What is the best website builder for a small business in the UK?
There isn’t one winner for everyone. The best builder depends on four things: your budget, your time, how much you want to grow, and how important Google rankings are to your business. Here’s how the main options compare.
| Builder | Best for | Ease of use | SEO flexibility | Ownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WordPress (self-hosted) | Service businesses that want to grow and rank | Moderate | Excellent | You own everything |
| Wix | DIY beginners who want speed | Very easy | Good for basics | Tied to Wix |
| Squarespace | Salons, cafés, photographers, design-led brands | Easy | Good for basics | Tied to Squarespace |
| GoDaddy Website Builder | Very simple one-page sites | Very easy | Limited | Tied to GoDaddy |
| Shopify | Online shops selling products | Easy | Good | Tied to Shopify |
Wix vs WordPress: which is better for a small business?
This is the most common question we’re asked. Here’s the short version.
Choose Wix if you want to build a simple site yourself this weekend, you have a small number of pages, and you don’t expect to need custom features. Wix handles hosting, security and updates for you.
Choose WordPress if you want to rank for lots of services and towns, add features over time, or keep full control. WordPress powers a huge share of the web, and you can move your site to any host. You’ll need hosting, a theme and some upkeep, or someone to manage it for you.
Is Wix or WordPress better for SEO?
Both can rank. Google doesn’t favour one platform. The difference is flexibility. WordPress, with a plugin like Rank Math or Yoast, gives you fine control over page titles, schema, redirects, site structure and speed. Wix covers the essentials well but limits how far you can go. For a business that wants to rank in many towns, WordPress usually wins. For a one-location business with a few pages, Wix is fine.
Squarespace: who is it good for?
Squarespace is known for polished, design-led templates. It suits businesses where visuals sell: hair and beauty salons, restaurants, photographers and interior designers. Booking and simple online shop features are available. The trade-off is less flexibility than WordPress, and you’re tied to the platform. If you run a salon, see our salon marketing ideas for how your website fits into the bigger picture.
Shopify: when should you use it?
Use Shopify if selling physical products online is the core of your business. It handles payments, stock, shipping and taxes well. For service businesses such as trades, clinics or consultants, Shopify is usually the wrong tool.
How much does a website builder cost in the UK?
Builder plans are paid monthly or yearly, and prices change often, so check the current UK price on each provider’s site before you buy. As a guide:
- Wix has several paid plans (Light, Core, Business and Business Elite). You need a paid plan to use your own domain and remove Wix branding.
- Squarespace offers Basic, Core, Plus and Advanced plans, with discounts for paying yearly.
- WordPress software is free, but you pay for hosting, a domain, and often a premium theme or plugins.
- Shopify charges a monthly plan plus card payment fees.
Remember the hidden cost: your time. A DIY site that takes 40 hours and doesn’t bring enquiries can cost more than paying a professional. Our full guide to how much a website costs in the UK breaks down DIY, freelancer and agency prices.
Want a website that brings in enquiries?
We build fast, mobile-friendly websites for UK local businesses, set up for Google and AI search from day one.
Are free website builders any good for a business?
Free plans are fine for testing an idea, but not for a real business. They usually show the builder’s adverts, use a subdomain like yourname.wixsite.com, and limit features. Customers trust a proper domain more, and a free subdomain looks unprofessional on a van, invoice or Google Business Profile.
What should a small business website include, whatever the builder?
The platform matters less than what’s on the site. Whatever you choose, make sure you have:
- A clear headline saying what you do and where.
- A separate page for each main service.
- Pages for the main towns you cover, if you travel to customers.
- Your phone number and a contact form on every page.
- Reviews and real photos of your work.
- Fast loading on mobile. See our Core Web Vitals guide.
- Clear answers to common questions, which helps you show up in AI tools. Read how to write content AI tools quote.
Website builder or web designer: which should you choose?
Use a website builder if you have more time than budget, need a simple site, and are happy to learn. Hire a web designer if your website needs to generate leads, you want to rank in Google across several areas, or your time is better spent running the business. A good designer will also handle SEO basics, speed and tracking, which DIY sites often miss.
If you already have a site that isn’t working, our guide to website redesign explains when a rebuild makes sense.
Frequently asked questions
What is the easiest website builder for a small business?
Wix is generally the easiest website builder for beginners, with drag-and-drop editing and hosting included. Squarespace is also easy and has stylish templates, but offers slightly less freedom in layout.
Is WordPress better than Wix for a small business?
WordPress is better for small businesses that want to grow, rank for many services or towns and keep full ownership. Wix is better for owners who want a simple site they can build quickly without technical upkeep.
Can I move my website from Wix to WordPress later?
Yes, but it isn’t automatic. Pages need rebuilding and redirects setting up so you don’t lose Google rankings. It’s usually easier to choose the right platform at the start.
Which website builder is best for SEO?
Self-hosted WordPress offers the most SEO control through plugins like Rank Math. Wix and Squarespace cover the essentials and can rank well for smaller local sites. Content quality and reviews matter more than the platform.
How much does a small business website cost in the UK?
A DIY builder site costs a monthly plan fee plus your time. A professionally built small business website typically costs from a few hundred pounds with a freelancer to several thousand with an agency, depending on pages and features.
Do I need a website if I have a Google Business Profile?
A Google Business Profile helps you appear in Google Maps, but a website gives you space to explain your services, build trust and rank for more searches. The two work best together.
