Top 5 Website Builders In Miami {2024 Updated Reviews} 

This guide presents an overview of the top website builders in Miami, providing insights to help you make an informed decision.

Shopify 

Designed to cater to a wide array of business needs, from budding startups to expansive enterprises, Shopify’s drag-and-drop builder type stands out for its ease of use and adaptability.

The Goods & The Bads

The Goods

• Shopify suits all businesses with its versatile backend and advanced inventory.
• Multi-Platform Selling
• Free/paid templates, and custom design options.
• 8,000+ apps enhance store functionalities.
• Over 100+ payment methods, including Shopify Payments.

The Bads

• Additional apps may incur costs for enhanced functionality.
• High Transaction Fees

What Makes Shopify’s Website Builder Highlight 

Shopify’s website builder is a powerful tool for creating an online store, offering flexibility and user-friendly features that cater to a variety of business needs.

Choose your domain name 

Your domain name is your storefront’s online identity, and Shopify simplifies this process. When you sign up for a plan, you have the option to purchase a domain directly through Shopify, ensuring a seamless integration with your store. For those who already own a domain, connecting it to Shopify is straightforward. 

Additionally, Shopify provides a free subdomain (yourstorename.myshopify.com) for new entrepreneurs who need more time to invest in a custom domain. 

Select and customize your theme

Upon starting with Shopify, you’re greeted with a default theme. However, the platform’s true potential is unleashed when you explore its extensive theme store. 

Customizing the theme is a breeze by navigating to the “Online Store” tab, select your theme, and click “Customize.” 

Here, you can modify the text, add buttons, upload images, and more, all while viewing changes in real-time with the live preview feature.

Add element pages

Creating pages on Shopify is a streamlined process. Under “Online Store” > “Pages,” you can add a title and content to your pages, focusing on clarity and descriptiveness. Once created, these pages can be linked to your store’s navigation menu, ensuring easy access for visitors.

Customize logo

Shopify’s Free Logo Maker, Hatchful, allows you to create professional logos quickly. You can browse and customize templates, select your business type and visual style, and personalize your logo with your name.

Adjust the image, video, and button.

Add collection, gallery

Set Up Shopify Store Email

Shopify’s email setup feature in the admin dashboard under “Settings” > “Contact Information” allows you to establish a professional channel for order confirmations, marketing, and other communications. 

Customize the content and design of various email notifications to maintain consistency with your brand.

Set Up Payment Methods 

Finally, setting up payment methods is a critical step in building your Shopify store. In the Shopify admin dashboard, navigate to “Settings” > “Payments” to integrate payment methods. 

You can activate Shopify Payments for a seamless experience or opt for other options like PayPal or third-party providers catering to a wide range of customer preferences.

Review and Feedback 

Personal Review

My journey with Shopify has been highly positive. The platform’s flexibility and ability to cater to a diverse range of business needs are its standout features. Shopify’s extensive customization options and scalability make it a powerful tool for e-commerce businesses.

Customer Feedback

John K.: “As a business user you can sell all your products direct from your website and even in different marketplaces or any social media. Pros: As a Shopify user I found it easy to get help when am in need as it’s customer service it’s 24/7 and one gets the Shopify agents via email, chat or phone and all your issues are solved quickly and effectively.”

Kelly C. (Owner and COO): “Have been thoroughly enjoying Shopify for my e-comm store. Pros: I love that I was able to set up my e-comm store to look how I wanted, with lots of templates to choose from. Many apps to help us. Shipping discounts are great. The payment plans are a nice options..” 

Wix

Wix has emerged as a preferred choice for many looking to build a website. Renowned for its ease of use, Wix stands out with its diverse range of editors, themes, and plugins. 

The Goods & The Bads

The Goods

• A vast selection of up-to-date templates catering to various tastes and requirements.
• Versatility for Different Website Types: a blog, a portfolio, or a corporate site
• Robust E-commerce Tools
• Extensive App Market

The Bads

• Complex Editor Options
• Additional Costs

What Makes Wix’s Website Builder Highlight

Here’s a detailed walkthrough of each step highlighting its capabilities, demonstrating why it’s a top choice for creating professional and engaging websites. 

