The 5 Best Website Builders for Service-Based Businesses

Do you have a website for your business? If you don’t, you’re missing out on incredible marketing, customer engagement, and branding opportunities. 

The internet is not just for e-commerce sites like Amazon. Local service-based businesses—plumbers, HVAC technicians, landscapers, electricians, locksmiths, etc.— can get on it too. 

To claim your spot online, the first thing you’ll need is a website. You’ve probably heard that those cost a fortune and take forever to develop. 

Well, that’s simply not true. 

Nowadays, you can have a site up and running in a matter of hours. And you don’t have to pay any web designers or developers. Best of all, you can build, design, and brand the website however you like. 

The secret is website builders. 

A website builder is a tool that lets you create a website from scratch without coding. It works by dragging and dropping features and functions on a web template. It’s like Build-A-Bear but for websites. 

Website builders bring web development to the masses. They enable people with no background or skills in web design to put together professional-looking websites. Approximately 23 million websites online were made using web builders. 

However, there are dozens, if not hundreds, of website builders out there. Unfortunately, they are not all created equal. So, how do you choose the right one? 

You’re in luck. 

This article is a guide to finding the best website builder for service business. 

We’ll start by exploring the internet’s top five website builders. Then, we’ll tell you what to look for when choosing a website builder for your business. 

Read on and learn how to get started on building your service-based business website. 

Why Your Home Services Business Needs a Website 

Let’s take a step back: why does your service business need a website in the first place? 

A business website should answer these six questions: 

• Who are you? 

• What services do you offer? 

• Where is your business located? 

• What are your operating hours? 

• Why do business with you? 

• How do I contact you? 

To many local entrepreneurs, a website might seem redundant and unnecessary. After all, there may be better and more direct ways to engage a localized target market. And anyone needing your services can always call or email you. 

Now, that’s where you’d be wrong. 

The truth is, going online is no longer an option but a necessity for all types of businesses. Here’s what a website does for your local service business: 

Increase Online Visibility 

Today, 95% of US adults are internet users, many of whom could no longer imagine a life without it. Millions of people across the country use the internet for just about everything, from texting to streaming films. They also browse the web to shop and find local service businesses. 

In a recent survey, 21 percent of consumers said they used the internet to find a local business daily. Additionally, 32% reported using the internet for this purpose multiple times every week. 

If you want to be seen, online is the place to be. And it all starts with a website. 

Granted, there are many ways to increase your online visibility. You could get on social media, Google Business, and online local directories. But nothing is quite like a website. 

A website is the only domain in which you have complete control. It also ties together all other online channels. 

Generate and Convert Leads 

Many consumers who search for local businesses online end up buying from them. Statistics show that up to 18% of local smartphone searches result in a purchase within a day. 

It actually makes sense that most searches for local businesses have a purchase intent. Why else would you search for, say, a plumber in your area unless to offer them a job? 

When potential customers find your business online, they’ll likely browse your website. If they like what they see, they’ll contact you or visit your establishment in person. 

A simple service business website can be a powerful lead magnet. Not only that, but the content within can help convert those leads into paying jobs. 

Boost Customer Engagement 

A business website can do so much in terms of customer engagement. 

First, you can create intriguing web content that entertains or educates customers. For instance, you could publish informative blog posts, exciting news and announcements, how-to videos, and so on. 

Secondly, your website can be a communications platform. For starters, a live chat feature will enable you to have real-time conversations with visitors. Customers can also fill out forms to get instant quotes for various services. 

Thirdly, a website can be an extension of your office. For instance, customers can place service orders, track a job’s progress, and make payments online. Customers can engage with the business on their own terms and without tedious paperwork or in-person visits. 

Lastly, a website can help you create a strong online community. Have customers sign up for royalty, membership, or referral programs on the website. That should instill a sense of belonging in your clientele. 

Showcase Professional Competence 

A service business website showcases skills and knowledge in your particular industry. The right web content can shine a light on your brand as an industry leader or authority. 

Take blog posts, for example. Post industry insights, customer/user guides, and case studies to show a mastery of what you do. You can do the same with videos, newsletters, and whitepapers. 

Businesses in the service space must assure customers of competency. Customers who doubt your ability to deliver will likely take their business elsewhere. 

