Is Webs.com the Right Solution for Small Businesses? The website builder's pros and cons

Every small business should have a strong presence on the web. This means building an easy-to-use website that attracts leads and conversions -- and offers a good showcase for your products and services.

Easy, right? Ha!

Business owners face a slew of website building tools on the market. You quickly learn that finding a tool that is manageable and chock full of e-commerce solutions is a challenge.

One of these tools, Webs.com, has been in the business since 2001, and claims to have been the force behind more than 50 million websites -- though it's unclear how many of those sites are still active and functioning. But is the tool your best choice for building your website?

Let's examine the pros and cons of using Webs.com as a small business website builder.

Pros

Webs.com offers hundreds of mobile-optimized templates and uses a relatively easy drag-and-drop tool that allows you to add and quickly edit modules like slideshows and paragraphs on your website's homepage. There is also a membership site function that is already integrated into your website and allows you to track numbers, send messages, and add flexible security to certain pages of your site.

A variety of e-commerce features like a creation of a web store featuring products are available and things like document sharing, Etsy integrations, and SEO tools are available in an Apps store via third-party vendors and can be added to your site with a one-click feature.

Cons

Webs offers a large number of website templates, but they are not highly customizable, even with the help of a developer. While many features are available through third-party vendors, users will still be relying on a third-party should any problems arise with the apps.

Webs does offer hosting, however, if you should ever decide to switch website builders, you cannot export your site -- you will lose everything you have built.

Although Webs offers a basic free service, most small business owners will need additional features that are only available with a paid subscription plan. Additionally, the free service does not include any type of support, and only the Pro plan offers phone, live chat, and email support.

The Solution

Business owners can alleviate the stress of managing a website building tool themselves or spending money on a professional developer's services by opting to build their online shopfront using a platform, like Ocoos.

A platform is an integrated solution and refers to the underlying technology that powers software, which is maintained and updated behind the scenes, so that you are not responsible for keeping your website and its e-commerce services up to date. Your website will be optimized across different browsers and mobile devices.

Ocoos offers hosting and CRM tracking abilities, as well as a number of e-commerce tools such as messaging, interactive calendars, appointment schedulers, and maps. These e-commerce solutions are offered directly through Ocoos, so you won't be relying on third-party vendors to keep their tools updated or to handle any issues that might crop up.

A patented B2B recommendations engine links your website to partner businesses, which can drive website traffic between the two. For example, a lawn and garden supply store and a lawn care service could be connected.

Unlike many other website builders, Ocoos offers its customers a concierge service, for a fee, which will actually build and maintain your website for you. Plus, 24-hour support is available.

Finally, not only is 24-hour, US-based support available, the Ocoos platform also has a concierge service, for a fee, which will build and maintain your website.