What Is The Cheapest Website Builder For Small Business {Which is Best For You?}

Introduction

Having an online presence is crucial for any small business in 2023 to tap into wider markets. However, hiring web developers to build customized sites tends to be expensive. This is where DIY website builders come to the rescue! Offering intuitive drag-and-drop site creation capabilities affordable for any budget, they empower entrepreneurs to establish robust online stores and portfolios sans big development costs.

This article explores top options for the cheapest website builder tailored specifically for small business owners on tight budgets below $100 annually.

VIDEO TUTORIAL

Wix – Best Overall Value

Trusted by over 200 million sites globally, Wix remains the industry leader for cheap website builder plans packed with well-rounded features beneficial for small businesses. Pricing starts at just $14 per month for:

• 100s of professional templates across niches
• Free secure hosting on fast infrastructure
• Easy drag & drop site editor needs no coding skills
• Integrated SEO tools for improved search visibility
•  Photo galleries, blogs, forms, and lead gen capabilities
• Mobile site responsiveness for all devices
• 500MB storage and unlimited bandwidth
• Free domain connectivity for 1 year

For all-in capabilities benefiting online stores and creative agencies alike, Wix gives excellent value in helping small teams establish robust web presence quickly without big spending.

WordPress + Hosting – Open Source Flexibility

The free, open-source WordPress CMS coupled with affordable hosting plans starts around $2.75 per month. While requiring more website management effort than Wix, WordPress offers:

• 4000+ themes and plugins.
• Bring your own domain connectivity.
• Easy content creation and updates
• Vast 3rd party integration ecosystem
• More customization flexibility for developers
• Scales from basic brochure sites to online stores

If seeking code access and modular scale in phases, then WordPress paired with low-cost shared hosting merits strong consideration despite slightly more complexity in managing dependencies and updates compared to all-in-one site builders.

Shopify Lite – Lean Commerce Focus

Seeking to specifically launch no-frills online stores on tight budgets? Shopify Lite plan costs just $9 per month with:

• Sell products and collect payments immediately
• Securely embed store on existing sites made elsewhere
• Sync inventory automatically across sales channels
• Leverage discounted shipping rates
• Pay only applicable transaction fees per sale - no hidden charges

So for very lean, commerce-focused projects, Shopify Lite removes unnecessary features helping cost-conscious retailers enable basic selling quickly.

Conclusion

Small businesses can leverage intuitive website builders like Wix costing less than $15 monthly for a robust, professional online presence instead of paying thousands for custom development. WordPress offers open-source flexibility if seeking gradual modular growth. And Shopify Lite focuses purely on core commerce abilities. Determine must-have features, growth plans, and skill sets early when choosing the cheapest website builder matching needs without overpaying.