\n| Great customization features<\/td>\n | There could be a learning curve<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\nEase of Use 5\/5<\/h3>\nThe best part of using Wix is that you need zero knowledge of coding, yet you can customize just about anything on your website. Wix makes customizing easy with a drag-and-drop function that is intuitive and gives even the website building novice a lot of creative control.<\/p>\n Integration 4\/5<\/h3>\nThe downside to Wix is that it is not specifically designed for musicians. It is super customizable, but it can feel overwhelming to individually set up and integrate all that your music business needs to thrive online. Although it might be a learning curve, you can add a blog, a store, a booking system, and integrate a Google calendar or SoundCloud player.<\/p>\n Design Flexibility 4\/5<\/h3>\nThere are plenty of templates from which to choose (over 500), making it easy to find the exact template that fits your needs. Choosing between so many templates can feel overwhelming, but Wix makes it easier by breaking down templates by type of website.<\/p>\n You can also answer a few questions and get a free website designed just for you. The only downside is that with so much flexibility and customization, it can take some time to learn how to take advantage of Wix fully.<\/p>\n Value for Money 5\/5<\/h3>\nWix has an entirely free version of its website builder, making it possible to get your name on the web without web development funds. However, the free version is severely lacking in features, and you must have \u201cWix\u201d in the domain name, which is a not so professional option.<\/p>\n Their premium options start at $13 a month and have many more features. Depending on the amount and type of content you plan to post, you can upgrade to an unlimited, pro, or VIP account. There are also Business & eCommerce options if you plan to sell a high volume of merchandise.<\/p>\n Another reason Wix is a great value is its search engine optimization features. After answering a few questions about your website, location, and keywords, you\u2019ll get a personalized plan to help your music business get noticed in web searches. More traffic on your site means more fans and more gigs for you.<\/p>\n Bandzoogle<\/h2>\nDid you know there are website builders specifically made to meet the needs of musicians? Meet Bandzoogle<\/a>! Bandzoogle is an affordable and powerful option designed with you in mind. Here\u2019s what it has to offer:<\/p>\nEase of Use: 5\/5<\/p>\n Integration: 4\/5<\/p>\n Design Flexibility: 4\/5<\/p>\n Value for Money: 5\/5<\/p>\n Overall: 4.5<\/p>\n \n\n\n| Bandzoogle Pros<\/td>\n | Bandzoogle Cons<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| Made specifically for musicians<\/td>\n | Might require some coding knowledge to add extra features<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| Bandzoogle doesn\u2019t collect any commission fee<\/td>\n | Might need an eye for design if you veer off the template<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\nEase of Use 5\/5<\/h3>\nBandzoogle is just as easy to use as any other website builder. Like big-name builders, such as Wix or Squarespace, Bandzoogle is designed to be used without any coding knowledge. The builder features a seamless drag-and-drop function so that you can easily set up your website.<\/p>\n And if you hit a bump in the road, don\u2019t worry! Bandzoogle has a super friendly and fast chat service that connects you with an expert instantly.<\/p>\n Integration 4\/5<\/h3>\nBandzoogle offers integrations with your social media and video and audio platforms, such as SoundCloud, Bandcamp, YouTube, and Vimeo. It also offers seamless integration with GigSalad and Bandsintown.<\/p>\n Additionally, since Bandzoogle is specifically designed for musicians, it features an eCommerce option that is simple to set up. You can sell music, merchandise, downloads, and tickets completely commission-free.<\/p>\n Design Flexibility 4\/5<\/h3>\nWhat\u2019s cool about Bandzoogle is that it offers templates that focus on the design needs of musicians. The templates are even separated by music genre. And if you don\u2019t see one that fits, you can also add your own.<\/p>\n Compared to big-name website builders, Bandzoogle offers a lot more customization. Unlike Wix and Squarespace, you can customize multiple sections of your website, easily changing font and color selection. The downside to this is that you need to have an eye for design, as many colors and fonts can look sloppy.