Easy Website Builders for Beginners – a 2022 Guide

Jimdo – Easiest website builder to use

Jimdo is an easy to use service without a doubt. That said, the features leave a lot to be desired, both on the range of functionality each feature offers and in the fact that a few features are missing entirely. There's no option for blogging websites, and there's no app store.

So why is the service ranked so highly on this page? Well, if you're looking for simple and easy to use, Jimdo definitely fit the bill.

Is Jimdo easy to use?

Jimdo is a great website builder if ease of use is your biggest concern. It scored a 4.4 out of 5 in our ease-of-use product testing, which means Jimdo ties with Wix as the easiest website builder on the market when it comes to both the initial learning curve and long-term usability.

The service will hold the user's hand throughout the entire process of website creation. Like Wix, the tools it offers include an ADI functionality, which gives users a AI assist with their website design. There's also a dedicated mobile editor, an easy tool users can use to see how their website will look on a mobile device.

Given Jimdo's lackluster performance in other categories like features and SEO, we don't rate the service very high overall, particularly when compared to Wix. But when it comes to ease of use, you definitely won't be disappointed by Jimdo.

GoDaddy – Best for quick set up

GoDaddy is a big name in the world of website development, and perhaps best known for its website hosting and 24/7 on-the-phone support.

A few years ago, GoDaddy wasn't even near our top pick website builder on the market. However, since then we've noticed considerable improvements to the product, and we appreciate how it's noticeably improved its design control and feature set, with better and more customizable templates available.

Is GoDaddy easy to use?

GoDaddy has had a few drawbacks in previous years, but the brand has come a long way when it comes to offering an easy-to-use website builder. These days, it has arguably one of the best AI-powered website builders out there. As a user, you simply answer a few questions about what type of website you're looking to build, and in a few simple steps, it creates a slick-looking draft website for you.

Such a tool isn't unique to GoDaddy – most of the brands on this list have an ADI of their own. however, GoDaddy's is impressively intuitive and will feel effortless to first-timers.

GoDaddy's page editor lets users add elements to the page by clicking a big plus button in order to pull up a list of options to add which are tailored to the type of site you're trying to build. Design flexibility still isn't as great as with Wix, but it's simple to build a site with GoDaddy. For example, block elements are fairly restricted, so users won't be able to resize or move image blocks beyond certain parameters.

GoDaddy's website builder is completely focused on building websites for businesses and online stores — to the point that it makes no sense to try and build a different type of site. GoDaddy's focus on these types of sites makes it a good potential option for small businesses and earns it a 4.1 Tech.co test score for ease of use.

Zyro – Best low cost option

Zyro‘s website builder tool is cheaper than Wix, but it comes with fewer features and abilities as well. In short, this is a just-the-basics website builder for users who need a simple site that's quick and won't break the bank. And there's nothing wrong with that!

Zyro's limited functionality isn't the same thing as not having any features at all – Zyro actually has a small group of unique functions that might attract users and won't be found on any of the other options we list here. So what are they?

First, there's an AI writer, which will auto-populate written content for your website — you'll definitely want to give it a fact-check after generating it, in order to catch any inconsistencies, but this tool means that you'll be able to craft engaging writing far faster than you otherwise could.

Another unique perk is the Zyro logo maker, which can help users create their own logo branding for a new storefront. The results are similar to the AI writer tool, but with visual flair. Finally, there's a heatmap analytics feature, which lets Zyro's users figure out what pages draw more website visitors, and how interested those visitors are in hanging around.

Is Zyro easy to use?

Zyro's greatest weakness could be its greatest strength – the service's reduced functionality in comparison to big website builders like Wix and Squarespace does make it easier to use. Users can build a website faster and quicker when their options are more limited.

Check out our Zyro vs Wix comparison guide for more info

If that sounds like damning the site with faint praise, we can also confirm that Zyro's interface is also easy on newbies, with a grid-style layout that our researchers found comprehensive and usable.