Build Credibility and Trust 

Customer trust is another vital component of the service trade. Without trust, it’s nearly impossible to attract and convert new prospects. Fortunately, a website can help you build and preserve that trust. 

A professional-looking website alone is enough to fill many prospects with confidence in your brand. With no website, potential customers might doubt your trustworthiness. 

Moreover, a website is an effective avenue to drive social proof. Social proof is an essential part of building customer trust. It’s the notion that “if others are doing it, I should do it too.” 

A website is the perfect place to showcase customer reviews, testimonials, and case studies. This is all the social proof you need to cultivate customer trust. And it’s just as well since nearly half of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. 

Also, you could display your certifications, licenses, accreditations, and endorsements on your websites. These are seals of approval, essential for winning trust with customers. 

Generate Customer and Market Insights 

A website is a key customer touch point. As such, it collects valuable data, which you can use to study your customer base and the market as a whole. 

Data gathered from a website can reveal customer behavior, needs, and preferences. It can also tell you what customers are looking for on your website and in your business. You can then apply those insights to improve the online experience and offer the services customers actually want. 

The 5 Best Website Builders for Service Business 

The first user-targeted website builders started appearing in the mid-’90s. Those were the early days of the World Wide Web. Back then, if you wanted to build a site, you only had a few options, such as Dreamweaver and GeoCities. 

Early website builders were fiddly and code-intensive. You needed to know your way around HTML tags and CSS styles. 

Things are different now. Anyone with a basic understanding of how websites work has a wide selection of builders. 

However, not all website builders are the same. Some, for instance, are meant to create specific kinds of websites. You’ll also find some that are easier to use than others. And there’s the matter of free versus paid website builders. 

But we’ve made choosing a website builder easy for you. We’ve compiled a list of the best website builders for service businesses. Weigh each option’s features, pros, and cons to make an informed decision. 

Wix 

This is one of the most popular website builders today. Wix began as a basic website builder in 2006. It’s now a global software company providing a wide range of web services, including e-commerce, digital marketing, mobile development, and more. 

Wix website builder is pretty intuitive and easy to use. It has a suite of powerful tools and resources, including 900+ templates, smart drag-and-drop, and a host of AI design features. 

Wix offers both free and paid plans. While you can still create stunning websites on the free plan, it’s quite limited. The free plan limits the site’s storage, bandwidth, and web features. Also, you can’t have a custom domain name, and Wix ads will appear on every page. 

It’s better to just get on a premium plan, starting at $17/month. 

The Pros: 

• Excellent drag-and-drop editor 

• Huge library of apps and customizable templates 

• Highly customizable 

• SEO support 

 
The Cons: 

• Wix websites are not transferable 

• No external third-party apps or plugins 

• Costly premium plans 

GoDaddy 

GoDaddy is an internet behemoth. The company is best known for searching, selling, and registering domain names. Even today, GoDaddy is still one of the largest ICANN-accredited registrars in the world. 

That aside, GoDaddy offers an easy-to-use website builder. It comes with all the usual bells and whistles—customizable templates and themes, apps, plugins, and even AI tools. 

The feature that stands out most is the built-in appointment booking tool. Other web builders do have similar features. But GoDaddy makes it much easier for service-based businesses to accept online bookings on their websites. 

You can run the builder on a limited free plan or a premium plan. The basic plan starts at $10.99 a month. 

The Pros: 

• Affordable pricing 

• Fast set-up time 

• Free domain and SSL 

• Unmetered bandwidth 

• Free 30-day trial 

The Cons: 

• Limited design options and customization 

• Prices go up after the first annual renewal 

• Small app market 

WordPress.com 

WordPress.com offers powerful website building and hosting tools at reasonable prices. To be clear, WordPress.com is not WordPress.org. 

WordPress.org is a free, open-source content management system (CMS) and blogging platform. That’s the “WordPress” most people are familiar with. You can also build websites with WordPress.org, but it takes skills and a fair bit of coding. 

On the other hand, WordPress.com has true drag-and-drop capabilities. You can think of it as a higher-level WordPress builder since it uses code from WordPress.org.  

But to be fair, WordPress.com makes it so much easier for non-developers to build and run WordPress-based sites. 

WordPress.com offers a wealth of customizable themes, templates, plugins, and apps. The Starter pack is also pretty affordable at $4/month, although you’d be better off with the $8/month Explorer package. 

