I’ve seen many academics on Twitter ask “What’s the best website builder?” without considering their own goals and needs for their website. When you choose a website builder without considering your goals and needs, you will find its limitations and waste time if you switch website builders constantly.
In this post, you’ll learn
- How to choose a website builder for your personal academic website
- Which website builder is right for you
- Why I don’t recommend Github, Wix, and Weebly
How do I choose a website builder for my personal academic website?
Before you build your personal academic website, consider what features you need or want on your website.
- Do you plan to have a static website and only change it once in a while?
- Do you plan to blog, podcast, or feature other multimedia often?
- Do you want minimal or extensive design capabilities?
Next, consider how much time you want to spend learning how to use the website builder. Each website builder has its own learning curve and time investment required. For example, Owlstown has minimal time investment, while WordPress has extensive time investment.
Lastly, consider your budget. A yearly subscription to a website builder can cost between $12 to over $150 per year to maintain, depending on which website builder you choose.
Which website builder is right for me?
Inside my free resource, the Website Starter Kit, there’s a chart that compares the following website builders: Owlstown, Google Sites, Squarespace, WordPress.com, and self-hosted WordPress.org. I also rank each website builder by ease of use, initial setup time, and customization level.
- Ease of Use: ranges from very simple to very complex. Very complex means you either need to put more time to learn how to setup and use and be careful if you DIY or find a professional to help you.
- Initial Setup Time: ranges from less than 1 hour to at least 1 week. This estimate assumes that you have your website content prepared beforehand.
- Customization Level: ranges from low to high. High means that you can theoretically customize every single element on the website, if you know how to do it.
You can get the Website Starter Kit here. I’ve also summarized my recommendations below:
- Owlstown is good for you if you’re an academic and you don’t want to spend too much time creating your own website.
- Google Sites is good for you if you want to create a starter website for yourself or a project on a budget.
- Squarespace is good for you if you want a simple and customizable all-in-one option to build your online presence long-term.
- WordPress.com is good for you if you want a simple way to blog and test out WordPress software.
- Self-hosted WordPress.org is good for you if you’re ready to learn how to use a highly technical and customizable platform to build your online presence long-term. (Recommended for highly technical/veteran/advanced website owners only!)
Why can’t I use Github, Wix, or Weebly?
I have not used Github personally, but I have tested out Wix and Weebly before. Here are my observations and reasons for not recommending these three platforms.
Based on what I’ve observed, Github is probably best for those who already use Github on a regular basis. If you don’t already use Github normally, then I would not recommend it. If you don’t have any coding knowledge, you would need to watch tutorials to learn how to use Github to set up a page and add content. You may waste more time and get more frustrated.
I don’t recommend Wix and Weebly because of their clunky interface, poor website functionality, and low value. Their clunky interface can overwhelm new users and can be glitchy at times. Although they have basic functions, any type of additional functionality requires upgrading and additional purchases. At their current pricing, Wix and Weebly are not worth it, compared to the recommended website builders.
Final Thoughts
Choose the website builder that fits your needs and wants. If you’re already satisfied with what you have, then keep on with it. If you can’t decide, start with Owlstown and see how you like it. After a few months, reevaluate to see if you want something different.
Ultimately, the website builder does not matter as much as your website content. That’s why it’s important to have a website strategy. To get started with your personal academic website, download the Website Starter Kit.
If you thought Squarespace is the best option for you, then you might be interested in the Website Setup Workshop. In the Website Setup Workshop, you’ll learn how to setup and create an engaging and effective personal academic website to showcase your work with Squarespace.
This is ideal for STEM graduate students and early career researchers who want to not only create their website, but also optimize their website so they can level up in their careers & get paid for their expertise. Click here to join the Website Setup Workshop!