Empire Dreams

This post is a summary of the best website platforms for local small business owners that want to create their own website, but know little about HTML, CSS, Javascript, and certainly nothing about server side coding and server administration. The tools highlighted here are hosted - meaning there’s no server to setup and no software to install. You don’t need a “web guy” and you can have your website up and running in less than a day.

The biggest challenge will be registering a domain name and linking it to the service you choose, but each provider offers a tutorial to help you through this process. Having your own domain name is not required. Each service provider will give you a URL to use (like mine for example: http://newguard.tumblr.com/).

If you’re looking for a full-featured website and know a bit of coding, I’d recommend Wordpress (the software), Joomla, or Drupal. If you have money to spend and want to hire a pro, check out Sortfolio for experts in your local area.

While most of the services below are intended to operate as blogs, they can be easily used as a website for a local small business. Your website is a one-way conversation with the world. A place for your prospects and clients to read about the products and services you offer, view your location and hours of operation, and learn more about your company and it’s history. The point is to disseminate information about your company. The website doesn’t have to be fancy. It should be extremely useable. The best designs are ones that don’t distract. You want the viewer to easily comprehend your message and be able to take action immediately.

In the coming weeks, I’ll write articles detailing how to get started with each service. For now, on with the list (ratings are on a 5 point scale):

1. Tumblr

I’m biased since this is what I use. Tumblr is free, simple to signup, and very easy to figure out. There are a bunch of free themes you can choose from, and some really nice premium themes that don’t cost much. For the basic user who doesn’t know any code, all of the options are there, however, if you don’t mind getting your hands dirty, you can customize the templates to your heart’s content. The support is not as great as Wordpress, but decent. Good thing is, it’s so simple, you probably won’t need much support. Highly recommended.

Price: 5 (on a 5 point scale)
Learning Curve: 5
Ease of Use: 5
Features: 4
Support: 4
Customization: 5
Total: 28

2. Wordpress.com

Free and easy to signup. Slight learning curve, but once you familiarize yourself with the interface, it’s pretty simple to use. Offers a lot of themes you can use on demand, and a fair amount of customization once the theme has been chosen. Lots of users means tons of support. Their support forums are full of helpful people that have encountered nearly every problem you will likely run into. The documentation is great as well. Lots of FAQs and how-tos. Definitely can’t go wrong with a hosted Wordpress blog.

Price: 5 (on a 5 point scale)
Learning Curve: 4
Ease of Use: 3
Features: 4
Support: 5
Customization: 4
Total: 25

3. Posterous

Similar to Tumblr, but with more of a learning curve. The default customization options for the non-programmer are limited. If you know some code, the templates are fully customizable, but since this post is focused on the non-techie small business owner, I’d have to recommend Tumblr over Posterous. The support area features a rich knowledgebase, but not much of a community. Overall, it’s a good option, but ranks below Wordpress and Tumblr.

Price: 5 (on a 5 point scale)
Learning Curve: 3
Ease of Use: 5
Features: 3
Support: 4
Customization: 4
Total: 24

4. Squarespace

Squarespace has it all. Total customization, tons of features, and lots of support. The problem - as it relates to this post - is the learning curve. If you aren’t familiar with web applications then you won’t like how this system works. There’s almost too much for you to do and customize (sounds weird, but trust me). The average small business owner doesn’t need this much customization - it just gets in the way. Squarespace costs money (the other 3 services listed are free), but the price is cheap enough that it’s not too much of a detterent. If you like a challenge, Squarespace will definitely reward you for your efforts. If you are just looking to get a site up and running as quick as possible - but still look decent and perform well - then go with one of the other options presented.

Price: 3 (on a 5 point scale)
Learning Curve: 1
Ease of Use: 2
Features: 5
Support: 4
Customization: 5
Total: 20

Do you have other suggestions? Post them in the comments below!

As if finding the time and advertising budget for the average small business isn’t tough enough, a new study from BIA/Kelsey suggests that bigger spenders are also spending more thoughtfully. Read more about the study on Econsultancy.

This is exactly why I always recommend small businesses use a service like Ad Committee’s Call Tracking to help quantify campaign performance. This type of automated, online service helps offset the advantage the big guys have.