<\/p>\n Value for Money 5\/5<\/h3>\nBandzoogle\u2019s monthly rates range from $9.95 to $14.95. Considering that you get all you need to run a music business for this rate, it is a pretty stellar deal. And as we mentioned before, the real icing on the top of the cake is that Bandzoogle charges no commission on any of your sales.<\/p>\n If that didn\u2019t convince you, Bandzoogle is also equipped with search engine optimization functions that are targeted towards growing a fanbase. With this feature, you can learn about who your fans are, their location, and what they\u2019re purchasing on your website. The more you know, the more you\u2019re able to increase sales and give the fans what they what!<\/p>\n Squarespace<\/h2>\nAn equally powerful and flexible website builder, Squarespace<\/a> is a close contender with Wix. Here\u2019s what Squarespace has to offer:<\/p>\nEase of Use: 5\/5<\/p>\n Integration: 4\/5<\/p>\n Design Flexibility: 3.5\/5<\/p>\n Value for Money: 5\/5<\/p>\n Overall: 4.4<\/p>\n \n\n\n| Squarespace Pros<\/td>\n | Squarespace Cons<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| Stunning, clear designs<\/td>\n | Customizing font or type can take a learning curve<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| The cheap subscription models still look very professional<\/td>\n | Squarespace is not designed for musicians, so you might have to embed your apps<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\nEase of Use: 5\/5<\/h3>\nLike Wix, Squarespace makes it easy to create a stunning website with absolutely no coding knowledge. While it doesn\u2019t have a drag-and-drop option, Squarespace does have editable blocks of content that make updating your page almost effortless. However, since Squarespace offers more advanced design tools, if you want to change elements of the template, there can be a slight learning curve.<\/p>\n Integration 4\/5<\/h3>\nLike Wix, Squarespace is not specifically designed specifically for musicians. Therefore, you\u2019ll most likely have to embed many apps yourself. However, there are some apps that Squarespace already has integrated, such as a booking system and a calendar. Beware of extra charges, as some of these integrations will cost you an additional monthly fee.<\/p>\n Design Flexibility 3.5<\/h3>\nAs we mentioned above, Squarespace makes it harder to change elements of your template, such as font and colors. While it is possible, you have to open a separate section of the website builder and understand some basic coding terms, such as \u201cHeader.\u201d<\/p>\n On the other hand, Squarespace\u2019s insistence on a uniform template makes their designs look clean and professional. Furthermore, all their designs are mobile-friendly, and you can test how your site will look on a tablet or mobile phone right on your computer.<\/p>\n Value for Money 5\/5<\/h3>\nSquarespace is a powerful website builder that has polished and professional designs and plenty of features. The cheapest subscription option already covers a lot of features and would work well for most music businesses. However, the next subscription up offers even more for music businesses that need e-Commerce options and more ways to build their mailing list.<\/p>\n Squarespace is a solid choice for those looking to showcase a modern and crisp visual experience for their viewers and is often the choice website builder for artists.<\/p>\n Weebly<\/h2>\nWeebly<\/a> is an excellent option for budget-conscious musicians. It has the cheapest monthly rate out of the bunch and still packs a lot of punch in terms of design and features. Here\u2019s our breakdown:<\/p>\nEase of Use: 3\/5<\/p>\n Integration: 5\/5<\/p>\n Design Flexibility: 3\/5<\/p>\n Value for Money: 5\/5<\/p>\n Overall: 4<\/p>\n \n\n\n| Weebly Pros<\/td>\n | Weebly Cons<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| Contains a lot of features for the cost<\/td>\n | Not a ton of eye-catching templates<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| Makes it easy to integrate tons of features<\/td>\n | Not as intuitive to use as its contenders<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\nEase of Use 3\/5<\/h3>\nWeebly has some great features that make creating and editing pages easier, such as a drag-and-drop option similar to Wix. However, Weebly\u2019s interface isn\u2019t as intuitive as other website builders.<\/p>\n When there\u2019s a learning curve in completing the most basic functions, it can make customizing and updating your website pretty frustrating. So, while you don\u2019t need to know how to code to use Weebly, you have to spend some time learning the platform to get the most out of it.<\/p>\n Integration 5\/5<\/h3>\nOne massive plus to Weebly is that it has an incredible selection of apps that you can add to your site. You can choose from over 300 apps that will help you make your website dreams a reality.