Building an online presence used to be far more challenging than it is today. At one time, this would often involve paying high costs to hire a professional to build your website for you or going to the trouble of learning to code so you could do it yourself.
Now, all you have to do in order to create a great website is to choose from one of the many website builders available today. With click-and-drag features and user-friendly templates, building a website has never been easier.
According to a recent study by Hosting Canada, 75% of small businesses plan to change website-building platforms, with Shopify being their top website builder of choice.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the most popular website builders in Canada, the United States, and worldwide and see how they can help small businesses.
Outside of the United States and Canada, Wix is the world’s most popular website builder overall. For example, it’s the most favored solution in the UK, Portugal, South Korea, Japan, and Turkey. But that doesn’t mean Shopify isn’t popular as well since that was the most searched-for website builder in Australia, the Netherlands, and the UAE. Interestingly, both Shopify and Wix are tied for their popularity in Singapore.
When thinking about the most popular website builders globally, it’s also important to think continentally. For example, WordPress received the highest search volume in most African countries, whereas Wix was most popular in the largest number of South American countries.
One reason for this could be affordability since some website builders cost more than others. The average website budget for small businesses in 2023 is almost $4,600, but this can vary widely by geographic location and business type.
Nevertheless, each province and territory had a favorite website builder according to their online searches. For example, Quebec was associated most with the German website builder IONOS, whereas Ontario seemed to prefer Webflow. But Shopify came out on top as the most popular overall.
But Weebly also had the highest above-average searches by U.S. state. Altogether, 17 U.S. states were more closely linked with Weebly than any other website builder based on the services they searched for online.
So, it’s particularly important for many small businesses to consider the lowest-cost option for building their website and creating an online presence. This is precisely the demographic that Shopify, Wix, and Squarespace were designed to cater to. They do this by offering easy-to-use tools, templates, and other customizable options so users can quickly and affordably build a website that’s easy on the eye and simple to navigate.
Hosting Canada’s research backs this up. They found that almost half of small-business owners (a whopping 47%) say that ease of use is one of the most desirable features of a website builder. They also noted that a good selection of templates and customizable options were essential as well.
Alternatively, business owners want a website that links to their social media accounts to help promote their services. They want their businesses to be easy to find online, and they value the ability to market all their offerings in one place. So, it’s no surprise that social share features and SEO features are also ranked as important by the business leaders who Hosting Canada surveyed as part of their study.
Clearly, website builders are in high demand because they provide a simple and cost-effective way to build and customize a website, all while connecting companies to their customers through their social media accounts and search engines.
People looking to use website builders to establish or improve their online presence are most in need of cost-effective options. They want to build websites that buck the trends of the old-fashioned, expensive ways of creating a presence for their businesses online. If you’re looking for a platform to build your website, it would be a good idea to consider these factors when weighing your options.
Read next: 70 percent of Americans believe websites will be replaced by apps in the next 10 years
Now, all you have to do in order to create a great website is to choose from one of the many website builders available today. With click-and-drag features and user-friendly templates, building a website has never been easier.
According to a recent study by Hosting Canada, 75% of small businesses plan to change website-building platforms, with Shopify being their top website builder of choice.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the most popular website builders in Canada, the United States, and worldwide and see how they can help small businesses.
Website Builders Around The World
Small businesses everywhere are using website builders to connect with their global customers. But many are choosing a different solution than the top website builder that North America chose.
Outside of the United States and Canada, Wix is the world’s most popular website builder overall. For example, it’s the most favored solution in the UK, Portugal, South Korea, Japan, and Turkey. But that doesn’t mean Shopify isn’t popular as well since that was the most searched-for website builder in Australia, the Netherlands, and the UAE. Interestingly, both Shopify and Wix are tied for their popularity in Singapore.
When thinking about the most popular website builders globally, it’s also important to think continentally. For example, WordPress received the highest search volume in most African countries, whereas Wix was most popular in the largest number of South American countries.
One reason for this could be affordability since some website builders cost more than others. The average website budget for small businesses in 2023 is almost $4,600, but this can vary widely by geographic location and business type.
A Connected Canada
As you might expect, Canada has many small businesses and digital entrepreneurs that want to succeed in global e-commerce. According to Hosting Canada, the three most popular website-building platforms (based on online search volume) are:- Shopify
- Wix
- Squarespace
Nevertheless, each province and territory had a favorite website builder according to their online searches. For example, Quebec was associated most with the German website builder IONOS, whereas Ontario seemed to prefer Webflow. But Shopify came out on top as the most popular overall.
Website Builders In The United States: A Different Story?
The United States and Canada are close partners, and the services that are available (especially online) don’t differ all that much. In fact, the top four website builders in the United States were exactly the same as those chosen by respondents in Canada. But Wix is catching up with Shopify in the United States, where it was in the top three most searched website-building platforms in every state. Squarespace wasn’t far behind since it was among the top three searches in 48 states.
But Weebly also had the highest above-average searches by U.S. state. Altogether, 17 U.S. states were more closely linked with Weebly than any other website builder based on the services they searched for online.
What Are The Benefits of Using a Builder For Your Website?
Wherever you are in the world, cost significantly influences what you can afford to spend on your business. Just because a company does business online doesn’t mean their online operating costs are the only ones they’re paying for. They often need to factor in production, materials, storage costs, customs fees, and postage, too (especially if they ship goods).So, it’s particularly important for many small businesses to consider the lowest-cost option for building their website and creating an online presence. This is precisely the demographic that Shopify, Wix, and Squarespace were designed to cater to. They do this by offering easy-to-use tools, templates, and other customizable options so users can quickly and affordably build a website that’s easy on the eye and simple to navigate.
Hosting Canada’s research backs this up. They found that almost half of small-business owners (a whopping 47%) say that ease of use is one of the most desirable features of a website builder. They also noted that a good selection of templates and customizable options were essential as well.
Alternatively, business owners want a website that links to their social media accounts to help promote their services. They want their businesses to be easy to find online, and they value the ability to market all their offerings in one place. So, it’s no surprise that social share features and SEO features are also ranked as important by the business leaders who Hosting Canada surveyed as part of their study.
Clearly, website builders are in high demand because they provide a simple and cost-effective way to build and customize a website, all while connecting companies to their customers through their social media accounts and search engines.
Building Websites For The World
As we’ve seen, website builders are used globally to increase small business footprints around the world. They open doors to new customers everywhere and are energized by the soaring growth of e-commerce. The most popular website builder solution varies by country and region and may also be impacted by familiarity and cost.People looking to use website builders to establish or improve their online presence are most in need of cost-effective options. They want to build websites that buck the trends of the old-fashioned, expensive ways of creating a presence for their businesses online. If you’re looking for a platform to build your website, it would be a good idea to consider these factors when weighing your options.
Read next: 70 percent of Americans believe websites will be replaced by apps in the next 10 years
