The 10 best website builders for your blog

Blogging is more popular than ever, so the time has never been better to start your own. However, getting your dream off the ground can sometimes be a little overwhelming.

Between choosing your blog’s platform, style, and even topic, it’s understandable that the process is often seen as too time consuming and exhausting.

And this is all before you get to the technical nitty gritty behind building your actual site. The good news is that as bloggers have grown in numbers, so have the website building tools available to them.

Just by browsing through search results for website builders, you’re sure to see a broad range of concepts and offers. But how do you know which one is right for you? That’s where our guide can help.

We’ve reviewed the best website builders available online and have chosen the top 10 options for affiliate bloggers – there’s one for every specialty and niche.

WordPress

WordPress is far and away the most popular website builders out there. Currently over 60 million blogs are hosted by WordPress alone. While there are actually two platforms within the WordPress brand, the free option is an obvious choice for those starting out.

The free version is a great way to experiment and fiddle around with design elements. You’ll get a better idea of how your content might look online.

Another huge advantage of WordPress’s omnipotence is that a whole marketplace of plug-ins and tools perfect for affiliate marketers has sprung up around the platform. E-commerce helpers like WooCommerce are great for ensuring your website’s money-making side is working as effectively as it should.

Wix

Wix is one of the most popular website building platforms out there and for good reason – users can expect sleek, clean designs with fantastic customisations. More importantly for bloggers with their eye on earning an income through their content, Wix offers specialised features for affiliate marketers.

While there is the free, basic package, those serious about investing in your blogging passion should consider investing in an upgrade. By paying a little extra, you can take advantage of e-commerce tools, and attach your own custom domain to the page. With over 109 million users, Wix has a well-earned reputation as a reliable and supportive platform for bloggers.

Strikingly

There’s no denying it, mobile-based sales are increasing every year. Imagine this: a reader is checking out your latest post on their phone and decides to click on a link you’ve provided. But it doesn’t work. You’ve lost a potential conversion and probably annoyed your reader, too.

For that reason, bloggers need to make sure the website platform they work with operates with portable devices in mind. Strikingly definitely meets this standard, with their sites and features designed to perform well on any device.

Additionally, affiliate marketers can also take advantage of unique formatting styles that seamlessly integrate banners and other commercial graphics. For people who want to make sure their content shines in mobile view too, Strikingly is a solid choice.

Site123

This platform is just as straightforward as the name suggests. Site123 offers a simple, no-frills process for bloggers looking to get their content online without delay.

Rather than work with a drag-and-drop style of designing, this platform allows users to choose from 1 of 14 pre-designed layouts. From there, you’ll just need to fill in boxes and frames with content to lay the foundation of your design.

While this might not be the ideal choice for designers or anyone looking to customise their page, Site123 is a good way of skipping the more fiddly aspects of formatting and making sure your blog goes live as soon as possible.

Squarespace

On the opposite side of the customisation spectrum lies Squarespace. This platform is a popular choice across the globe and offers incredible localisation tools. However, this kind of flexibility in design and tools comes with a price tag.

While there’s a free trial version, Squarespace does require a monthly or annual subscription fee. The good news is that your site will benefit well from this investment, with Squarespace offering one of the most well-regarded support services, as well as an uptime of 99.95 percent.

MotoCMS

Although a lesser-known name in the field, MotoCMS is an effective website builder that comes with all the add-ons you’ll need for an affiliate marketer’s blog. There’s an intuitive drag-and-drop editing function, as well as custom widgets and SEO support.

Another big plus is the page speed, which will have a great outcome for your page visibility, user experience and click-throughs.

TemplateToaster

This website building tool is actually a bit different in that you’re not required to sign up to a particular hosting service or platform. Instead, you’ll just need to download the Template Toaster software and its accompanying templates.

After choosing your favourite, upload your newly formatted content to your CMS or hosting server.

There are two types of packages available to TemplateToaster users, with both offering round the clock support and system updates. For bloggers that already have a preferred way of doing something and would rather just integrate a website building tool into their existing system, TemplateToaster is the right option for you.

GoDaddy

As one of the world’s top domain hosts, GoDaddy is actually home to over 73 million domain names. However, aside from their hosting services, the platform now offers a content management system to build websites, too. The selection process is straightforward, even with with a selection of thousands of layouts and templates. It’s easy to end up with a polished site in just a few hours.

If you’re still in browsing mode, it’s a great idea to take advantage of their free one-month trial period. You’ll have time to try out a few different things, and see if it’s really the right fit for your blog.

Weebly

Another drag-and-drop website builder is Weebly, but this is a name that’s far more established in the website building market. While there’s a free plan, it’s worth paying a monthly fee to take full advantage of Weebly’s toolkit. Burgeoning bloggers will benefit from features like the easy-access archive and detailed analytics reports.

However, the best highlight is the scheduled publishing function. This can sometimes be a bit fiddly with some blog backends, but Weebly’s interface uses a simplified display to let you choose when to schedule posts. Additionally, the tool uses analytics to guide you on ideal posting times for stronger conversion rates.

Duda

Speed is the name of the game when it comes to Duda. This website builder is simple enough that getting your finished product online takes no time at all. Once online, the consistent optimisation and efficiency updates ensures that your blog loads quickly no matter how much content you’ve uploaded.

As a relative newcomer, Duda isn’t as well-known as other platforms. However, it’s reputation for fast, intuitive design tools is well deserved. If you’re looking for slick, professional templates and comprehensive analytics, Duda is worth checking out.

Which of the best website builders is right for you?

When it comes to choosing a website builder, it’s alway worth testing the product for a few days. Most services offer a probationary period when you can test out the service for free or have the option of requesting a refund. Simply put, the market is too competitive now for you to settle for paying before seeing how well a tool works for you.

As we’ve outlined, some website builders are ideal for those that need the basics, while others have all the bells and whistles required by more design-driven bloggers. Whatever your blogging style, there is a website builder out there to help you make your content dream an (online) reality.