Best Website Builder for Writers

Best Website Builder for Writers [5 Easy Tools]

Do you want to sell more of what you write? Having a good author website is critical. With an online builder tool, you can launch a high-quality site in just one day, even if you have no programming or graphic-design skills. These tools are very affordable, much cheaper than hiring a web developer. So, what's the best website builder for writers? Check out these 5 options and choose which is best for you.   

Best website builders for writers

1. Wordpress
2. Weebly
3. MailerLite
4. Squarespace
5. Wix

Below, I give you an overview of each tool, including pricing, pros, and cons.

Wordpress website builder for writers

Before you build your website, you need a domain name. For a writer, this would ideally be "your name" followed by ".com." Bluehost is a platform that sells domain names very cheaply (along with hosting services to assure your site is fast and secure). When you get your domain from them, they give you WordPress at no additional cost.

Getting WordPress through Bluehost keeps things easy, because your domain name, hosting, and website content can all be purchased in one simple, low-cost package. And you can manage everything in one place.

Once you get a package from Bluehost, you'll have access to WordPress design themes. Pick one that has a layout and color scheme you like. From there, you'll have access to a simple editing tool, where you can create pages on your website and add content to them, like your book covers and blurbs.

WordPress and Bluehost - pricing

• The Basic plan is $2.95/month
• The Choice Plus plan is $5.45/month - it includes some added security features and more storage

WordPress and Bluehost - pros and cons

​Pros

• Very affordable
• Your domain, hosting, and website content is managed in one place
• You have access to an extensive library of WordPress plugins, which can add specialized features to your site

Cons

• Though the default page editor is simple, it's not quite as easy to use as others
• You can install plugins to enhance the editor, but this can take a bit of time

WordPress and Bluehost - next steps

Want to learn more about WordPress and Bluehost? Or, are you ready to try it? Just visit the Bluehost website:

Visit Site

Weebly website builder for writers

Like WordPress and Bluehost, with Weebly, you can buy a domain name, hosting, and website builder from one place. Where Weebly stands out is its ease of use. Its drag-and-drop website builder is extremely simple.

Unlike WordPress, Weebly doesn't give you access to a vast library of plugins for specialized features. However, if you just want a nice-looking site to showcase your books (or other type of writing), the plugin limitations shouldn't matter.

Another good feature of Weebly is its e-commerce capabilities. The platform is owned by the e-commerce company Square. When selling books from a website, many writers simply link to their books' pages on Amazon, however, some writers like selling books directly.

If you're interested in processing credit card payments on your site and delivering orders to readers, Weebly - with its integrated Square technology - is a great choice.        

Weebly - pricing

• A Personal plan is $10/month, billed annually
• A Professional plan is $12/month, billed annually - it includes a free domain name and more storage
• A Performance plan is $26/month, billed annually - it includes more e-commerce features

Weebly - pros and cons

​Pros

• ​Your domain, hosting, and website content is managed in one place
• Very easy to use
• Automatically integrates with Square

Cons

• More expensive than WordPress
• Less plugins than WordPress, for specialized features

Weebly - next steps

​Want to learn more about Weebly? Or, are you ready to try it? Just visit the Weebly website:

Visit Site

MailerLite website builder for writers

MailerLite is primarily known as an email marketing service, however, it also offers a robust, drag-and-drop website builder.

An email list is a key part of an author's marketing platform. Regardless of where you get your website, I strongly recommend you subscribe to a high-quality email marketing system, too. MailerLite - which is the most popular email service for authors - gives you email marketing and a site in one package.

Though other website builders on this list offer emailing capabilities, the features aren't nuanced enough to support the level of email automation most writers need.   

A MailerLite package does come with web hosting, however, you can't buy your domain name from them. You can, however, buy a domain cheaply on Bluehost, then very easily integrate it with MailerLite.

MailerLite - pricing

• ​The Growing Business plan starts at $9/month, billed yearly
• The Advanced plan starts at $18/month, billed yearly - it includes some advanced marketing features
• The plans increase in price as the size of your email list goes up

MailerLite - pros and cons

​​Pros

• Very easy to use
• A leading email marketing system is included in your plan - something a writer should definitely have, in general

​
Cons

• You can't buy a domain name from them (though you can easily integrate one purchased elsewhere)
• The price of your plan can go up over time, however, the same is true for all popular email marketing systems 

MailerLite - next steps

​​Want to learn more about MailerLite's website builder and email marketing platform? Or, are you ready to try MailerLite? Just visit their website:

Visit Site

Squarespace website builder for writers

Squarespace offers easy-to-build websites, hosting, and domain names. However, it is more expensive than the tools mentioned above.

Squarespace - pricing

• ​A Personal plan is $16/month, billed annually
• ​A Business plan is $23/month, billed annually - it includes some e-commerce capabilities
• ​A Basic Commerce plan is $27/month, billed annually - it includes more e-commerce capabilities
• ​An Advanced Commerce plan is $49/month, billed annually - it includes even more e-commerce capabilities

Squarespace - pros and cons

​Pros

• Very easy to use
• Your domain, hosting, and website content is managed in one place

​
Cons

• More expensive than almost all other website builders on this list
• Most plans include various e-commerce features that are only relevant to writers selling books directly to readers 

Squarespace - next steps

​​​Want to learn more about Squarespace? Or, are you ready to try it? Just visit the Squarespace website:

Visit Site

Wix website builder for writers

Wix offers easy-to-build websites, hosting, and domain names. However, it is more expensive than all the tools listed above.

Wix - pricing

• A Light plan is $16/month
• A Core plan is $27/month - it includes some e-commerce capabilities
• A Business plan is $32/month - it includes more e-commerce capabilities
• A Business Elite plan is $159/month - it includes even more e-commerce capabilities

Wix - pros and cons

​​Pros

• Very easy to use
• Your domain, hosting, and website content is managed in one place

​
Cons

• More expensive than all other website builders on this list
• Most plans include various e-commerce features that are only relevant to writers selling books directly to readers 

Wix - next steps

​​​​Want to learn more about Wix? Or, are you ready to try it? Just visit the Wix website:

Visit Site

Frequently asked questions about website builders for writers

What is the best website builder for a writer?

​Though WordPress offers a lot of customization options, if you don't need specialized features, you may be better off with a simple, yet effective, site from Weebly. If you'd like to manage your site and email marketing service with one system, MailerLite may be ideal for you.    

Is Wix good for an author website?

An author can make a well-designed website on Wix, however, the platform is more expensive than comparable ones, like Weebly. If you plan to sell books from your website by linking to Amazon, instead of selling them directly to readers, you don't need to pay for Wix's e-commerce features.

Should writers have their own websites?

Yes. Though you can grow your author platform via social media, having a website can grow it even more. You can customize the layout, links, images, and videos on your landing pages, encouraging visitors to take the actions you want, like signing up for your email list or buying a book.      

How do I create a website for a writer?

First, decide if you want to sell books directly to your readers via e-commerce, or simply direct readers to Amazon. Choose a plan from a website builder service that has what you need, yet isn't charging you for features you don't expect to use. WordPress and Weebly are two popular choices.

What should a writer's website look like?

Your website should appeal to readers in your genre with its colors, fonts, images, and videos. Home pages often feature a special offer, like a free reader magnet. Each book usually has a dedicated page with purchase links, and the author typically has a bio page, with contact info.


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