helps search engines crawl and index your pages more effectively, boosting your small business website’s visibility.
Creating Essential Pages
Your Homepage is the first impression: highlight your unique features, showcase bestselling items or signature services, and include clear call-to-action buttons like “Shop Now” or “Book a Demo.” On the About Us page, share your story—why you started the business, what drives you, and who’s on your team—to build trust and humanize your brand.
For Products/Services, write concise descriptions, display crisp images, list pricing, and add “Add to Cart” or “Get a Quote” buttons so visitors can act immediately. The Contact page should offer multiple ways to reach you—form, email, phone number, and social media links—so no inquiry goes unanswered.
Finally, an FAQ page anticipates common questions about shipping, returns, pricing plans, or transaction fees, reducing support requests and smoothing the customer journey.
Must-Have Pages For Your Small Business Website
Creating a strong online presence requires several important pages.
Homepage Design Best Practices
Your Homepage is like the front window of your shop: it must load fast, look inviting, and immediately show what you offer.
Place your logo and main navigation at the top so it’s easy to click back home, and use a clear headline that tells visitors exactly what makes your brand a top choice.
Feature one or two “call-to-action” buttons—such as “Shop Now” or “Get a Quote”—so people know where to click next without hunting around. Keep the layout simple, with just enough images and text to spark interest; too many elements can slow loading times and distract from your online store’s main draw.
About Us Page Elements
The About Us page helps people connect with the faces and story behind your business website.
Start with a short paragraph about why you began—your mission—and sprinkle in one or two keywords to help search engines index you for relevant searches . Include team photos or a brief video so visitors see the real people powering your brand.
A friendly tone and mention of your location (important for local SEO) build trust, and a subtle “Learn More” or “Contact” button acts as a gentle nudge toward your online store or service booking.
Products/Services Page Structure
On your Products or Services page, organize offerings into clear categories—think of it as aisles in a store built with your chosen website builder. For each item or service, write a crisp description, show an image, list pricing or plans, and add a prominent “Add to Cart” or “Book Now” button so purchases are one click away. Use inventory management and ecommerce features to automatically update stock levels and avoid disappointing customers with out-of-stock items.
Contact Page Essentials
Your Contact page is where interested visitors become leads. Include multiple ways to reach you: a simple form (name, email, message), a clickable phone number, your business email, and links to social media.
If you have a physical location, embed a Google Map so visitors can get directions without leaving the page. Let people know when you’ll reply by setting expectations—e.g., “We respond within 24 hours”—to reduce uncertainty and improve conversions.
FAQ Page Implementation
An FAQ page saves you support time by answering the questions customers ask most—about pricing plans, shipping, returns, or transaction fees. Group questions under headings (e.g., “Ordering,” “Shipping,” “Returns”) and use collapsible panels so the page stays scannable.
A search box within your FAQ helps visitors jump straight to the answer they need. Well-structured FAQs also boost SEO by adding keyword-rich content that search engines can index.
Examples of Successful Small Business Websites
Seeing how others use design options and marketing tools can spark ideas for your site.
Below are three categories of live examples—each showing ease of use, ecommerce capabilities, and strong branding.
E-Commerce Business Examples
Stores on Shopify and BigCommerce often showcase smooth shopping experiences with inventory management, drop interface editors, and no hidden transaction fees.
For instance, the online sticker shop Otto’s Grotto used AI-powered product descriptions and custom Shopify code to double revenue in 2024, proving that the right ecommerce tools can transform a hobby into a thriving online store.
Service-Based Business Examples
Agencies and consultants on Squarespace or HubSpot CMS Hub pair clean website templates with lead-capture forms and email marketing features. They highlight client success stories, list service tiers, and integrate seo tools to appear in local search results—turning site visitors into booked appointments without any coding .
Local Business Website Examples
Restaurants, salons, and repair shops on Wix or Weebly use built-in booking widgets, Google Analytics, and mobile-optimized layouts so customers can book tables or appointments on any device.
They embed maps, showcase customer reviews, and run social media feeds to keep their online presence fresh and drive foot traffic.
Cost Comparison Of Small Business Website Solutions
Budget matters when you’re choosing between a free website builder, a mid-range plan, or a premium ecommerce platform.
Here’s how they stack up in your first year:
| Tier | Platform Examples | Cost Range (Per Year) | Key Features Included |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free & Budget-Friendly Options | Wix free plan, Weebly free plan, Jimdo free website | $0–$60 | Free plan, branded subdomain, basic ecommerce features, website builder ads |
| Mid-Range Solutions | Hostinger business plan, Squarespace Basic, GoDaddy Personal | $60–$180 | Custom domain, SSL, SEO tools, email marketing, and limited transaction fees |
| Premium Platforms | Shopify Advanced, BigCommerce, Managed WordPress hosting | $360–$1,200+ | Unlimited storage, advanced ecommerce features, AI tools, priority support, Forbes |
Optimizing Your Small Business Website
Building the site is only half the journey—you need to drive traffic and convert visitors into customers.
