Easysite Website Builder
The market of DIY web publishing platforms seems to be not only growing, but improving with lightning speed. Recently, I came across an online website builder called Easysite and I was surprised to discover a whole pack of unparalleled business-specific solutions in their feature set. So, if you’ve taken the plunge and decided to set up a business website, join me reviewing Easysite.com, a feature-rich website builder targeting both aspiring and established entrepreneurs.
This web service debuted as a ‘family website builder’ back in 2005. Since then, it has survived a major overhaul – as of today Easysite is a solid, business-oriented website builder.
Ease of Use: The company name speaks for itself :). It’s a website builder that anyone can use, regardless of tech skills and experience. Its editor resembles Word – everything is done in the What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get editing mode. No need to write codes. Easysite is an online site builder, so there’s no need to install any programs – all you need is an Internet connection and a browser.
Flexibility: Easysite is advertised as a business-oriented website builder, so it’s suitable for creating both simple informational sites and powerful, multi-faceted business websites including web stores. Easysite allows users to add shopping carts to their websites, and lets visitors review and rate products. Other features include:
- User management: multiple contributors + site followers.
- Password-protected pages (for members only).
- Live video broadcasting.
- Live video chat room.
- Group lists + email notifications.
- Inbuilt calendar etc.
Custom domain: If you already have a domain, you can use it for your Easysite-based website – just enter the web address into the required field, the rest will be handled by the system. If not, you will get your second-level domain (like ‘yoursitename.com’) for free after your initial payment. No need to purchase a domain from a third-party registrar – everything is managed via your Easysite account.
SEO: Easysite devs rebuilt the system from the ground up to make each single page of your future website as SEO-friendly, as possible. They say that every page has a clean structure and is built with search engines in mind: no framesets, human-readable URLs and more.
Designs: Once you have registered, you will get access to the library of preset looks. These aren’t impressive, but can be easily customized by users to a certain extent. There’s also an additional service – you can hire Easysite designers to design a unique look just for your site.
Technical support: Easysite offers free technical support over phone and email. There’s also a series of step-by-step video tutorials making website building even easier.
Pricing: An Easysite account costs $19.95 per month. At this price you will get a free domain name, top-level website hosting, professional assistance and the website building system itself. There’s also a ‘We-Build-It’ plan (starts at $595, one-time payment) – you will get a ready website built according to your technical requirements (they will also upload your content). When Easysite devs finish, you’ll get a functioning, professional website that you can update yourself using an intuitive, point-and-click admin panel. Easysite doesn’t offer free accounts, but there’s a free trial version.
Possible drawbacks: Easysite seems to lack default templates. The ones they have in the collection are a bit outdated, to my mind.
The strongest side: Technical support and straightforward pricing policy. No catches, there are just two great options: the paid package and ‘We Build It’.
Conclusion
Easysite can be a great option for any business owner who wants to maintain complete control over the website design, updates and performance. It has a dead simple admin panel, responsive tech support, excellent feature-set and rather democratic prices. You can try it free of charge – sign up and enjoy their trial version to see for yourself how the platform works.
