WEBSITES & ECOMMERCE
BUILD, HOST AND GROW YOUR ONLINE PRESENCE.
From website builders and hosting to ecommerce platforms and checkout tools — there's a lot riding on getting your website right. We help you figure out what your business actually needs, whether that's a simple site or a full online store.
THE PROBLEM
YOUR WEBSITE SHOULDN'T BE THE HARD PART.
Building a website used to mean choosing between “cheap and limited” or “expensive and complicated.”
Now there are dozens of builders, hosts and ecommerce platforms, each claiming to be the easiest, fastest or most powerful.
Most small businesses don't need the most powerful option. They need the one that matches how much time, money and technical comfort they actually have.
The right platform is the one you can actually maintain.
ALEX'S TAKE
“Pick the platform you'll still be comfortable updating in a year, not the one with the longest feature list today.”
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
FACTORS THAT ACTUALLY MATTER
Before you commit to a website builder or ecommerce platform, run it through these questions.
WHO WILL ACTUALLY MAINTAIN IT?
A platform that needs a developer for every change isn't a fit if nobody on your team can code.
DOES IT NEED TO SELL, OR JUST INFORM?
A simple brochure site and a full ecommerce store have very different platform requirements and costs.
WHAT'S THE REAL COST INCLUDING HOSTING?
Cheap software plans can hide expensive hosting, apps, or transaction fees once you add them up.
CAN IT GROW WITH YOU?
Moving platforms later is disruptive and costly — check what happens if your traffic or catalog grows.
FEATURED WEBSITE & ECOMMERCE TOOLS
WEBSITE & ECOMMERCE TOOLS WORTH KNOWING
We explain what these tools do, who they suit, and where they fall short.
WEBSITE BUILDER
Elementor
BEST FOR: [SAMPLE] Small businesses building or redesigning a WordPress site without a developer.
OUR VERDICT: [SAMPLE] Pending an actual hands-on review.
READ REVIEW
ECOMMERCE PLATFORM
Shopify
BEST FOR: [SAMPLE] Businesses that want a hosted, all-in-one online store with minimal setup.
OUR VERDICT: [SAMPLE] Pending an actual hands-on review.
READ REVIEW
MANAGED WORDPRESS HOSTING
Kinsta
BEST FOR: [SAMPLE] Sites that need fast, managed WordPress hosting with minimal setup.
OUR VERDICT: [SAMPLE] Pending an actual hands-on review.
READ REVIEW
NO-CODE WEBSITE BUILDER
Squarespace
BEST FOR: [SAMPLE] Simple, design-led sites that need to look polished with minimal setup.
OUR VERDICT: [SAMPLE] Pending an actual hands-on review.
READ REVIEW
WORDPRESS ECOMMERCE
WooCommerce
BEST FOR: [SAMPLE] Businesses that want full control over an online store built on WordPress.
OUR VERDICT: [SAMPLE] Pending an actual hands-on review.
READ REVIEWCOMPARISONS
COMPARE BEFORE YOU COMMIT
Don't compare these platforms feature by feature. Start with what your business needs.
SHOPIFY VS. WOOCOMMERCE: WHICH ECOMMERCE PLATFORM FITS?
What actually differs once you look past the marketing pages.
READ COMPARISONELEMENTOR VS. SQUARESPACE FOR A SMALL BUSINESS WEBSITE
How to choose between a flexible builder and an all-in-one platform.
READ COMPARISONMANAGED VS. SHARED WORDPRESS HOSTING: WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?
What you actually get for the extra cost, and when it's worth it.
READ COMPARISONGUIDES
START WITH THE PROBLEM
Practical guides for building and running a small-business website well.
DO YOU NEED A WEBSITE BUILDER OR A DEVELOPER?
A practical way to decide based on your budget, timeline and technical comfort.
READ GUIDEWHAT TO CHECK BEFORE YOU CHOOSE ECOMMERCE SOFTWARE
The questions that matter more than the feature list.
READ GUIDEWHAT DOES YOUR WEBSITE ACTUALLY NEED TO DO?
Start with the job your website has to do before picking a platform.
READ GUIDEFIND YOUR STACK
NOT SURE WHICH WEBSITE PLATFORM FITS YOUR BUSINESS?
Start with your business goal, not a software list.
Tell us what you want to improve and we'll point you toward the website and ecommerce tools worth considering.