Website Builders: 10 Essential Features to Look for in a Website Builder By James Tredwell on August 27, 2020 If you want to build an online presence for your business, then you’ll need a website. And one of the fast and affordable ways to do that is by having an easy-to-use website builder. Sure, there are website developers and designers available out there. But not everyone can afford to hire one. Not to mention that you’ll also need to shell out some money for web hosting. To figure out just what you need in a website builder here is a list of 10 essential features that you should look for: #1. Ease of use When looking for a website builder, one of the things that you should look for is how easy to use it. Since the point of using such a platform is to have a website up and running even without knowledge in coding. Not to mention that it should not be a hassle to edit your front end. Otherwise, it is time to switch to a new website builder. #2. Customizable templates Although intuitiveness is something that you should expect from a website builder, you also have to consider whether they have a wide selection of templates and themes to choose from. Aside from having an array of templates and themes, you should also see to it that their themes are customizable. That way, it will be easy for you to change how your website looks and functions anytime. What’s the point of being able to build a website with ease if you cannot customize it? You will end up having a website that looks just like everyone else’s. #3. Pre-formatted page layouts It would be best if you also looked for pre-formatted page layouts when choosing your website builder. That’s because it makes things a whole lot easier for you. If you would like to create a web page and unsure of how to get started, a pre-formatted page layout can be a useful guide. That way, you will know how you can best outline and produce your content. #4.Form builder It is common to see an online form on a website. More often than not, this is used to make it easy for site visitors to send their concerns, inquiries, or suggestions to the website owner. That said, your preferred website builder must allow you to create various types of online forms. It is not enough that they have form builders in place. They should also be customizable so that you can create the right form fields depending on your needs. #5. Customization options As you should know by now, customization is what can make your website unique. Since there are likely a lot of people using the same website builder as you, there is a chance that your website’s design will look similar to others if you do not customize it. That said, it is essential that your website can let you change your website’s color scheme, upload your site icon, manage your navigation, as well as tweak the layout of every page on your site. These little things can make your website unique and fit for your brand. #6. Mobile-responsive design When you create a website, you should keep in mind that more and more people are accessing the Internet using their mobile devices. Therefore, your website should look good and functional for both desktop and mobile users. A website builder that has an intuitive mobile-responsive design is something that you should value. #7. Image library A website builder should also have a decent image library since imagery is an integral part of any website. That said, you have to make sure that your website builder offers essential photo editing tools. Doing so can ensure that you are uploading high-quality images only. If you are going to use your website as a portfolio or gallery of your creative work, make sure that it is intuitive and mobile-responsive. #8. Ecommerce solutions If you intend to build an online store for your business, then you will need a website builder that can provide ecommerce solutions. We are not just talking about being able to have an online store where you can upload product images and write product descriptions. It is also vital that your platform is secured, can handle massive traffic, and can provide multiple payment gateways. #9. Social sharing function It is a no-brainer that social media can help boost your business’ online presence. Thus, your website builder must have easy-to-integrate social media features. It can be as simple as being able to add social media buttons on your blog posts! However, it is best to look for a social sharing function that contains the majority of your brand’s social channels. #10. Website analytics To be able to figure out how you can improve your website, you need to have access to your digital analytics data. Therefore if you are looking for a website builder, you should know whether they provide website analytics and how it works. Your website builder should also be able to integrate other analytics services such as Google Analytics. Wrap Up Keep in mind that a website page builder can help simplify your web development and design process. Nonetheless, this list of essential website builder features can help you create a functional website. However, the key here is figuring out what your website’s purpose will be. That way, you will know what features to look for.