SEO Best Practices For Small Businesses
Use relevant keywords in page titles, headings, meta descriptions, and image alt text so search engines know what your site is about. Submit a sitemap to Google Search Console and set up Google Analytics to track performance.
Local businesses should claim their Google Business Profile to show up in map searches. Regularly update content, like blog posts or FAQs, to keep search engines crawling and ranking your site higher.
Content Marketing Strategies
Create a small business blog that answers customer questions and weaves in keywords naturally. Develop a content calendar—plan blog posts, guides, and email newsletters around product launches or seasonal promotions.
Use AI tools to research topics, then share your posts via email marketing and social channels for maximum reach. High-value content not only brings organic traffic but also positions you as a trusted resource.
Social Media Integration
Embed social share buttons and live feeds so visitors can easily follow you on Instagram, Facebook, or LinkedIn. If you run an online store, enable shopping-enabled posts that sync your inventory with social platforms.
Use user-generated content—like customer photos and reviews—to build social proof on your site. Consistent branding across your website and social profiles strengthens your online presence and drives repeat visits.
With these pages in place and optimizations applied—backed by the right website builder, ecommerce tools, and marketing features—you’ll have a small business website that not only looks great but also sells, engages, and grows with you.
FAQ’s:
How Much Does It Cost To Build A Small Business Website?
A simple do-it-yourself build using a free website builder plan often costs you nothing up front, or up to $450 if you add a custom domain and remove ads.
For a bit more polish—premium templates, basic ecommerce features, and a business plan—you might spend $100–$500 total in your first year.
If you want advanced customization, marketing tools and inventory management, expect a mid-range budget of $1,000–$48,000. Fully custom development from a pro can run $5,000–$10,000+,, depending on features, ongoing support, and transaction fees.
Do I Need Coding Skills To Create A Business Website?
No coding is required when you use a modern website builder: drag-and-drop editors and AI website builder tools handle design, seo tools, and content management for you.
These platforms include templates, marketing features, free trials, and basic plans so you can focus on products, not custom code. Learning HTML/CSS basics can help you tweak layouts or add custom code, but it’s optional for launching your online store.
Even without coding skills, you can use design tools and a drag-and-drop interface to build a fully functional small business website in hours.
What’s The Difference Between Website Builders and Custom Development?
A website builder bundles hosting, website templates, drop editors, seo tools, ecommerce features, and customer support into one package—no coding needed, making it the best website choice for fast launches and tight budgets.
Custom development means writing all your code (or hiring a dev) to get unlimited customization options, unique features, and full control over performance—but at a higher cost and a steeper learning curve.
Builders give you ease of use, free plans, marketing tools, an app market, and transaction-fee settings, while custom sites let you inject bespoke design tools, custom code, and advanced integrations.
Choose a site builder for a basic plan and quick setup; choose custom development when you need complex functionality, high security, or a one-of-a-kind brand experience.
How Long Does It Take To Build A Small Business Website?
From first idea to live site, a typical professional build takes about 10–14 weeks—covering design, testing, seo setup and launch prep.
A small 3–4 page site can be sketched out in 4 hours, coded in 5–6 hours and deployed the same day if you use a fast website builder. Wix notes that simple business sites often go live in one to six months depending on goals, though basic templates and ai tools can shrink that to a few weeks.
Custom projects vary: 2–6 weeks for small sites, up to 6–12 weeks for more features, and longer if you add content marketing or complex ecommerce capabilities.
Is It Better To Hire A Professional Or Use A DIY Website Builder?
DIY website builders cost $0–$30/month, include SEO tools, marketing features, a drop interface and free trials—making them ideal for new or budget-conscious small business owners.
Hiring a pro gives you custom code, unique features, strategic design tools, ongoing support and advanced ecommerce capabilities—but you’ll invest $2,500+ for a brochure site and $5,000+ for ecommerce functions.
Use DIY if you value hands-on control, quick setup, low transaction fees and basic plan flexibility for a small online store.
Hire a professional when you need complex integrations, a unique brand identity, steeper learning curve or premium customization options that out-of-the-box builders can’t provide.
Conclusion
To succeed, your small business needs a strong online presence. A good website builder and custom domain act as your online store and marketing center. Choosing the right drag-and-drop editor gives you important e-commerce tools, SEO features, and design choices that are easy to use.
Adding inventory management and payment options makes a reliable storefront that works 24/7, helping sales even when you’re not online. Built-in SEO tips and friendly content improve visibility, drawing in good leads naturally.
A consistent look—using templates, customization options, and AI tools—builds brand trust and keeps visitors interested. Marketing tools such as email campaigns and social media help turn casual visitors into loyal customers.
Starting with a free or low-cost plan is wise for launching your site. Paid plans can offer advanced features as your business grows.
For those who want more control, custom development allows unique features. However, many small business owners find DIY website builders are faster and cheaper to enter the market. Your site should not be “set and forget.”
Regular content updates and user experience improvements keep it fresh while boosting SEO results. Lastly, using Google Analytics helps you track success, adjust pricing, enhance conversion rates, and invest wisely in your online growth.
