Is a Site Builder Right For You?

Web hosting can be phenomenally complicated.

Many people don’t have the time or inclination to get involved in the technical aspects of hosting.

So is it worth considering a point and click solution – or a site builder?

Site Builder Advantages

Site builders are simple. That’s the main benefit. You can have a functional site up and running within minutes.

The host may also be able to support you more efficiently because everything’s under their control.

Many of the site builders offered by big web hosts are very capable and can produce professional results.

The Cons

The biggest downside of a site builder is the limitation of using a template system.

You’ll also probably be limited to one domain, and perhaps just one email address. There may be a limit on the number of pages you can create.

These limits are normally very low when compared to a shared hosting account.

And if you want to leave, you might find your content is trapped: the only way to shift it is to rebuild it elsewhere.

Making the Decision

Use site builders, or one-click hosts, if you want to get a small, standalone site online as quickly as possible.

For anything more complex, we’d recommend a decent shared hosting account.

If you do go for a site builder, choose a reputable host that offers an easy export function in case you want to swap hosts in the future.Keep up with posts like this by subscribing to our RSS feed, or following @WhoIsHosting on Twitter.