In today’s digital age, having an online presence is crucial for businesses, creatives, and entrepreneurs. However, building a website from scratch often seems like a daunting task. Many individuals and small businesses may not have the resources to hire developers or the technical skills to create websites on their own. This is where Strikingly comes in—a website builder designed to be simple, intuitive, and effective for users of all skill levels. Whether you’re launching a business, building a personal brand, or showcasing your portfolio, Strikingly has become a go-to solution for creating professional-looking websites quickly.
In this comprehensive overview, we’ll dive deep into what Strikingly offers, its core features, pricing, and why it’s a popular choice among entrepreneurs and creatives alike.
What is Strikingly?
Strikingly is a website-building platform that allows users to create stunning, responsive websites without needing extensive coding or design skills. Launched in 2012, it caters to users who need to create a website quickly and easily, with a particular emphasis on one-page websites. This platform is well-known for its user-friendly interface, sleek designs, and the ability to publish a fully functional website in minutes.
The tool is particularly popular among freelancers, small business owners, startups, and creatives looking for a simple way to establish an online presence. Its drag-and-drop functionality, customizable templates, and responsive design make it accessible to virtually anyone with an idea or project to showcase.
Key Features of Strikingly
1. User-Friendly Interface
Strikingly is celebrated for its intuitive drag-and-drop builder, which allows users to add and organize content blocks with ease. You don’t need any prior coding knowledge to create a beautiful, fully functional site. The user interface is clean and streamlined, making the entire website-building process feel approachable even for beginners.
2. Responsive Design
One of the standout features of Strikingly is that all the templates are mobile-optimized right out of the box. This ensures that your site looks great on any device—whether it’s a smartphone, tablet, or desktop computer. With the growing number of users accessing websites from mobile devices, this is an essential feature that saves time and effort.
3. One-Page Website Option
Strikingly initially gained popularity for its one-page website format. These sites are perfect for portfolio showcases, small businesses, landing pages, and event pages. The simplicity of a single page eliminates the need for navigation menus and multiple sections, making it easier for visitors to get the information they need quickly.
4. Customizable Templates
Strikingly offers a wide variety of templates across different industries, including eCommerce, blogs, portfolios, events, and personal websites. All templates are fully customizable, allowing you to tweak colors, fonts, and layouts to suit your brand. Whether you prefer minimalist designs or something more creative, Strikingly has you covered.
5. Built-In eCommerce Functionality
Strikingly also comes with built-in eCommerce tools that allow you to sell products directly from your website. While it’s not as robust as dedicated eCommerce platforms like Shopify or WooCommerce, it’s a great option for small businesses or individuals selling a limited range of products. You can manage inventory, accept payments through PayPal and Stripe, and create an online store in minutes.
6. Blogging Capabilities
For users interested in content marketing or personal expression, Strikingly offers a blogging feature. Although the blogging tools are basic compared to WordPress, they are sufficient for simple blog posts, articles, and updates. You can easily organize your posts, add images, and share your content on social media platforms directly from the website builder.
7. SEO Tools
Strikingly makes it easy for users to optimize their websites for search engines. You can edit page titles, meta descriptions, alt text for images, and use SEO-friendly URLs to improve visibility on Google and other search engines. While it doesn’t have advanced SEO tools, it covers the essential aspects of search engine optimization.
8. Free Domain and Hosting
When you sign up for one of Strikingly’s paid plans, you get a free domain for a year. In addition, Strikingly takes care of all the web hosting requirements, ensuring that your site is up and running without needing to worry about backend infrastructure.
9. Analytics and Insights
Strikingly provides basic analytics so you can monitor traffic, visitor behavior, and other key metrics. You can track where your visitors are coming from, which pages they spend time on, and more. For more detailed analytics, you can integrate your site with Google Analytics.
10. Social Media Integration
Strikingly allows you to seamlessly integrate your website with social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. You can easily add social media buttons to your site to encourage sharing and boost your online presence.
Strikingly Plans and Pricing
Strikingly offers four pricing tiers, designed to cater to different user needs:
- Free Plan: This plan allows users to create a basic website with limited features. You get 5 GB monthly bandwidth, access to Strikingly’s templates, and a Strikingly subdomain (e.g., yoursite.strikingly.com). While the free plan is great for testing the platform, it comes with the Strikingly branding.
- Limited Plan ($12/month): Ideal for individuals or small businesses that need a custom domain and more features. This plan includes 50 GB bandwidth, the ability to connect your own domain, and basic eCommerce functionality for up to five products.
- Pro Plan ($20/month): The most popular option, the Pro Plan unlocks advanced features such as password protection, multiple pages, eCommerce for up to 300 products, custom form creation, and more bandwidth.
- VIP Plan ($59/month): The top-tier plan, suitable for businesses with higher demands. It includes priority customer support, advanced features, and eCommerce for unlimited products.
All paid plans come with 24/7 customer support, a free domain for one year, and SSL security, ensuring your site is safe and secure.
Why Strikingly is a Great Choice for Entrepreneurs
1. Fast and Easy Setup
One of the biggest advantages of Strikingly is how quickly you can get your website up and running. For entrepreneurs and startups, time is money, and Strikingly’s fast setup can save precious hours. The platform allows you to create a professional-looking website in less than an hour, letting you focus on other important aspects of your business.
2. Low-Cost Solution
Strikingly is a cost-effective solution, especially for entrepreneurs on a tight budget. The free plan is a great starting point, and even the paid plans are affordable compared to hiring a web developer. With features like eCommerce and built-in SEO tools, you get excellent value for your money.
3. Scalable Options
As your business grows, Strikingly can grow with you. You can start with a simple one-page website and gradually add more pages, features, or products as your needs evolve. This scalability makes it a flexible option for businesses of all sizes.
4. Professional Design Without Coding
Entrepreneurs who want a professional-looking website without spending time learning HTML or CSS will find Strikingly’s drag-and-drop builder a perfect match. The professionally designed templates make your site look polished and aesthetically pleasing with minimal effort.
Drawbacks of Strikingly
While Strikingly is a fantastic platform for certain use cases, there are a few limitations:
- Limited Customization: While the templates are beautiful, they aren’t as customizable as those on more advanced platforms like WordPress. If you need extensive customization or complex functionality, Strikingly may feel limiting.
- Basic Blogging Features: For users focused on content creation and blogging, Strikingly’s blogging feature is fairly basic. If blogging is a core part of your strategy, you may want to consider other platforms like WordPress.
- eCommerce Limitations: While Strikingly’s eCommerce functionality works well for small stores, it’s not suitable for businesses with a large inventory or complex eCommerce needs.
Conclusion
Strikingly is an excellent option for individuals, entrepreneurs, and small businesses looking for an easy-to-use website builder. Its user-friendly interface, responsive design, and built-in eCommerce tools make it a powerful platform for creating professional websites without the need for coding knowledge. While it may not be the best fit for highly complex websites or large-scale eCommerce operations, its affordability and scalability make it a popular choice for startups and creatives.
