Introduction to Website Builders
A website builder is a powerful tool that enables anyone to create a professional website without needing to know how to code. For startups and SaaS companies looking to establish an online presence quickly, website builders provide an accessible way to launch and iterate on their websites as their business grows.
With an intuitive drag-and-drop editor, themes, templates, and built-in features, site builders make it easy to customize the design, content, and functionality of your website. This allows startups to get up and running with a professionally designed website in just days or weeks, not months.
Compared to hiring a developer and coding a custom site from scratch, the benefits of using a website builder for startups and SaaS businesses include:
- Launching 3-4x faster, allowing you to start attracting traffic and leads sooner
- Requiring no technical or coding skills, opening website creation to all team members
- Costing significantly less than custom development, improving ROI
- Providing easy editing as your offerings evolve post-launch
With a website builder tailored to startups like Unicorn Platform, you can quickly establish the polished online presence needed to engage modern customers and drive growth. Useful for both marketing sites and launching online stores, site builders empower any startup to turn their vision into reality online.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll review the key features to look for in a website builder, comparisons of top options, and factors to weigh when selecting the best fit for your startup or SaaS business specifically.
6 Must-Have Features in a Website Builder
When evaluating website builders for your startup, look for these core features:
1. Intuitive Drag-and-Drop Editor
The editor is where you’ll build and customize pages, so it must be intuitive and easy-to-use. Prioritize these capabilities:
- Rearranging sections by dragging and dropping
- Inline editing so you can update text live
- Media libraries for managing images and videos
- Customizable layouts using flexible blocks
Unicorn Platform simplifies website creation through its modular editor that lets you rapidly assemble layouts.
2. Responsive Mobile Design
With mobile usage surpassing desktop, a responsive design is essential, allowing your site to adapt seamlessly across device sizes. Using a columnar layout, website content can dynamically optimize for desktop, tablet, and mobile viewing.
Unicorn Platform websites are automatically responsive and mobile-friendly.
3. Built-In Ecommerce Features
For startups and SaaS companies selling products or services online, having integrated ecommerce capabilities is crucial. Look for features like:
- Shopping carts and checkout processes
- Payment processing integrations and gateways
- Inventory and order management
- Coupons, promotions, and discounts
Unicorn Platform offers seamless integration with payment systems like Stripe to enable frictionless transactions.
4. Design Customization Options
While pre-made templates provide a starting point, you’ll want to customize the design to match your brand. Prioritize builders allowing you to:
- Modify colors, fonts, and styles
- Upload custom logos and images
- Animate elements like hover effects
- Arrange flexible layouts and blocks
Unicorn Platform delivers pixel-perfect design flexibility to create a unique style.
5. Built-In SEO Optimizations
Your site needs search engine optimizations to rank highly and drive traffic. Look for builders that handle technical SEO with:
- Search-friendly page titles, URLs, alt text
- Automatic sitemaps and metadata generation
- Integrated blogging and content creation
Unicorn Platform builds in essential SEO like meta descriptions and keywords.
6. Lead Generation Capabilities
Converting website visitors into leads is crucial for growth. Look for forms, email marketing, and analytics integrations to capture and nurture leads.
Unicorn Platform makes it easy to generate leads with built-in forms, email capture, and newsletters.
Reviews of the Top 7 Website Builders
With an overview of key features for startups and SaaS companies, let’s explore some of the top website builder options:
Wix
- 500k+ templates suit any industry
- Robust design customization capabilities
- Add bolted-on SEO enhancements
- Transaction fees for ecommerce
- Ideal for creative sites like portfolios
- Downside is higher long term costs
Squarespace
- Gorgeous designer templates for ecommerce sites
- Built-in commerce features like transactions
- Some limits on custom coding access
- Better suited for online stores over blogs
- Significantly higher monthly costs
Webflow
- Maximum design flexibility if you know CSS
- Deeper access to code than competitors
- Steep learning curve for non-developers
- Ideal for web designers building advanced sites
- Challenging for business beginners
Shopify
- Purpose-built for high-volume ecommerce stores
- Affordable pricing plans scale as you grow
- Robust integrations with marketing apps
- Limited built-in blogging and content options
- Perfect for focused online retail businesses
WordPress
- Open source platform with large developer community
- Highly customizable with vast plugin extensions
- Can be tricky for beginners to master
- Better suited for bloggers and publishers vs ecommerce
- Security risks without proper hardening
Unicorn Platform
- Intuitive drag-and-drop website editor
- Sites are mobile responsive out of the box
- Built-in SEO optimizations like metadata
- Generate leads with integrated forms
- Media library and blog integration
- Affordable pricing tailored for lean startups
- Lesser-known platform but ideal for beginners
Let's explore key considerations to select the best website builder for your specific startup or SaaS business.
6 Key Factors When Choosing a Website Builder
With an understanding of features and top options, keep these critical factors in mind when choosing a website builder:
Align with Primary Goal
Select a builder tailored to your main objective - whether that be launching a startup landing page, an online store, a blog, etc.
For example, Shopify is built for ecommerce vs Squarespace optimizes for portfolios. Choose the best foundation for your needs.
Evaluate True Costs
Look beyond short term promos to understand long term costs. Monthly fees, transaction fees, and upgrade charges add up over time.
Minimize unnecessary premium features to control costs. Unicorn Platform offers affordable pricing scaled for lean startups.
Assess Learning Curve
Match the builder’s editor complexity to your team’s skill level. If you're non-technical, choose an intuitive drag-and-drop system like Unicorn Platform over a code-focused option.
Understand Design Limits
Some builders offer greater customization capabilities vs others with stricter design constraints.
For example, Webflow provides more open-ended design flexibility vs Squarespace’s structured templates.
Consider Scalability
Assess if the builder can expand with your startup long-term across multiple sites, higher traffic, and global reach.
Unicorn Platform scales sites seamlessly from initial launch to growth stages.
Research the Community
An active user community provides helpful resources for learning plus documentation and support.
While lesser known, Unicorn Platform offers personalized customer support and an online knowledge base.
Start Building Your Website Today
By now you should have a clear understanding of what to look for in a website builder tailored to startups and SaaS companies. From editor interface to built-in ecommerce features, selecting the right platform is key to launching quickly and scaling growth online.
Unicorn Platform's easy-to-use drag-and-drop editor, responsive designs, and affordable pricing plans provide an optimal starting point specifically for startups.
Explore Unicorn Platform today to start building the beautiful, functional website your startup needs to accelerate growth. With Unicorn Platform, you can turn your vision into reality online faster than ever before.