Create website information 

To kick off your website creation, register on the Wix platform using your email address and password. Then, Wix guides you through a series of questions to understand your website’s purpose and desired functionality.

Input your website name, which is essential as it influences how Wix customizes your site setup. This name helps Wix in populating relevant information on your site.

Create Core Website Elements, making them personalized and aligning with your site’s content.

• Contact pages

• Headers

• Footers

• Navigation menus

Select homepage design 

Wix ADI offers tailored homepage design suggestions based on the type of website you’re building. These designs are crafted to suit your specific requirements, ensuring that your site makes a great first impression.

Edit your website

Dive into the Wix editor to start adding personal touches to your website. 

This includes tweaking the layout, color schemes, and font styles to match your brand.

Adding text, images, buttons, and social

Add essential elements like text, images, buttons, and social media links  to visualize creal-time changes

Edit your website content

After designing the structure and layout, you can populate your website with content. Wix simplifies this process by offering suggestions and editable templates for various sections like About, Services, FAQs, etc.

Review and Feedback 

Personal Review

Building a website from scratch using Wix allowed me to experience firsthand its range of functionalities, confirming its suitability for a wide array of users and purposes.

Customer Feedback

Ms Sally-Anne Burris:  “Wix had challenges today, it appears to be incorporating AI which wasnt runnings smoothly and i ending up half a day trying to problems solve with something that was complex and not totally down to Wix set up but to do with an old student account i had that confused the system.”

Jennifer Selk: “I have been tearing my hair out for the last month trying to figure out what should NOT be that complicated…the simple procedure of linking my WIX site with Pinterest so I can have verified merchant status. I finally broke down and paid for premium membership. And a guy with a name that says Jimboy was able to help me with this thing I could not figure out before.” 

GoDaddy 

GoDaddy’s website builder is recognized for its beginner-friendly approach, leveraging Artificial Design Intelligence (ADI) to streamline the website creation process. 

The Goods & The Bads

The Goods

• Rapid Website Creation
• Theme Flexibility
• User-Friendly Builder
• Affordable Pricing 

The Bads 

• Limited Creative Freedom
• Constrained Block Elements
• Shallow Feature Depth

What Makes GoDaddy’s Website Builder Highlight 

GoDaddy’s website builder is designed to be beginner-friendly, employing Artificial Design Intelligence (ADI) to create personalized websites efficiently.

Select your theme

GoDaddy starts with a base layout according to your selected industry, which you can edit to match your brand or choose an entirely new theme. Remember, the theme serves as a foundational layout, allowing for further customization with text, pages, and images, even after your site is published.

To explore different themes, click “Template” in the upper-right corner of your dashboard. You can view more templates by clicking “Try a New Look.” 

Customer website feature

• Add images

Update your site’s visuals by clicking “Update” next to the image. You can browse available stock images or import your own from your computer or social media. After selecting an image, remember to add alt text for accessibility.

• Click on an image to access editing options like filters, effects, and cropping.
• Click on your website name, then “Upload or create a logo” to add your business logo from your computer.

• Add texts

Simply click on the sample text to edit it. You have various text editing options, but GoDaddy doesn’t allow adding new text boxes directly. Instead, you can add a new section with its accompanying text.

• Create new sections

Click on your dashboard’s plus (+) icons to add features like menus, blogs, calendars, and more to make your website unique. You can add up to 20 sections per page.

•  Create new pages

To create a page structure that suits your business, click on “Website” in the upper-right corner of your dashboard. Here, you can add, rename, duplicate, or delete pages.

Enhance Your Website

GoDaddy offers features like appointment scheduling, pop-ups, and social media integration. For pop-ups, click “Popup” under “Website” and edit as needed.

