At Roofing Webmasters, publishing high-quality roofing websites is what we do. Still, contractors want to know about website builders, what they are, and how they can help increase their online presence.
As a result, The Webmasters produced a website builder called DataPins for our clients. But before we delve into what DataPins can do for local roofing websites, you should first understand website builders in general.
What is a Roofing Website Builder?
A roofing website builder is a program or platform that enables you to manually create a professional-looking website without coding experience.
Many site builders have grown in popularity as business owners take on digital marketing tasks on their own rather than paying for professional roofing website design.
Best Website Builder for a Roofing Company
Roofing Webmasters with DataPins is the top website builder for roofing companies in 2024.
DataPins allows roofing contractors to auto-publish completed jobs onto relevant city and service pages. Performing your regular work results in thousands of optimized web pages for local roofers.
Other Website Builders for Roofing Businesses
Although Roofing Webmasters is the clear-cut #1 website builder for roofing businesses globally, other options exist for contractors looking to perform DIY website design.
You can see a complete list below:
WordPress
WordPress powers nearly half of all active websites, making it the most popular website design platform. However, WordPress.org differs from WordPress.com in that it serves as a DIY website builder.
WordPress.com is self-hosted, while WordPress.org is a content management system with open-source design capabilities. Using the CMS typically requires professional design assistance or at least a WordPress theme.
The WordPress CMS also plugs in with compatible 3rd-party website builders like Elementor. Plugins alone make WordPress CMS one of the best platforms to build a roofing company website.
Conversely, WordPress.com does not require a separate hosting account, and the interface is a simple drag-and-drop. Despite its ease of use, WordPress.com has more limitations than its CMS counterpart.
Consider that many top global websites, including Microsoft and WhiteHouse.gov, use WordPress CMS. Local contractors can’t go wrong with choosing WordPress to publish their business websites.
Wix
You have probably seen commercials for Wix, a well-known website builder that relies on cloud hosting. Wix is one of the most simple builders available to roofing contractors. Nearly 2% of all websites use Wix.
A primary Wix benefit is its complete hosting, which precludes roofers from purchasing a different hosting plan. In addition, Wix provides several hundred template options for businesses to select for their new website.
Like WordPress plugins, Wix provides app options, both free and paid, that help enhance your site template. Some come from 3rd party developers, while others come directly from Wix developers.
Wix provides a cost-free plan for frugal contractors that limits both storage and bandwidth. Still, the free program gives companies a risk-free look at what the platform can do for an online presence.
In addition, free users can easily upgrade their plans to unlock more advanced features.
One significant downside of Wix is that you can decide to leave the platform for WordPress or another website builder. Moving a Wix website is a massive pain.
Most webmasters end up redesigning their entire website rather than going through the trouble.
Squarespace
Like Wix, Squarespace is a user-friendly website builder that allows roofers to craft a professional-looking design in minutes.
Though it lacks WordPress’s advanced customization tools, Squarespace is easy to use. About 1.8% of all websites use Squarespace.
Squarespace comes with world-renowned hosting that allows roofing companies to focus on publishing content and increasing conversion rates.
In addition, the platform offers a wide variety of template designs, including the option to use multiple templates at once.
Squarespace simplifies content editing by providing editable templates. Users can point their mouse anywhere on the template and begin typing their content, as well as drag elements anywhere on the page.
One major downside to Squarespace is its lack of integrations.
Unlike WordPress, which offers the ability to connect with a whole host of third-party enhancements, Squarespace relies heavily on its own framework.
The good news is that roofing companies can claim a Squarespace website for as little as $12 per month, with the option to upgrade plans for more advanced features.
Weebly
Weebly is a highly-regarded website builder for roof contractors and offers many designs, templates, and functionalities.
As a result, the everyday internet user can easily design a professional-looking roofing website with zero coding experience.
Like Wix and Squarespace, Weebly is fully hosted, meaning roofers won’t need to invest in a hosting account from a 3rd-party provider.
In addition, it comes with an excellent selection of templates so contractors without coding experience can shape the visual components of their website.
For example, Weebly features built-in contact forms, sliders, and photo galleries, allowing roofing contractors to manually alter the site’s appearance. Beginners will find Weebly especially easy to use.
Weebly offers a basic free plan, which users can upgrade at any time.
However, keep in mind that free plans automatically show ads for Square on your website, which can deter some roofing companies from going cost-free.
Duda
Duda stands out from most other website builders because it is fully white-label. Its features also focus on SEO-friendly strategies to empower DIY website designers to produce a high-ranking roofing company website.
Duda comes with AWS hosting with paid plans ranging from $14 to $44, depending on how many websites you need.
For example, as a roofing company, you probably only need one site, in which case you can pay $14 per month.
Duda provides many high-quality features, including custom widgets that you can drag and drop throughout your website.
Like Weebly, Duda offers custom contact forms and click-to-call buttons to increase conversions.
Editing content on Duda is more complex than on WordPress, though it’s still relatively simple. However, you will need to add a separate block for images, making pasting content from another file a bit of a pain.
Still, Duda is a great option for local roofers looking to publish a website online.
In addition, DIY website designers will find the drag-and-drop functionality helpful and easily insert contact options to increase leads and customers.
Website Builder FAQ
As a local contractor, you probably have many questions about website builders and their proper use.
The good news is that Roofing Webmasters has decades-worth of experience producing roofing websites that rank.
Below are some of the most frequently asked website builder questions.
Do Website Builders Limit SEO?
Some website builders limit SEO potential while others enhance it. For example, Roofing Webmasters with DataPins or WordPress virtually guarantees a strong SEO presence.
However, Weebly and Wix both present SEO limitations.
Do Professional Web Designers Use Website Builders?
Most professional designers use WordPress CMS as the framework of their websites. Still, professional coding skills and knowledge are required to produce custom WordPress websites, templates, and themes for roofers.
Are Website Builder Templates Penalized for SEO?
Google publically states that templates and themes are not subject to penalties like duplicate content.
Therefore, people who suggest that website builders are duplicate content are misinformed or intentionally trying to disparage the use of website builders.
Are Website Builders Cheaper Than Professional Services?
Website builders cost less than professional web design services in almost every case. However, some amateur designers will create websites for free.
Still, your ultimate investment should depend on your business’s current position and available marketing resources.
Do I Need a Domain Name for My Website Builder?
Many website builders provide free subdomains, but every roofing company should purchase an exclusive domain name.
Subdomains, like roofcompany.weebly.com, severely limit search engine optimization. Therefore, owning your own domain name is critical to your online marketing.