There is one ease-of-use issue that we have to ding Zyro for, though: There's no onboarding process, which would have gone a long way towards reducing intimidation as a new user settles into understanding the website builder and how it works.

One extra perk for saving money with the already low-priced service: Use the code “TECH” to save up to 71% and get online for just a few dollars per month. And, if you're getting an annual plan, you might be eligible for an extra four months free hosting, a free SSL certificate, three months of free business email, and a domain all thrown in for free.

1&1 IONOS – Best for multilingual websites

1&1 IONOS is a bit of a mixed bag, with some features that may feel perfectly easy for beginners and others that will please more advanced users. However, its templates aren't the most up-to-date on the market and its blogging interface leaves a lot to be desired. The server response time was the quickest in our testing, so your website will be very responsive. Marketing features are sparse, though, with no pop-up support or any social media feed collections.

Is 1&1 IONOS easy to use?

Generally, 1&1 is a website builder that has something for everyone, whether you're a first-timer or you're more comfortable with website coding.

It has some good features, including an in-depth page editor and easy-to-access HTML and CSS code. 1&1 IONOS also makes it really easy to create a multilingual website – this is something that not all website builders do, so it can be really useful if your business operates in multiple countries, for example.

1&1's editor lends you a lot of control over the design of individual pages. You can element colors, padding, and even using videos or images for backgrounds for text boxes.

However, 1&1 IONOS' templates are pretty dated. The editor will help you abate some of the tired designs but you can only get so far — if you don't feel confident attempting a complete overhaul of your website template, we'd look to Wix or Squarespace.

How We Rated the Best Website Builders for Beginners

As we mentioned above, our research and reviewing are completely independent and impartial. We base our ratings on a mix of subjective user trials and objective comparisons between the different website builders.

For this list of the easiest website builders, we gave slightly more weighting and influence to the “ease of use” category score, meaning the ranking of this list gives the fairest appraisal of which are the easiest web builders to use and, therefore, are the best for beginners specifically.

Ease of use

For starters, when looking at the ease of use factor for each website builder, users are given a set of instructions to create a website.

Once finished, the users rate the builders on how easy it was to complete each instruction – and whether they had to reach for the support pages. The users are a mix of website builder novices and seasoned veterans, which makes our ratings balanced and comprehensive.

Features

When it comes to comparing the features offered by each website builder, our research team conduct exhaustive desk research to construct a feature map for each builder. This allows for objective, side-by-side comparisons of the number of features.

Based on this user testing, we can also assess the relative quality of the features available on each website builder — for example, most website builders offer app marketplaces and integration, but that doesn't mean they're equally good.

Customer support

Another key element of a good software service is great customer support.

Support details we looked for with each website builder included whether or not support is available via email, phone, live chat, or online help guides and videos. We also looked at if the support was 24/7 or during set business hours.

Ranking

Every function is ranked on a scale of 1 to 10, along with factors like pricing flexibility, the number and breadth of customer service options, and our findings on the ease of use. Once we have a final number, we condense it down to a five-star rating — you can find our rating for each website builder in the table at the top of this article.

While some aspects of each review will always be subjective and based on our reviewers' opinions, the end result of our ranking system is a fair comparison between how each service stacks up to the rest.

Building a Website For the First Time: What Beginners Need to Know

When you come to building your first ever website, you should remember these five key things:

• Pick your name, purpose, and theme ahead of time – It may sound fun, but you don't want to start building your website before you're ready. Take some time to think about what you want, how you want it to look, and what you want it to do before you build a website
• Use a website builder – They're cheaper than web developers, and give you a website you know how to use. We like Wix, due to its prices, range of features, and ease of use. See how it ranks against rivals in our website builder comparison table.
• Think about your audience – Consider the people you want to visit your site, and what they should do once they're there. It will help you make informed decisions in the decision and creation process.
• Don't be intimidated – Most website builders offer loads of help and support options, so you'll be able to fix any problems that might come your way.
• Build happy – This is your site, your portal to the entire internet, so make it fun!

