Wix. Weebly. GoDaddy. Squarespace. WordPress.
Most of these DIY website builders are easy to use (with some exceptions), and they make building your own website accessible for the average non-coding business owner.
But they’re all limited for their own reasons, and (while we’re biased) we’ve set out to make Launch Kits a no-brainer for service businesses focused on growing and getting found online.
Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of each, but first, it’s worth understanding how Launch Kits builds the perfect website.
How Launch Kits is Different
At Launch Kits, we lean hard into three things:
- Making getting and maintaining a website as easy as possible for service business owners
- Replicating tried-and–true practices that get businesses found online
- Friendly and fast on-demand phone and email support from out small team in Pennsylvania
Our industry-specific website templates have been refined over years of experience launching websites in your business vertical, meaning we use the best SEO practices, the best conversion practices, and the best visuals to help you attract website visitors and turn them into customers.
When you get a Launch Kit, you’re getting an affordable and beautiful website, customized to your business, and created using the absolute best practices for getting found.
You don’t have to master any website tools.
You don’t have to know anything about design.
You don’t have to know anything about search engine optimization (SEO).
You don’t even have to know how to “market” to your customers!
We think of Launch Kits as the middle ground between
- a $300 DIY website (GoDaddy, Squarespace, etc.)
- a fully custom website starting at $5000 (and that’s on the cheap end for a custom site!)
Starting at $900 for a fully built website in 5 days with no experience required on your end, Launch Kits is an affordable, compelling middle-ground option for building a website.
Free Website Builders Compared
So, when is a free or DIY website builder the right thing to use?
- You have some design experience and enjoy making things look good.
- You have some marketing experience, and know how to write good copy for your customers.
- You have some SEO experience and understand the basics that will get you found on Google.
- When you’re experimenting or unsure about your business potential and have an absolutely limited budget.
- When you have the time, energy, and passion to put into learning how to build, market, and grow you website (on top of growing your business)
What’s Wrong With a WordPress Template or Free Theme?
If you’ve ever tried to build a WordPress website from scratch as a layperson, you’ll know it’s no easy task.
WordPress is a great platform for experienced web developers and designers who know where to look for the right tools, the best design framework, and how to properly set up the many integrations and coding that make websites tick.
But for the uninitiated, building a WordPress website yourself can turn into a nightmare.
For one, WordPress’ free themes are totally unintuitive and difficult to set up. Even if you “find” a template you like, a non-developer will struggle to get it live in a reasonable amount of time and without professional help. Most WordPress sites also lack mobile optimization, meaning your website might look terrible on phones, where >50% of website traffic lives today.
Additionally, with WordPress:
- you have to setup a server and hosting solution
- you have to connect your domain
- you have to go elsewhere to setup email
- you have to install your own SSL (Secure Sockets Layer, a standard security technology for establishing an encrypted link between a server and a client)
Combined, WordPress simply is a total non-starter for the average DIY business owner.
Why Launch Kits Is Better Than A WordPress Free Theme
First off, we make it incredible easy. You’ll spend 40 hours building your own WordPress site, and the upfront cost-savings will be lost in no time.
At Launch Kits, we know WordPress, we know what businesses need, and we know what works. We offer full support for any and all updates you might need, included in your website package, and our team has the expertise to get you a great-looking website in no time.
Live in five! That’s our motto.
What’s Wrong With GoDaddy?
Everyone knows this name because GoDaddy did some pretty aggressive (and even scandalous) marketing over the last two decades. They’ve gone from a place to buy internet domains to a full-stack website builder.
Unfortunately, GoDaddy’s website builder is limited, support is non-existent, and you can say goodbye to customization. GoDaddy’s website builder comes with a handful of templates to choose from, but beyond that, customization is limited.
On top of that, the finer tweaks that can make your website truly friendly to search engines are virtually non-existent. Pair this lack of customization with a clunky interface, and GoDaddy just isn’t a great solution for anyone.
If you’re looking at DIY-ing your website, you’ve got better options. GoDaddy is fine for buying domains, but look elsewhere for your website builder.
Why Launch Kits Is Better Than GoDaddy
From design to SEO best practices, GoDaddy simply doesn’t compare to Launch Kits. GoDaddy’s website builder “feels” like an afterthought, and it kind of is: GoDaddy began as a domain provider and host, which is why their website builder has never gotten steam.
Launch Kits gets you a beautiful, functional website that employs online business best practices that we’ve refined over years of experience across a wide range of industries. You’ll get access to unlimited personable support by phone (right here in our Columbia, PA office) at no additional cost.
