Best website builder (Wordpress, Webflow, Wix, Elementor etc)?

[thomasparra]

I am looking for a website builder and/or host to build a simple website with less than 30 pages (homepage/home, services, cases studies, about, compliance, terms and conditions, contact us form) and that's pretty much it. No platform/client account, no real integration besides maybe calendar. I need something simple and easy to use/maintain but yet a website that is a bit dynamic/no too static and doesn't look like a cheap one-pager hairdresser site.

Wordpress looks like hell to use, I am no web developer/designer and if I were to spend days learning how to build a simple website I would probably just use Webflow which seems more satisfying to use.

What is out there?

 

[Larin]

Webflow is great if you want to dedicate some time to the task. Otherwise Wix, or Squarespace are the typical go to for a low-effort, but still looking nice websites.

 

[SoNewToAllShit]

Why not use wordpress and find someone that do all this for you in a day? do you have all the text ? or you need to find a content writer.

 

[Marzio]

+1 for webflow

 

[mytoofood]

Do you guys have samples of online websites hosted on own domains with webflow ?

 

[thomasparra]

Why not use wordpress and find someone that do all this for you in a day? do you have all the text ? or you need to find a content writer.

Because there is nothing fundamentally complicated. It’s a website for a b2b services company. Hiring a developer and writer is too time consuming, I just want to develop an easy website and edit the content myself, and adjust the design / layout throughout the building process. Nothing is set and stone in terms of the content but I have a very clear idea of what I want in terms of structure and the contents

 

[JohnnyDoe]

WP+Elementor is very easy to use.
But if you want a decent website you should hire a professional, having a crap site will do you more harm than good.

 

[thomasparra]

WP+Elementor is very easy to use.
But if you want a decent website you should hire a professional, having a crap site will do you more harm than good.

Don’t you think I can still build a quality website with elementor? I mean a sleek design website that is not too static. Don’t have to be super dynamic like what you can do on webflow but I would like some element of dynamism.

 

[JohnnyDoe]

I don’t know how skilled you are, but I suspect that if you are asking this the result will not be good. The best thing to do would be to give a sketch (even drawn by hand) to a web designer, he will build the structure and you can then fine adjust it yourself, which is pretty easy to do with Elementor.

 

[thomasparra]

I don’t know how skilled you are, but I suspect that if you are asking this the result will not be good. The best thing to do would be to give a sketch (even drawn by hand) to a web designer, he will build the structure and you can then fine adjust it yourself, which is pretty easy to do with Elementor.

I am very computer literate, and I understand things fast in that sense but I have never developed a website nor know how to code. I should be able to follow an already made template and do basic ajustements though.

 

[JohnnyDoe]

Well you need to decide whether it’s worth to spend 2-3 months to develop your skills and try to build the whole site by yourself, or wait 1 week for a professional to deliver a finished product that you can then easily modify if needed.

 

[saintjohnny]

If this is a serious project and you plan to send traffic, then don't bother with WP/Elementor. It's clunky, relies on heavy JS and will make your website slow and cubersome.

If you want a professional website that will be blazing fast, and won't look different every other day you check (i.e. like Elementor does)... go ahead and hire a UX designer and then a developer to custom code it using HTML/Tailwind CSS / Nuxt etc. That's the only pro solution. The page builders are for amateurs.

 

[thomasparra]

If this is a serious project and you plan to send traffic, then don't bother with WP/Elementor. It's clunky, relies on heavy JS and will make your website slow and cubersome.

If you want a professional website that will be blazing fast, and won't look different every other day you check (i.e. like Elementor does)... go ahead and hire a UX designer and then a developer to custom code it using HTML/Tailwind CSS / Nuxt etc. That's the only pro solution. The page builders are for amateurs.

Most websites I see are WP based, and some Webflow. Most websites in my industry are WP. My previous employer was generating $xxx million in revenue and it was a Webflow website. I don't need anything fancy, I just want a website that looks sleek and runs normally.

For example this website: For Physicians

Nothing crazy, runs decently fast, not many sections/pages. Clean and attractive design. I don't even need the platform (login/signup). I should be able to build something like that in a matter of days with a template, no?

