Web.com Review PROS & CONS – Things You Need To Know About This Website Builder

In this Web.com review, I will examine what this website builder has to offer in terms of its site editor functionality and design – to help you decide if it is worth your time and effort. I will not be going into their hosting offers and other packages.

When building your website, you need to start somewhere, and Web.com promises to be just the right foundation.

The platform is primarily targeted at individuals and small businesses. Using it, you can create websites and eCommerce stores within hours and without prior web development expertise. So, what does it offer to help you reach your goals?

Web.com provides you with these tools to use:

• Website builder tool – a platform on which you customize your website.
• eCommerce builder – ability to set up an online shop.
• Online marketing tools – SEO and online advertising to increase your ranking on Google and attract customers.

 

Web.com Review

Can Web.com really be an easy-to-use tool anyone can play with to build stunning websites? To find that out, I will look at its template options, editing flexibility, features, and overall value for money.

Here’s my full review on how Web.com fares in the “website builders” game.

 

Ease Of Use

Web.com usability floats somewhere in the middle. It’s not hard to build your website, but the Web.com platform itself does not have any complex features that could potentially be complicated in the first place.

Once you choose your plan and add it to your cart, you will be redirected to a page where you can select your free domain name or connect an existing one.

You get 130+ templates to choose from. These are split into categories to make it a bit easier to find what you need. Yet let’s be honest, all of the templates look bland and similar. If you don’t find what you like, you can just use a blank template to start from scratch.

One thing that I have to give praise to is the editor’s responsiveness. Web.com uses a WYSIWYG type of interface, meaning that all changes to the website are represented immediately. And, while editing, the builder is fast to react to every move.

 

 

Furthermore, you are provided a gallery of photos and videos to fill up your website. The images are from Unsplash and all royalty-free, meaning you won’t have to pay the original creator to use them on your website. Or, you can always use your own images.

Moving forward, for the things you can change, editing and adding new text is very easy. However, the fonts you can choose from are limited to about 60 types, and you can’t import custom fonts. So if you use your own specific font, you are out of luck.

Apart from these simple things, you can also add and rearrange blocks and elements of the template. Doing so used to be extremely buggy and choppy in the past, but it has improved dramatically in recent years.

 

 

Sadly, there is a limited number of said blocks, and they cover only certain functionalities like contact forms, testimonials, and call to action. You can’t even fully edit them, and this will have your website be similar to all the others made using the platform.

You will need to scroll+drag a block if you want to reposition it on the same page. The better way⁠ — most builders use⁠ — is merely dragging, and the builder auto-scrolls.

As for their eCommerce functionality, it all integrates well with your website. You can add products, descriptions, and categories with only a few clicks. Managing sales, discounts, orders, etc., is just as streamlined and straightforward.

However, I suggest choosing a proper eCommerce platform if selling products is your primary goal. With Web, there are restrictions on how many maximum products you can list, which is 500.

 

Templates

Web.com has 138 ready-to-use editable templates. Some of which are great, while most are mediocre and, in my opinion, a bit dated.

These templates are divided across categories such as “Portfolio,” “Business,” “Services,” etc. While some categories might have a nice and big selection of templates, others only have very few options to work with.

 

 

Apart from everything already discussed, a few additional features will quicken up your website building process. Let’s take a look at them right now.

You can add pre-made, customizable contact forms using Web.com’s website builder. Most of their multi-page templates have a separate contact page pre-installed.

Testimonials add to the trustworthiness factor, especially if you are in the service business. And, like with “Contact” blocks, Web.com has numerous, easily-editable “Testimonials” blocks in which you can quote your client’s reviews about your services or products.

If you are investing in a website, you are definitely looking for ROI (return on investment). Whether it’s collecting emails or selling by offering discounts, properly designed CTA (call to action) blocks or landing page can do wonders for your business. And, Web.com has some really good “Call to Action” blocks which are very well designed and can liven up any website.

Yet if you want a professional-looking website that is also unique, you sadly won’t be able to achieve that. The blocks aren’t editable, so you are left with pretty much the same pre-built thing you get.

Overall, Web.com’s templates lack in quality and quantity. They are workable but a dealbreaker for me, especially considering all the alternatives out there. The blocks are meant to make it easier for you, but it’s frustrating that you can’t edit them. Eventually, you are left with a feeling of incompleteness.

 

Business Features

Web.com’s primary focus is small businesses and individuals looking to set an online footprint easily. Therefore, it should ideally have everything a business might need to conquer the online world. Well, it does have a few features, but it also misses out on quite a few as well.

 

Email Account

Having a professional email certainly builds credibility. With Web.com, you can create a professional account for free. Not all builders offer a professional email address. You will also get 25 GB of space.

 

eCommerce

Web.com allows you to build an online store. You can easily add products payment options, change store layout, and do much more.

Web.com’s eCommerce service is limited to adding a maximum of 500 products. If you are planning to have a small to medium website and sell something like a course or an exclusive product, it’s a decent choice, but there are better platforms out there.