The Pros: 

• Massive library of website-building resources 

• Free plan 

• Excellent blogging features 

• Useful SEO tools 

• Expandable functionality with third-party apps 

The Cons: 

• Not very beginner-friendly 

• Most templates lean heavily toward blogging 

Hostinger

Hostinger was founded in 2004 as a web hosting company. In 2019, it introduced a no-code website builder aimed at small and medium-sized businesses. 

The website builder sits on an easy-to-use platform featuring a smart drag-and-drop editor. You can play around with 150 templates to create stunning web pages for your service business. All plans come with SEO guidance and an array of AI tools. 

Speaking of AI, Hostinger recently launched its AI Website Builder. It’s a multi-lingual AI builder that will create and host a full-fledged website in just four clicks. 

In terms of pricing, Hostinger boasts the best value for money in the business. The Premium website builder plan costs $11.99 on the first month and $7.99/month afterward. If you pay four years upfront, it’ll cost you only $2.99/month. 

The Pros: 

• Competitive pricing 

• Powerful AI and SEO tools 

• Free website migration 

• 30-day money-back guarantee 

• 7-day free trial for the AI builder 

The Cons: 

• Limited storage and bandwidth 

• Requires long-term commitment to get the best bargain 

• Low flexibility once the website is live 

Squarespace 

Squarespace is the brainchild of Anthony Casalena. What started in 2003 as a personal project has now grown into one of the most popular DIY website builders. 

Squarespace is favored for its award-winning templates, which have a clean, modern look. The drag-and-drop editor is also quick and easy to use. 

Another outstanding feature is support for accelerated mobile pages (AMP). AMP is an HTML framework that optimizes web pages and web content for mobile browsing. It improves a site’s loading time and useability on smartphones and tablets, enhancing the overall user experience. 

The builder also has an inbuilt invoice feature, a useful tool for service businesses. It lets you schedule, receive, and track payments for bookings on your site. 

Prices start at $16 a month (billed annually). For that, you get the core website builder, a free domain, and free hosting. 

The Pros: 

• AMP support, including mobile testing 

• Smart template builder with Squarespace Blueprint AI 

• 14-day free trial 

• Over 100 fully responsive templates 

• Unlimited storage and bandwidth 

The Cons: 

• Limited design flexibility 

• Relatively difficult to navigate, especially for newbies 

• Limited customer support 

How to Choose the Right Website Builder for Your Business 

Building a website can be frustrating when using the wrong tools. Plus, it’ll probably result in a website that’s unfit for your service business. 

So, how do you choose the best website builder for your business? 

Here’s a 4-step guide to doing just that: 

Step 1: Define Your Online Goals 

What sort of website are you looking to create? Do you want a simple static website or a multi-functional website with active features? It all comes down to your business’s online needs and goals. 

Given your marketing and customer engagement goals, you might want a website with the following features: 

• Local SEO-optimized pages 

• Branded themes 

• Blog section 

• Chatbot or live chat console 

• Service booking page 

• Online payment system 

• Customer sign-up page 

• Reviews and testimonial page 

List out all the desired features and functions. This list will be your rubric for vetting website builders. 

Step 2: Rate Your Web Development Skills 

How much do you know about web design and development? 

While DIY website builders are purpose-built for non-developers, some do require working knowledge of web design and development. In other words, your skill level will determine which website builder you can use. So, on a scale of novice to expert, how do you rate your web design skills? 

Step 3: Research Website Builders 

The software market is awash with website builders. Each builder is unique and has its own set of pros and cons. 

Do your due diligence and research website builders. Start with the list we’ve discussed above. Then, visit online software comparison sites, read user reviews, and ask web experts for recommendations. You could even contact the vendors to learn more about their website builders. 

Shortlist a handful of options based on these factors: 

• Ease of use 

• Customer support 

• Customization options 

• Design flexibility 

• SEO friendliness 

• Available web features and functions 

• Value for money 

Step 4: Try Various Options 

After narrowing down to a few website builders, it’s time to try them out. Most website builders offer a free plan or a limited trial period. Some, like we saw with Hostinger, have a money-back guarantee. So, you can try each builder out before committing. 

Take notes on each website builder’s characteristics. Does it deliver on all its promises—user-friendliness, customization, flexibility, etc.? Then, compare notes from all the different options and find your winner.