<\/p>\n The choices range from shipping apps to live chat apps that make connecting with your fan base easily. Additionally, you can add the apps with the drag-and-drop editor, so there\u2019s no need to embed it with code.<\/p>\n Design Flexibility 3\/5<\/h3>\nWeebly offers 40 templates, many of which are suitable for the music industry. The templates are straightforward and simple and are adequate for getting your name on the web.<\/p>\n The downside of Weebly\u2019s template is its simplicity, which doesn\u2019t exactly equal the clean minimalism that Squarespace provides. So, if you want a visually stunning experience for your site visitors, Weebly may not be your first choice.<\/p>\n Value for Money 5\/5<\/h3>\nLike Wix, Weebly has a free version of their platform that requires that you have \u201cWeebly\u201d in the domain name. However, you can avoid this for a reasonable price, as Weebly\u2019s paid plans start at $9 a month ($6 a month if you pay for the year in advance).<\/p>\n All of the versions (even the free version!) include search engine optimization, a great way to make your site more visible in Google searches, and gain more followers and gigs.<\/p>\n Moreover, the cheaper versions have all the features that a music business needs unless you have extensive merchandise that you are selling and shipping. In this case, you will most likely have to purchase the Performance version, which is $29 per month (still a great deal!).<\/p>\n Shopify<\/h2>\nShopify<\/a> is an excellent solution for musicians who are looking to sell a lot of merchandise. The website builder is geared towards supporting eCommerce businesses, so it already includes all the bells and whistles you need to set up an online shop. Here\u2019s our summary of the rest of its features:<\/p>\nEase of Use: 5\/5<\/p>\n Integration: 3\/5<\/p>\n Design Flexibility: 3.5\/5<\/p>\n Value for Money: 2\/5<\/p>\n Overall: 3.4<\/p>\n \n\n\n| Shopify Pros<\/td>\n | Shopify Cons<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| Great for eCommerce<\/td>\n | Shopify only offers ten free templates<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| Offers plenty of apps for integration<\/td>\n | More expensive than competitors<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\nEase of use 5\/5<\/h3>\nLike other website builders, Shopify is designed to be easy for anyone to use, despite a lack of knowledge in website development. Although it has a large number of features, the builder is structured so that it is intuitive to use.<\/p>\n If your goal is to sell a lot of merchandise, Shopify is a great choice, as it takes a lot of the headache out from setting up shop online with tools to improve sales.<\/p>\n Integration 3\/5<\/h3>\nIntegration features for Shopify are a mixed bag. On the one hand, Shopify has an impressive number of apps that can be integrated into your website, including external calendars, booking, and SoundCloud.<\/p>\n However, you must already have accounts set up with these external apps, and also manually add them one by one. So, while it is possible, it can be cumbersome.<\/p>\n Design Flexibility 3.5\/5<\/h3>\nOne downside of Shopify is that there are only ten free templates available. If you have the budget, you can pay to use additional templates; however, they come at a high cost.<\/p>\n Despite the lack of free templates, customizing your chosen template is a breeze. Shopify features a \u201ctheme editor menu,\u201d where you can change colors, fonts, and add or remove sections easily.<\/p>\n Value for Money 2\/5<\/h3>\nShopify monthly rates vary from $29 to $299 per month. Even in the lowest price bracket, you get many features, but the lowest monthly price is quite expensive compared to other general website builders, such as Squarespace and Wix.<\/p>\n Paying the higher cost would only be worth it if you plan on selling a very high volume of merchandise, which isn\u2019t usually what musicians are seeking to do with their websites. Therefore, despite the ease of use and integration capabilities of Shopify, there isn\u2019t much value to the service unless you are trying to set up an online shop.