It can be tricky to know where to start when it comes to building a website – particularly if you've never done it before. In the following sections, we're going to answer all the questions you might have when starting out.

How to make your own website for the first time

Before you do anything, you’ll have to pick a website builder to build your site with. We’re generally big fans of Wix here at Tech.co — it’s super easy to use while allowing you loads of creative control. However, some website builders, such as Jimdo and GoDaddy, make the initial construction of your website ludicrously simple — although they do rob you of some customization and feature editing capabilities.

Once you’ve picked your website builder, you’ll have to choose from their selection of website templates. These give you a rough guide, almost like a blueprint for your site, so you’ll be able to make your website unique without having to start from scratch.

Indeed, making your website unique is generally pretty painless. It’s almost like editing a PowerPoint presentation – in fact, most website builders use drag-and-drop editors which allow you to plonk text, images, and more exactly where you want them.

If you think this website’s design (below) looks like it might be out of your league, you’ll be pleased to know it’s only a few clicks away! It was one of Wix’s 500+ template options, and if, for example, the orange background isn’t quite to your liking, you can completely reconfigure the design. If you’re planning on using this website for an existing business, you can also upload any logos or adapt designs to fit your current branding.

When you’re happy with your template and have adapted it to suit your needs and look the way you want it to, it’s always worth previewing it before you publish – just to make sure everything is looking correct!

Read our 5 Step Guide to Creating Your First Website

How much does it cost to create a website?

Probably less than you think. Most website builders have packages that start at around $5 per month, with the most expensive packages costing between $25-40 per month. Naturally, the more you pay, the more features you’ll have access to.

While the cheapest packages will allow you to create a viable website, the most popular packages generally sit around the $8-15 per month mark. These will free your site from the website builder’s own branding, allow you access to features like analytics tracking and even ecommerce functions. If you want to create a really top-drawer website – whether to improve your business, grow your blog, or get your name out there – you’ll likely need these features.

With the $30+ per month packages, it’s generally not worth fretting about the features you might be missing out on. These packages give you access to really high-end features, such as currency conversion for international product shipping, or even the chance to have your site reviewed by a web design professional.

Free websites

Should you want to, you can even create a website without paying a penny. A lot of website builders — including Wix — offer free trials, so you can have a play around with the builder before committing to a monthly outlay.

It’s not all good news with a free site, however. When it comes to publishing it, you’ll likely have to put up with ads from your website builder of choice along the side, which won’t make your site look as professional. You’ll also be missing out on some really useful features which could make your website better for your users, help make you more money, or give you more exposure.

And since studies show that 49% of customers have left a brand due to poor customer experience in the last year, a good site will more than atone for its cost.

Read more – 5 Reasons You Should Never Make a Website for Free

Should you pay for a website developer or use an easy website builder?

We don’t want to say that you shouldn’t, under any circumstances, pay for someone to build your website for you. However, we are struggling to think of situations where it would be better to opt for a website developer ahead of a good website builder tool.

Nowadays, website builders allow ordinary people, like you and me, to create world-class websites in a way that simply wouldn’t have been possible 10-15 years ago.

Moreover, website builders are almost always cheaper than opting for a website developer. You won’t have to pay a large deposit upfront, nor will you have to pay an excessive monthly or yearly retainer on a contract that could span multiple years. Instead, you’ll have complete control of your payment options on a month-to-month basis, which can be turned on or off as and when you feel like it.

You won’t be beholden to the scheduling and workflow of your developer, either. If something breaks, you won’t need to raise a ticket to get it fixed – you, and we mean you (you built the site, after all), can fix it as soon as you spot it. You’ll also be able to update or change the site whenever you feel like it or add functionality quickly as your site grows.

One downside, though, is that using a website builder will require slightly more of your time. Got more money than time? Hiring a website developer could be right for you. But, by creating the site yourself, you will be able to make the exact site you want, rather than a developer’s approximation of your requests. And, you never know, you might even enjoy it.

Read more – How Much Does a Website Designer Cost?

Frequently Asked Questions