Web design recommendations in 2020: So for this tip, you want to be really intentional about the colors you’re selecting to represent the different elements on your website, whether that be the background navigation menu or even the fonts used to read. Remember that complementary colors help create a balanced and visually appealing website. And there are even online tools that are worthwhile checking out, which help in selecting a range of colors that fit into specific, visually appealing color palettes. Additionally, make sure you use contrasting colors for your text and for the background. So that’s really easy for your audience to read the information that you’re presenting to them. And vibrant colors whilst okay in some areas should be used sparingly, perhaps only for buttons and call to actions. Finally, don’t be afraid of negative whitespace. It will give your website a modern and uncluttered look, which is definitely something worth considering when designing a website.

One of the veterans of this list, LiveJournal (like Blogger) started life in 1999. Perhaps because of its age, it rather blurs the lines (the site says “wilfully”) between blogging and social networking. The result is more of a community that affords you your own space, but that also very much encourages communal interaction. It is possible to fashion something more private, but to get the most out of LiveJournal, you need to be prepared to delve into discussion as much as writing.

eCommerce pick: Having been founded in 1997, 3dcart is the oldest of our featured providers here. It was set up with a view to incorporating as many of the most requested e-commerce features into one platform as possible. The company says it has six core values by which it operates: ongoing innovation, good service, simple solutions, fostering trust, keeping employees and customers happy, and stimulating prosperity amongst employees and customers. Some of the platform’s innovative features include a module that users can install to offer gift-wrapping, a purchase order system, the option of running a loyalty program and the ability to offer recurring orders. Many of these features are very specific, meaning that stores can be highly tailored to the needs of each business.

In-house website management. One of the best ways to lower down the web development cost is to manage your website in-house. How in-house website management can help to reduce the website cost? You can create most of the pages yourself. You can create landing pages for your marketing campaigns without the help of your web developer. You can make minor changes on your website without hiring any web designer. You can take full control of your website so you won’t have to run after your web developer. Find additional info on How to make websites easily.

Other premium features you can make use of include customization options for personalizing the design of your calendar, integration with ecommerce tools like WooCommerce and PayPal, and the ability to accept bookings from your visitors. Some of the best premium plugins also give you the option of creating and managing multiple calendars for your website. Thankfully, with some very affordable plugins in this collection, you should be able to find a tool that matches your budget. Regardless of what type of calendar you need to add to your website or events you want to promote, you should find a suitable tool in this collection of the best event calendar plugins for WordPress.

Like Weebly, Wix is an intuitive site builder that lets you integrate a blog at the click of a button. Put simply, Wix is one of the best blog website builders around. It’s not hard to see why the Israel-based company boasts over 100 million users. You can launch a blog with your Wix site on any plan, from the Free plan upwards. However, to connect your domain name you’ll need to sign up to the $5/month Connect Domain plan. And, to get rid of Wix ads, you need to be on at least Wix Combo, at $11/month. As with Weebly, we’d recommend upgrading to a more advanced Wix account to get your own domain and get rid of adverts. It’s a small price to pay to make your blog look professional. The more professional your blog, the more readers will trust you. Think about it. When you go into a book shop, would you pick up a book that had adverts stuck all over the front cover and different authors’ names on it?

The home dashboard and toolbar is easy to understand and use, the pages are simple to edit, and updates are easy to install. Plus, WordPress notifies you when updates are needed. WordPress screenshot of the home dashboard and side toolbar with updates, pages, templates, tools, etc. WordPress’s side toolbar has categories that are easy to understand, and the home dashboard keeps you informed. The layout itself is clean and straightforward, with intuitive tools. Winner: WordPress. Thanks to a streamlined user experience and a setup that’s just a bit easier, WordPress wins this round for ease of use. Both WordPress and Drupal are open-source, so they’re both technically free, but which zero-down upfront is more worth it? Find more details on liamblogging101.com.