What’s Wrong With Wix?
Wix is a common website builder, but it too has its problems.
The main problems we have with Wix websites relate to a lack of SEO best practices, all of which are critical to ranking well and winning organic traffic. We’ve seen Wix sites with multiple H1 (Headings) and many times NO H1s, a common error for those uninitiated in the world of development, but also a clear missed opportunity that will punish your ability to get found online. Wix also includes no image optimization capabilities for both SEO and site speed.
Though Wix’s sites can LOOK fine, most are designed by unproven design teams who haven’t seen how their websites perform in the real world, leading to both a lack of traffic in the long-run, but also a lack of conversions for the businesses who use them.
Looking good doesn’t necessarily mean it “works” well.
Worst of all for many DIYers, if you want to change your site’s look and feel, you have to pick a new template and design/features won’t transfer! With no ability to copy/paste, you’ll be redesigning every page!
Why Launch Kits Is Better Than Wix
With Launch Kits, you’re getting tried-and-true websites with frameworks that have been tested in YOUR vertical to both attract and convert customers. Because our websites ride on customized “rails”, you’re getting years of SEO best-practices and conversion processes built in from day one, with no guesswork.
And with Launch Kits, you’re still getting a great price on an optimized website – without spending 10-40 hours trying to figure out how to build your site.
What’s Wrong With Weebly?
Our biggest concerns with Weebly (besides some design limitations) have to do with their server setups.
As you’re on a shared server with Weebly, you’re subject to the whims and mercy of their server speeds and updates. In fact, security issues are common with Weebly!
Moreover, and as is the case with many fast-moving website builders, the design templates we’ve seen in the real-world are often built with zero conversion expertise. While Weebly websites can look ok with some elbow grease, they don’t always perform for your business right out of the box.
Why Launch Kits Is Better Than Weebly
At Launch Kits, we build our websites on dedicated servers with constant in-house monitoring. You won’t have to wonder (or did you even know?) that your plugins or add-ons are being updated, nor will you have to worry about site speed and security.
Plus, every template was designed, built, and tested to work in your industry.
Our team is available daily for unlimited phone and email support and free website updates, making Launch Kits an incredible value for businesses who want to grow.
What’s Wrong With Squarespace?
Alright, SquareSpace is probably the most competitive DIY website builder out there… but there’s still a learning curve and some clear shortcomings with this platform.
First off, while SquareSpace has some nice designs, they still aren’t built with visitor conversion in mind. That means even if you’re winning traffic online, your website may not be guiding them to take action in the right ways.
Additionally, the SquareSpace ecosystem is less amenable to third-party tools and analytics functions than alternative platforms, meaning you’ve got fewer options when it comes to the things that can really help expand your business opportunities with time.
As with all of these providers, when you want to change your website’s design, you need to pick an entirely new template – or design one from the ground up.
Why Launch Kits Is Better Than SquareSpace
First of all, you get a dedicated team you can talk to on live video, phone, or text with USA based designers and developers, writers and strategists all at your fingertips. Add up the time spent building your site (expect 10 hours minimum), plus upfront costs, and you’ll find that Launch Kits’ basic package is an incredibly competitive price.
That’s for a website that is completely optimized for both search engines and users, meaning all of the best SEO practices and the best conversion practices built-in. And, your website is built with an experienced team that knows precisely what works in web design, and what doesn’t
With a nearly boundless opportunity for third-party integrations – like email marketing providers, specialized tracking tools, and more – we’ve made your business’ presence online as easy as ever.
The Perfect Website At a Fair Price
We’ve experimented with all of the most popular website-building platforms, and we can say from experience that none of them quite measure up to what a good web developer can do on their own.
But that doesn’t mean you need to rush out and get a custom website. Launch Kits is all about making the boutique website building process accessible for anyone – even for less than $1000.
We use a system of templates that we’ve refined over ten years to build killer websites for service businesses that want to win locally. Our templates do one thing REALLY WELL: help local service businesses shine:
- Construction Company Websites
- Lawyer Websites
- Websites for Plumbers
- Roofing Websites
- Painter & Cabinet Makers
- Window Washers
- Landscapers and Lawn Care Services
- Auto Repair Shops
- Financial Advisors
- And more!
If you have a local presence and want an affordable website that will get you found online – and take just 1-2 hours of your time – Launch Kits can have your perfect website live in 5 days.