Under “Services,” you can add details like images, pricing, and staff availability and integrate with Zoom for bookings.

Add social media buttons by adding a new section and selecting “Social, including relevant links for easy access.

GoDaddy supports adding products with details like names, sizes, and shipping. However, it doesn’t support cryptocurrency payments.

Customize Your Domain

To publish on a custom domain, connect to an existing domain or purchase a new one from GoDaddy. 

After choosing or buying a domain, follow the prompts to make your site go live.

Review and Feedback 

Personal Review

Using GoDaddy’s website builder provides a smooth and user-friendly experience, particularly for those prioritizing speed and simplicity. Its Artificial Design Intelligence (ADI) system efficiently takes provided information and quickly crafts a functional website, making it ideal for beginners or those needing a website in a short time frame.

Customer Feedback

Tracy Bramhall: “I had an issue that I just couldn’t work out how to resolve and after 3 hrs trying I called customer support. I wish I had done that 2 hrs & 55 mins earlier! The consultant (Amir) could see the issue straight away and sorted it out immediately. I couldn’t be happier with my experience and would defo now just ring the support desk straight away!” 

Dan Mugg: “It has been a journey so far getting an old website updated to a modern look and feel. After speaking with Ana, I’m feeling much better about updating the website and am relatively sure it will come out really nice and professional.”

Squarespace

Squarespace, renowned for its high-quality designs and features, is a popular choice for building professional and creative websites. 

The Goods & The Bads

The Goods

• High-Quality Designs
• Excellent Tools for Email Marketing and Social Media Integration
• Exceptional Features and Support for the Price
• Top-Notch Customer Support

The Bads

• Limited Customizability
• Manual Editor Process

What Makes Squarespace’s Website Builder Highlight

Let’s explore the specific steps and features that make Squarespace stand out.

Choose a template

After initiating the process with “Get Started,” you’ll be prompted to select a template. You can choose from over 800 professionally designed templates, sorted by industry categories like “Online Stores,” “Restaurants,” “Weddings,” and “Photography,” or by popular designs.

Hover over a template and select “Preview” to get a feel for the design. The chosen template serves as a springboard for your website’s design.

Create a login

Signing up with Squarespace only requires an email and password, with no immediate payment details needed. 

This step begins your 14-day free trial and is a gateway to further customization.

Add/remove pages

Squarespace allows for effortlessly adding or removing pages to fit your website’s structure. The process is straightforward – simply navigate to the “Pages” section to view your current pages. 

Adding a new page is as easy as clicking the plus icon and selecting the type of page you need, like a blog, a store, or a contact page.

Edit pages

Editing a page in Squarespace is intuitive, with an interface that allows you to modify content and layout. Click on any section to start editing text, images, or other elements.

Hover between existing sections and click the blue “+” icon to add anything from text blocks to image galleries, enhancing the page’s functionality and visual appeal.

Remember to save your changes as you edit. Squarespace’s platform ensures that your edits are preserved only when you manually save them.

Adjust design and add branding

In the “Site Styles” section, you can change fonts and colors, allowing you to align your website’s design with your brand identity. This customization extends to choosing from various font pairings and color palettes.

Squarespace’s design flexibility supports the seamless integration of your brand elements. From adjusting button styles to setting up animations, the platform provides tools to create a distinctive and engaging user experience.

Add site information and configure key settings

Go to Settings and click “Regional Settings” to choose a location and time zone.

Then choose “Business Information” and then fill in your contact details, store location, and opening hours. 

Especially, Squarespace excels in domain management, offering options to purchase, transfer, or connect a domain. With a free domain available for the first year with an annual plan, Squarespace simplifies establishing your unique online identity.

Review and Feedback 

Personal Review

My experience with Squarespace has been highly positive, marked by its aesthetically pleasing and responsive templates. The platform excels in offering seamless user experience across devices and robust marketing tools, beneficial for business growth and online engagement.