<\/p>\n Music Glue<\/h2>\nMusic Glue<\/a> is a simple website builder used by a lot of big names, such as Mogwai, Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, and Metallica. If your main goal is to sell tickets and merch, it could be the right choice for your band. Here\u2019s what it has to offer:<\/p>\nEase of Use: 4\/5<\/p>\n Integration: 2\/5<\/p>\n Design Flexibility: 2\/5<\/p>\n Value for Money: 4\/5<\/p>\n Overall: 3<\/p>\n \n\n\n| Music Glue Pros<\/td>\n | Music Glue Cons<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| Simple to set up for ticket and merchandise sales<\/td>\n | Music Glue takes 2-10% commission<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| You can add as many product images as you want<\/td>\n | There\u2019s not much flexibility with design<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\nEase of Use 4\/5<\/h3>\nMusic Glue is a simple and straightforward website builder, making it simple to set up. There aren\u2019t many bells and whistles, so if you know you need to set up an eCommerce site, Music Glue may be the easiest music-specific option.<\/p>\n Integration 2\/5<\/h3>\nBands mainly use Music Glue for selling tickets and merchandise, so the platform doesn\u2019t have extensive integration options like Weebly or Wix. However, you can integrate some critical accounts, such as Mailchimp, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.<\/p>\n Design Flexibility 2\/5<\/h3>\nThe main draw of the website builder is its optimized and SEO-friendly built-in store. The store is fully customizable to meet your needs and designed specifically for the types of sales that musicians are seeking to make.<\/p>\n You\u2019re allowed to post unlimited merchandise and unlimited product images. However, if you\u2019re looking to build a site beyond a store, Music Glue doesn\u2019t give you much flexibility.<\/p>\n Value for Money 4\/5<\/h3>\nMusic Glue is the only website builder that will allow you to build a website for free with a custom domain. The paid option gives you a lot more tools, such as pre-order and analytics, and only runs at \u00a34.99 per month. Especially if you\u2019re mainly looking to make sales, Music Glue could be a great choice.<\/p>\n However, it is important to note that Music Glue takes a cut of everything that you sell. In the free version, Music Glue takes a 10% commission, and in the paid version, they earn a 2% commission.<\/p>\n BandVista<\/h2>\nBandVista<\/a> is another simple website builder that helps get your group on the web. While it\u2019s easy to use and has features specific to musicians, its design is outdated. Here\u2019s our breakdown of why it might be the right choice for you:<\/p>\nEase of Use: 4\/5<\/p>\n Integration: 1\/5<\/p>\n Design Flexibility: 2\/5<\/p>\n Value for Money: 3\/5<\/p>\n Overall: 2.5<\/p>\n \n\n\n| BandVista Pros<\/td>\n | BandVista Cons<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| Simple to set up<\/td>\n | There aren\u2019t that many templates, and some designs are outdated<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| It is designed for musicians and has many of the features you need to promote your music<\/td>\n | BandVista doesn\u2019t make it easy to integrate social media accounts<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\nEase of Use 4\/5<\/h3>\nUsers often praise BandVista for its ease of use. The platform is simple and straightforward, and it's easy to get your website up and running without any knowledge of code or web development.<\/p>\n Integration 1\/5<\/h3>\nBandVista offers many features that musicians need directly on its website builder: a calendar, music player, mailing list, and image library. However, if you were hoping to integrate some existing accounts, such as Spotify or Instagram, BandVista doesn\u2019t make it easy.<\/p>\n It may be possible to use code to embed these features; however, BandVista doesn\u2019t provide any sort of instructions or tutorials on their website as to how to do this.<\/p>\n Design Flexibility 2\/5<\/h3>\nBandVista\u2019s templates and their design are other downsides of BandVista, depending on your style. BandVista offers a small number of templates, and they all are very similar in their design, which is quite outdated.<\/p>\n However, one benefit of BandVista is that you\u2019re able to change and update your site template at any time. Additionally, you have a good amount of control over fonts, and can easily change the header, button, and headline text styles.<\/p>\n Value for Money 3\/5<\/h3>\nBandVista\u2019s plans start at $9.95 a month, which you must pay upfront annually. That\u2019s about $120. The requirement to pay an annual rather than monthly fee, coupled with the limited design and integration options that BandVista provides, gives it less value for the money than other website builders.<\/p>\n How to Choose a Website Builder for Musicians<\/h2>\nThere\u2019s much to consider when choosing a website builder for your music business. With all the great choices available, it can feel overwhelming to make a final decision. However, if you keep your main goal in mind, you\u2019ll easily narrow down the choices.