AFFILIATE DISCLOSURE
How affiliate links work here
Some links on Small Biz Website Builder Rankings earn us a commission when you sign up with a builder. Clicking them costs you nothing extra.
The builder pays that commission, not you. Your monthly plan price, renewal rate and domain fee are the same whichever route you take to get there.
- Some links earn a commission when a reader signs up with a builder.
- Clicking these links costs the reader nothing extra.
- Commissions are paid by the builder, not charged to the reader.
Commissions never change rankings
Money from a builder cannot move its score, its position on the board, or the order of the list. Rankings are independent and are never paid placement, and the same three tests apply to every builder, whether or not it pays us.
- Commissions never change a score or a builder's place on the board. Scores are set by year-two cost, launch time and lead capture, and nothing else.
- Rankings are never paid placement. A builder cannot buy a higher position, and a builder that pays nothing is ranked by exactly the same method.
- Renewal-price warnings stay in every review, including for builders that pay us. If a plan jumps at its first anniversary, we say so.
What we rank on
Every builder on the board is scored the same way, and the score is built from what a small business actually pays and gets. Three criteria, in this order. The bill comes first, because it arrives every month for as long as the site stays live.
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1
Year-two cost
We price each builder at what it costs after the intro term ends. That includes renewal jumps, the domain renewal, business email, and any apps needed to take bookings or payments. A headline of $2.99 a month that renews at $10.99 is scored at the renewal figure.
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2
Launch time
We count the documented steps between signup and a live five-page site, because a small business owner's evenings are limited. Fewer steps and clearer setup flows score higher.
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3
Lead capture
We check whether the site turns visitors into calls, bookings and quote requests: forms, scheduling, chat and a contacts panel. A site that does not produce work is a brochure you are renting. For more on this, see our full ranking of the best website builder for small business.
Questions about our disclosure
Owners ask us the same few things about affiliate links and rankings. Here are the plain answers. If something on a builder's price looks out of date, tell us on the Contact page, and we will correct it.
Do the links cost me anything extra?
No. Clicking a builder link and signing up at the same price you would pay anyway costs you nothing extra. The commission is paid by the builder, not added to your bill.
Do commissions change the ranking?
No. Builders are ranked on year-two cost, launch time and lead capture. A builder that pays us nothing is scored by the same method as one that does, and the renewal warnings stay in every review.
How do I report a stale price or a concern?
Send it through the Contact page. Renewal-price corrections are handled first, since a changed renewal figure matters most to your monthly bill.