Customer Feedback

Gabriel R.“ The best part of Squarespace is the ease in laying out the building blocks for putting together an efficient, complex, and sophisticated looking website. Learning the software to use the tools takes a bit if time and practice, but once that is done, the creativity part takes over mostly. I’ve been using it for three years now and I always look forward to using it.”

Dante R. “I have multiple websites via Squarespace. I don’t know how to code, but Squarespace makes it super easy to create webpages using their templates as a starting ground. I can then add sections by dropping in fields, allowing me to personalize the site per my needs. The sites look modern, clean, and are easy to use; highly recommend!”

Weebly 

Weebly, recognized for its straightforward and beginner-friendly platform, offers a viable option for those venturing into website creation, especially with its generous free plan. 

The Goods & The Bads

The Goods

• User-friendly Interface 
• Generous Free Plan
• Responsive Design Templates
• Improved App Store
• Comprehensive SEO Advice

The Bads 

• Limited Customization
• Outdated Designs
• Poor Mobile Optimization

What Makes Weebly’s Website Builder Highlight

Weebly stands out as a user-friendly platform, making it an excellent choice for those new to website creation.

Pick a theme

Weebly offers professional themes catering to various needs, from portfolios to blogs and more. After selecting a theme, you can preview it and begin customization in Weebly’s drag-and-drop editor.

Choose a domain

Weebly prompts you to choose a domain name for your site. You can opt for a free Weebly subdomain, which is cost-effective but less professional, or purchase a custom domain directly through Weebly for a more polished look.

Add & Manage Pages

Weebly makes it easy to add new pages to your site. You can effortlessly navigate to the “Pages” tab and use the “+” icon to include various types of pages, be it for a blog, gallery, or contact information.

Managing your site’s structure is intuitive with Weebly. You can rearrange, rename, or delete pages to ensure your site’s navigation aligns with your vision and user needs.

Add & Edit Sections

In Weebly, you can add diverse sections to each page. The process involves selecting the type of section you want (like image galleries or contact forms) and then customizing their layout to fit your page’s design.

Changing a section’s background color or editing text fonts and sizes is straightforward, enhancing your site’s visual appeal and readability.

Add & Delete Elements

Weebly offers a variety of elements to enrich your website, such as text boxes, image galleries, and forms. Adding these elements is as simple as dragging them to your desired location on the page.

If you need to delete or simplify a page, removing elements is just a click away, allowing you to maintain a clean and focused website design.

Add a Blog & Online Store

You can create engaging blog posts by dragging elements like text and images, making it an excellent tool for content marketing and engagement.

Weebly also supports e-commerce functionalities. Adding an online store is straightforward, and you can manage products, set up shipping, and track inventory all within Weebly’s platform, even on the free plan.

Review and Feedback 

Personal Review

From a personal standpoint, Weebly is indeed a mixed bag. Its user-friendly approach and step-by-step guidance, particularly in SEO, make it a great starting point for beginners. However, as your website grows and your needs become more sophisticated, Weebly’s limitations in customization and design, as well as its inadequate mobile optimization, become more apparent. These factors are crucial to consider for anyone looking to build a website that not only starts strong but also has the potential for growth and adaptation over time.

Customer Feedback

Joshua M: ”Overall, this would be my go-to platform to build a fast and easy website for any friends who need something great looking but manageable with little experience or learning curve. Pros: The best thing about Weebly is the simplicity of building a very professional looking website with little or no site-building experience.” 

Jimmy H: “Overall I have been a loyal customer with now 3 websites for probably 10 years. I like them better than Go Daddy, well at least from 10 years ago. I think the Square addition should be a little less imposing, I know it is their company and I use them as my credit card processing and POS and the integration is cool but Weebly I think should be about the website first.” 

Bottom Line

Each website builder we’ve explored – Shopify, Wix, GoDaddy, Squarespace, and Weebly – offers unique strengths and potential limitations. Your choice should align with your specific needs, skills, and long-term goals.

FAQs