So you have started your brand new business. Congratulations! Question is, now what? That is a question every entrepreneur faces in the beginning stages of their business and eventually you will come to the question, “What do I do about a website? I have heard of all of these different builders and hosts and domains and…” Well it sure is a good thing you are here, because the answer you seek is right here.

First we have to define the main categories needed for a website.

Domain - Otherwise known as a URL this is the “address” your customers will go to find your website.

Hosting - Once your customers go to the correct address, they need to be able to view your store. Web hosting provides this. Without hosting, your beautiful site will never be seen on the internet!

Platform - This is the bread and butter of what most people would consider a website. Platforms or how websites are created have greatly improved and evolved over the years. At first it was a mix of HTML and CSS coding created by developers that when put together, create a digital site. Although coding languages are still at the core of all websites, tools and softwares have been created to quicken and simplify the process greatly. For the sake of this article, we will be focusing on website platforms as this is generally considered the most difficult and important part of your site.

After years of experience and research, we have narrowed it down to our Top 3 (in descending order):

3. Squarespace

Founded in 2003, Squarespace is a simple drag and drop website builder that gives a great introduction towards websites, for a modest price.

Pros:

• Lower Prices
• Simple to use builder
• Great support staff
• Array of templates to choose from
• Hosting is included in price

Cons:

• DIY format is very time intensive
• Although a lot of choices, not an immense amount of customization for a complex or larger business
• May need to upgrade as your business grows

2. WordPress

The world’s largest used Content Management System (platform in this case) powers roughly 30% of the internet. The free and open source software has established itself as a leader in the developer community. With an endless amount of plugins, the skilled individual can create virtually anything.

Pros:

• Free to use. Always has been and always will be.
• Open source, meaning the ability for anyone to look at the code and make changes and legally share those changes, has allowed for the incredibly simple platform become a robust tool.
• With its popularity, the ability to grow your website as your business grows is seamless.
• Arguably the cheapest way to build a website, if proper steps are taken.

Cons:

• Although WordPress has a lot of benefits of being open source, it is extremely high skilled based and may be difficult for a beginner to create a site.
• Open source also allows for the potential security breaks without further effort through plugins or expert help
• You will have to find a third party host to have your site present online.
• Bugs and glitches are much more common and may require expensive fixes.

1. Prattis

The perfect combination of lower prices for smaller businesses, but with the design capabilities of a professional designer helps set Prattis apart. Prattis creates and manages your website with $0 down and only $149 a month for every month that you stay with them. No design or development costs, just one simple payment a month.

Pros:

• Prattis creates a professional site using their in house templates designed by industry experts.
• All hosting including in the monthly cost.
• Unlimited pages
• Any changes you need are handled
• No building or managing of any software. None whatsoever.
• First month is free, no credit card needed.

Cons:

• Smaller company than the other two listed, but still able to handle most (if not all) needs.
• Higher monthly price than most web platforms

So as you can see, we have a winner. Prattis is a versatile website experience never seen before. With no money down at creation of site and only a single monthly fee, if you are looking for a no hassle solution for your website platform, Prattis is your answer.

To learn more on Prattis and how to begin, Click Here!