<\/p>\n Ease of Use<\/h3>\nBuilding and maintaining a website is a lot of work. Nobody wants to spend the bulk of their time figuring out how to make simple changes, especially if you do not know how to code! That\u2019s why considering how easy a website builder is to use is so important.<\/p>\n Integration<\/h3>\nIt\u2019s likely that you already have content on the web in places like Spotify, SoundCloud, Instagram, and Bandsintown. A website is a great way to bring all of this content together in one place, so your fans can find and follow you. If this is important to you, you\u2019ll want to look for a website builder with excellent integration capabilities.<\/p>\n Templates<\/h3>\nDesign is the first thing that a visitor will notice about your website. A visually stunning website can impress and draw in an audience and tell your visitors a visual story about your band. Templates and design can range from simple and straightforward to artistically crafted. What is the story that you want to tell?<\/p>\n FAQs<\/h2>\nFind answers to commonly answered questions here.<\/p>\n Which is the easiest website builder?<\/h3>\nMany of the website builders we listed are easy to use. However, the highest-ranking website builders in the \u201cEase of Use\u201d category are Wix, Bandzoogle, Squarespace, and Shopify.<\/p>\n Which website builder has the best templates?<\/h3>\nSquarespace is generally considered to have the best templates because of its clean and crisp design.<\/p>\n Which is the cheapest website builder?<\/h3>\nWix and Weebly both have free versions of their website builders, but you must use their name in your website URL. Music Glue has a free version that does not require their name in the URL; however, it has fewer capabilities than Wix and Weebly. Overall, Weebly is the cheapest option for the most features.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Building an easy-to-use and eye-catching website for your music will help you promote your work and reach a wider audience. Luckily, you don\u2019t need to be a highly skilled web developer to build an engaging and effective website. There are multiple website builders that make creating a website possible for anyone. But which website builder…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kadence_starter_templates_imported_post":false,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[81,82],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14978","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-website-builders","category-recommendations"],"acf":[],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":81,"label":"Website Builders"},{"value":82,"label":"Recommendations"}]},"featured_image_src_large":false,"author_info":{"display_name":"Tim Seidler","author_link":"https:\/\/www.webmonkey.com\/author\/timseidler\/"},"comment_info":0,"category_info":[{"term_id":81,"name":"Website Builders","slug":"website-builders","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":81,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":113,"count":34,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":81,"category_count":34,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Website Builders","category_nicename":"website-builders","category_parent":113},{"term_id":82,"name":"Recommendations","slug":"recommendations","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":82,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":81,"count":16,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":82,"category_count":16,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Recommendations","category_nicename":"recommendations","category_parent":81}],"tag_info":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.webmonkey.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14978"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.webmonkey.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.webmonkey.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.webmonkey.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.webmonkey.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14978"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.webmonkey.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14978\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.webmonkey.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14978"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.webmonkey.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14978"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.webmonkey.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14978"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}} | | | | | | |