 

[saintjohnny]

Most websites I see are WP based, and some Webflow. Most websites in my industry are WP. My previous employer was generating $xxx million in revenue and it was a Webflow website. I don't need anything fancy, I just want a website that looks sleek and runs normally.

For example this website: For Physicians

Nothing crazy, runs decently fast, not many sections/pages. Clean and attractive design. I don't even need the platform (login/signup). I should be able to build something like that in a matter of days with a template, no?

You can definitely wing it using WP/Webflow.

However, once you try a real custom coded website there's no going back. WP is like flying economy. Webflow is premium economy, and custom code is a lie flat business seat.

In any case, just hire someone. It will be cheaper to pay some peanuts than to invest your high value hours in learning how to do it.

 

[jezza101]

Framer

 

[polonieth]

WordPress with an easy-to-customise theme like Impreza would be my choice. Or hire a dev and get a Generatepress theme made.

Elementor has huge bloat, I'd avoid it. Feature rich sure but I prefer lean sites.

 

[Hyo]

Most websites I see are WP based, and some Webflow. Most websites in my industry are WP. My previous employer was generating $xxx million in revenue and it was a Webflow website. I don't need anything fancy, I just want a website that looks sleek and runs normally.

For example this website: For Physicians

Nothing crazy, runs decently fast, not many sections/pages. Clean and attractive design. I don't even need the platform (login/signup). I should be able to build something like that in a matter of days with a template, no?

I do this for a living. IMHO:

1. why do you need a site?
2. Depending on the answer, hire a pro and do it on Wp. Or do it yourself with wix or another saas.
3. The framework is irrelevant compared to your answer to question n1
4. Focus on the copy and load page speed and you should be fine.
5. Any questions, i’ll be happy to help

 

[Sailorman]

I build Wordpress websites. You may wish to consider the following advice (in addition to Hyo's above which is excellent):

1) If you don't already know something about Wordpress and webhosting, then you are correct that it's not worth your time to build a Wordpress site yourself. I don't know Webflow so cannot comment. Hiring a "UX designer and then a developer to custom code" seems like overkill given your stated criteria. I find page builders frustrating tools to use so I don't. Others may recommend page builders that have worked for them. If you find a good one, that might be a good choice.

2) Whatever tool you select, I suggest that you not build it yourself. Pay someone to build it quickly. Then, if you are computer savvy you can learn to do simple text edits.

3) It will save you time and money if you have all your text written and images selected. It's normal to make a few text edits on the website but try to prepare very high quality text so you are not rewriting the site. Remember, for the web: short sentences and short paragraphs with plenty of subheads. If you want testimonials, start compiling those early because it can take time.

4) Finding images can be a big time sink. They need to be attractive but also you must have rights to use them and give appropriate credit in captions. Re logo: you don't need a fancy one. If you already have a logo, that's fine. The best web logos are wider and not tall (landscape orientation) and not too detailed.

5) Whether you hire someone or build it yourself, it's helpful to identify a couple of websites of businesses in your industry that you like, and to know what you like about each one. A website developer may not know your industry and can gather a lot from good standard sites that illustrate the conventions and perhaps regulatory strictures of the industry.

6) If you end up hiring someone to build a Wordpress site (which may or may not be your best approach), then I like Siteground.com for hosting. They are cheap the first year and costly the second year. They offer decent tech support, user interface, and security. Avoid any web hosting company owned by Endurance International Group (EIG).

Good luck.

 

[melzvy]

mobirise : no code, relatively simple, uploading the site to your cloud account may take a little bit more skills and put cloudflare in front (free plan or paid).

or use chatgpt , it will code it for you..

 

[darkred]

Hard to recommend anything without knowing your budget and priorities. But a few pointers:

- Wordpress: Easy to maintain. Free but you need hosting. Can be slow if you don't know what you are doing. Not a great idea for a 30 page site IMO
- Webflow: Seems ok, includes everything for $14/month. It may be expensive if you don't need to update the site frequently.
- Custom build with Astro/Hugo/etc. For this you need to hire someone but once it's done you forget about it. Hosting is free. Best option if you don't update the site frequently or just small updates and you are saavy enough to make them.