Adding a product is as straightforward as it gets. Once you click on the “Store” option in the site editor, you will find an “Add Product” button. Simply click it and fill in product details such as name, category, description, image, price, etc.

After that, you merely need to click SAVE and PUBLISH, and you have the product on your site.

Although, before that, you need to fill in some crucial store information like shipping, taxes, and payment options. You can choose from Square, Stripe, Paypal, or other 50+ payment processors Web.com supports.

You can also set email notifications for yourself as well as the buyer. You can get email notifications about a payment your customers made, what they bought or if they abandoned the cart. Also, you can instantly send the customer their receipt or any other information upon purchase.

All in all, Web.com does provide e-commerce functionality, but it’s not recommended if scaling the store is a part of your future plans.

 

Marketing Features

Marketing plays a significant role in a business’s success. As I have found out during my Web.com review, the platform offers only a part of essential marketing features.

You can integrate social sharing buttons, your Facebook page, Twitter post & list, and an Instagram feed in a simple drag-and-drop manner. Apart from these, you can also embed the Pinterest button, videos, and a gallery to market your product and/or service.

Moreover, Web.com allows you to integrate Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager, which help you collect data on what your website visitors do and then optimize your design based on the information.

For your eCommerce store, you can create coupon codes. This way, you can provide your customers with personalized coupons to further incentivize using your shop.

In a nutshell, Web.com offers some crucial business-friendly features, which help you attract potential customers and gather data.

 

Pricing

Web.com website builder plans start at $10/month. Depending on your needs, you have plans Starter $10/month, Marketing $15/month, and eCommerce $20/month.

 

 

Sadly, there is no free trial or free plan for you to test out the builder before making a purchase.

You will also have to choose your billing period, be it monthly or yearly. Keep in mind that the prices differ for each billing period. Unfortunately, there is also no option to see pricing plans for website builder until you go through the setup process.

With all these plans, you get a few freebies as well – a business email address, an essential SSL certificate that will significantly boost visitors’ trust in your website, and a free domain name.

The domain name is free for only one year, though it will auto-renew at the regular price with the second billing cycle.

Besides the website editor, Web.com offers some additional design and marketing services.

Unfortunately, the pricing on these services is not clear, and you will have to call an 800 number and provide your contact details to find out how much you will be paying for these additional plans or contact support via chat. Also, the price scales with the size of your project.

Furthermore, I advise you to be very careful as you can’t cancel your plan without calling technical support for them to do it manually. I had to call Web.com support during their working hours. After swearing multiple times that I’m sure I wanted to cancel, they finally seemed to give up. But I was wrong.

Yet even after that, I kept getting calls from Web.com trying to up-sell me their plans and offering discounts, asking what I didn’t like with their platform. I wish I could just say “Unsubscribe” and end the call.

One thing is certain – this aggressive marketing strategy does not encourage people to get back to using Web.com.

And if you wanted to ask support via chat about the features, they are also not very helpful. I was on a chat asking about features, and a support member just left the chat when I was asking too many questions. I guess he was not in the mood to answer them.

Overall, you get three plans to choose from and no option to try out the builder for free. Some additional services don’t have clear pricing plans set in place. Also, be aware of some not-so-great business practices that will test your nerves.

 

Web Review Conclusion

Web.com’s website builder and templates are enough to make a basic website, but that’s about it. Web.com is simple to use, but that comes at the price of missing features. For example, you can add up to 500 products, and their eCommerce platform can be a gimmick for people serious about running an eCommerce store.

Furthermore, their server performance, combined with their poorly optimized templates, result in long loading times. You can get the same or better speed from free or really cheap providers.

I’m going to be honest. Web.com works. It functions as it should, giving you templates and eCommerce functionality (although lacking features). It will be more than enough to run a small successful website for some people. Yet you can get a lot more for a lot less with other providers.

I would suggest avoiding using Web.com and using one of the many great alternative options.

 

Web.com Alternatives

After reading this Web.com review, you know the facts about this builder. Thus, looking for alternatives is sadly inevitable. Let me simplify it by listing three of the top options that I could recommend.

 

Wix

Wix is quite possibly the most popular website builder on the globe. You have a myriad of editable template choices and features. It gives you great customization options and an extremely easy-to-use drag-and-drop editor. If you are looking for extensive customization options, which you don’t get with Web.com, this is the choice for you.

Be sure also to check Wix vs. Shopify, Wix vs. Jimdo, and Wix vs. Webs comparison.

 

Squarespace

Squarespace is another excellent option at your disposal. They have fantastic templates, and the platform is relatively easy to use. It is great for website-building beginners and veterans alike.

For more info, check Squarespace vs. BigCommerce comparison.

 

WordPress.com

WordPress.com is one of the best choices out there for those looking to craft a professional blog. Although lacking in eCommerce functionality, this platform can be integrated with numerous plugins to enhance functionality.

For more info, you can check WordPress vs. GoDaddy builder.