Several of the website builders included here also offer free options. If you choose that path, your site will include the service's branding, which makes your site less impressive to savvy surfers and shoppers. Free offerings vary greatly in storage, bandwidth, and site options, so read the small print to find out how much you get with each web host. Strikingly, Weebly, and Wix are among the most generous with their free services. For more, check out the best free website builders.

In the past, building a website required significant technical expertise, including knowledge of servers, HTML, FTP, domain registrars, and web hosting services. Thankfully, website builders make the process super simple. The services included here enable you to create a well-designed, mobile-friendly site with minimal technical knowledge. They can help a small or sole proprietor business achieve profitability through buy links, online stores, and other revenue-generating options.

Larger businesses spend thousands of dollars on custom-designed and programmed sites. However, there's no need for smaller organizations and individuals to incur such expenses. For about $10 per month (or around $25 if you're selling products) and a few hours of your time, the DIY services included here can help you create a unique, eye-catching website.

With all these services, you build everything yourself, starting with a template that you choose from a (hopefully) wide and well-categorized selection. Some website builders let you restrict viewing by implementing a password and offering site memberships.

A website builder is a service that lets you create a website, typically using software featuring a simple, drag-and-drop interface for positioning text, images, and videos. But why would you need one? On a personal level, you wouldn't want to send prospective employers to your Facebook page, so a website makes more sense as an online, customized resume. On a business level, you can quickly spin up a site to focus on sales. Another reason worth considering, for both personal and business purposes, is that building your own site means endless design choices. You have total control over the products and services you sell (and how they're delivered, too).

Furthermore, having a dedicated, real site makes a business appear more authoritative and trustworthy than a Facebook presence can on its own (though you should also consider those services as part of your online presence). It's as much an opening ante in the business world as having a business card for your company.