Introduction
Creating a professional website used to require hiring expensive web developers and designers, but thankfully times have changed. Now anyone can build a stunning website in minutes with user-friendly DIY site builders like Unicorn Platform. These drag and drop website creators and landing page builders allow startups, small businesses, bloggers, and non-technical users to easily create customized sites that match their vision without needing to code.
Site builders provide hundreds of professional templates, intuitive editing tools, and powerful features to build marketing sites, online stores, blogs, directories, communities, and more. Compared to hiring a developer which can cost upwards of $10,000, site builders are significantly faster, easier, and more affordable with prices starting at just $8/month. With their pre-designed templates and customizable elements you can quickly launch a high-quality site tailored to your brand in a few days rather than weeks or months.
Overview of Key Site Builder Benefits
The key advantages of using a DIY site builder like Unicorn Platform include:
- Speed - Launch a complete website in a few hours or days rather than the weeks or months it takes with custom development. For example, users have created beautiful sites in a single weekend with Unicorn Platform.
- Ease of use - Intuitive drag and drop editors require no coding or design expertise. Step-by-step guidance and detailed docs help you build your site visually.
- Affordability - A fraction of the cost of hiring a developer and designer, with prices starting at just $8/month. Far more budget-friendly for startups.
- Customization - Personalize the design with custom themes, templates, fonts, layouts, widgets and more.
- Scalability - Easily add pages, blogs, stores, etc. as your business grows.
- Support - 24/7 customer service via chat, email, phone if you need help building your site.
Types of Sites You Can Build
With a versatile site builder like Unicorn Platform, you can create virtually any type of website such as:
- Websites - Marketing sites, portfolios, informational sites like https://www.unicornsite.com
- Blogs - Share your ideas, stories, tutorials, product reviews like https://unicornblog.com
- Ecommerce - Online stores to sell physical or digital products like https://unicornstore.com.
- Listings - Directories and listings sites like https://unicorndirectory.com.
- Communities - Build forums, social networks, membership sites like https://unicornmembers.com.
The possibilities are endless when using a robust DIY site builder like Unicorn Platform.
Key Factors When Choosing a Site Builder
When researching site builders, keep these key criteria in mind:
Ease of Use
Look for an intuitive drag and drop editor that lets you build sites visually without coding. Key indicators of ease of use include:
- Intuitive drag and drop editor to visually design pages.
- Requires no coding or design expertise to build sites. Unicorn Platform has an easy learning curve for beginners.
- Step-by-step guidance and tips provide a guided tour as you build your site.
- Mobile app to manage your site and make edits on the go.
- 100+ help articles and video tutorials make learning easy.
- 24/7 customer support via chat, email, phone if you need assistance.
Design Customization
Evaluate the design flexibility based on templates, themes, widgets, and editing options:
- 250+ professional templates for any industry ensure a perfect starting point.
- Customize colors, fonts, layouts, and code with just clicks. Global design changes are easy.
- 1000+ drag and drop content elements to add to pages like galleries, contact forms, etc.
- Photo galleries, sliders, animations, popups, etc. make sites interactive.
- Integrate third-party apps like Stripe and embed YouTube videos.
- Unicorn Platform offers maximum design flexibility without needing to code.
Marketing & Analytics
Ensure the site builder has built-in SEO and analytics capabilities:
- SEO tools like metadata editor, SEO-friendly themes, and XML sitemaps.
- Integrate top email services like MailChimp and analytics platforms.
- Popups, opt-ins, and lead gen forms help capture more conversions.
- Manage marketing campaigns right from your Unicorn Platform dashboard.
- Track visitors, leads, sales with Google Analytics integration.
- A/B test landing pages to optimize conversions.
<p> If you're looking for an easy-to-use website builder with powerful marketing features, <a href="https://unicornplatform.com"><b>check out Unicorn Platform's free trial.</b></a> </p>
Key Website Features to Evaluate
In addition to the builder itself, examine the built-in features available:
Content Management
Managing and updating your content over time is critical:
- Blog platform makes publishing content or news simple.
- Contact forms help you capture more leads and inquiries.
- Photo galleries, sliders, animations bring visuals to life.
- Events calendars and management keep visitors informed.
- Email marketing integrations like MailChimp help build your list.
- Drag and drop content elements onto pages to customize layouts.
- User roles let you collaborate with others on content.
Ecommerce Capabilities
If selling products, ensure robust ecommerce functionality:
- Shopping carts and Stripe integration for easy checkout.
- Inventory management tracks product variations and quantity.
- Coupon codes, promotions and volume discounts drive sales.
- Multiple shipping options with live rate calculation at checkout.
- Automatic tax calculation provides accuracy and convenience.
- Order tracking dashboard provides transparency for customers.
Marketing and SEO
Optimize your site for search and conversions with:
- Email marketing integration with MailChimp, Constant Contact, etc.
- Popups, banners, and opt-ins help generate more leads.
- A/B and multivariate testing tools provide insight.
- Built-in SEO tools like metadata editor and XML sitemap improve search visibility.
- Google Analytics integration gives you key visitor insights.
- Social media automation improves reach and engagement.
Top 5 Site Builders Compared
Here is how the top DIY site builder options compare based on key factors:
Unicorn Platform
- Extremely easy drag and drop editor perfect for beginners.
- 250+ versatile templates for any industry.
- Robust features like blogs, contact forms, and galleries.
- 24/7 support and amazing documentation.
- Very affordable plans starting at just $8/month.
Wix
- Easy editor but sometimes buggy.
- 500+ templates but some look outdated.
- Decent features but expensive upgrades.
- Phone support only on high-end plans.
- Expensive plans around $20+/month.
Squarespace
- Sleek designer templates but limited customization.
- Powerful features but not beginner friendly.
- Lack of support and high learning curve.
- Very expensive plans starting at $26/month.
- Extra transaction fees on top of monthly costs.
Weebly
- Simple editor but functionality is limited.
- Fewer than 100 template options.
- Very lightweight on features and integrations.
- Phone support only on expensive plans.
- Competitive pricing but lack of capabilities.
Webflow
- Steep learning curve and coding required.
- Minimal templates focused on custom dev.
- Robust for developers but not beginners.
- Lack of support for non-developers.
- Expensive plans starting at $24/month.
Conclusion and Key Takeaways
In summary, using a DIY website builder like Unicorn Platform makes launching a professional site incredibly fast, easy, and affordable compared to hiring developers. Their pre-designed templates, drag and drop editor, and robust features empower anyone to build the website of their dreams.
I recommend evaluating all the top options, but highlight Unicorn Platform as the best choice for non-technical users based on simplicity, features, and affordable pricing. <a href="https://unicornplatform.com"><b>Try Unicorn Platform's free trial</b></a> to experience the platform firsthand.
The goal of this article was to equip you with the knowledge to confidently choose the ideal site builder for your unique needs and goals. With these user-friendly DIY tools, you can stop dreaming and start building your perfect website today!
