If you are working on the creation of a one-page website, the solution for you could be the Strikingly website creator tool.
Aside from being simple to manage, this innovative product is primarily aimed at those of us who are not particularly tech-savvy.
The tool itself takes care of the more complex aspects of assembling a website (such as the web hosting services, programming languages, and domain registration), leaving the user with the more enjoyable, personalized, and creative aspects of the task.
The focus of this product is to provide only one service: templated websites.
The tool was first created in 2012 and has improved substantially year after year, now providing a selection of 64 unique, impactful, and highly attractive templates, thus allowing the customer to choose the one they consider most appropriate for the website they are aiming to set up.
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Pros of using Strikingly Website Creator
When deciding whether or not to use the services a website offers, the first step to take is to research how successful it has been when applied to other sites; how dynamic and versatile it has proven throughout the market place.
Several positive aspects of the services Strikingly provide stood out when scrutinizing its website. These will be explained as follows.
1. Simplicity
One of the main selling points offered by Strikingly is the ease with which its customers are able to make use of the site.
The whole website is laid out in an extremely user-friendly manner, allowing for an enjoyable experience when setting up your own web.
- In the first place, the tool is exceptionally intuitive. Once the user is accustomed to the interface, they should have no problem with the process of developing their web page.
- Secondly, the editor panel includes all the necessary controls, arranged into a neat and tidy sidebar, allowing for the adjustment of all page elements by simply dragging and dropping them.
- Ultimately (and most importantly for most of us), after having edited page layouts, fonts and images; in order to finalize the entire process, coding skills are not required.
2. Themes, templates, and personalization
In the interest of improving the content of the website, attracting a larger client base, and offering a greater website branding service, the number of templates Strikingly provided has now doubled, with more than 60 unique models made available for its users.
These templates are classified into several major categories to cater to almost any needs, examples of these are:
- Store
- Business
- Start-up
- Creative
- Personal
- Blog
Although the options may seem limited, the designs are so varied and distinctive, that in reality there is no shortage of choice.
With regards to the different compositions, the user is able to make a change to their design at any point, without losing the work they have previously done on the page.
What’s more, the templates offered by Strikingly allow users to include any kind of content on their page. This means that all kinds of images, videos, and social feeds may feature on the websites too.
In addition to this, Strikingly themes are all responsive, meaning that they will be mobile-friendly, adapting to whichever device they are viewed from.
3. Customer service and support
One of the main perks available when using Strikingly Website Creator is the customer support offered.
All users can get chat help by simply clicking on the question mark, on the lower right side of the screen.
This chat service is convenient, fast, and accessible 24/7. Another option Strikingly Website Creator customers have access to is the email service on offer: [email protected].
One important aspect to point out is that in order to use the call-back phone support, you must be a VIP member (plans and pricing are explained further on in the review).
However, there is the option of sending a chat message to the Strikingly Facebook Page.
Cons of using Strikingly Website Creator
When looking into a web page, it is crucial to weigh up all the positive and negative aspects, and, like any website, Strikingly Website Creator certainly has its disadvantages.
Following is a list of those that stood out most and why.
1. SEO
In order to guarantee your website to rank organically in search engines, you have to create a search engine optimization (SEO) strategy.
And for a start, there are certain factors that require careful attention when web design comes into play. Examples of these factors are:
- The loading speed of the web page itself
- The quality of what is displayed on the website
- How often other pages link to your site
Most of the websites that are designed with Strikingly designs tend to include just a single page layout.
Therefore, despite being as optimized for search engines with Meta tags and keywords, they are not displaying enough material.
When all of a website’s content is displayed on just a single page, exceptional SEO results are not provided.
If the user is looking to manage a store with many products on a single page, this will definitely create some SEO disadvantages.
2. Limited free version
Although all of the different pricing plans the Strikingly Website Creator offers will be further explained in the review, it is important to point out the watered-down free of cost variant of their services, which is certainly more restrictive than the more desirable paid versions.
The free version is ideal for amateur blogging and other small-scale web pages as, with this version, users can not use their own domain names (the address of the website).
So, this is pretty useless if your objective is to develop an e-commerce site, as it conveys a rather unprofessional message.
Furthermore, users who choose to go with this plan are only entitled to one product per site, limiting their possibilities of expansion and guaranteed Strikingly ads.
3. Photo-heavy designs
The main focus of the designs Strikingly creates is generally placed on photography and good-looking photography at that.
As the images must be uploaded by the users themselves, some are able to create incredibly artful posts.
But not all users are at the level of professional photographers, and consequently are not always able to make the most of this feature to boost the aesthetics of the website, instead often ruining the design.
Strikingly Website Creator Plans and Pricing
Now that the pros and cons of the review have been made clear, it is time to delve further into the pricing of the services it provides.
Strikingly Website Creator offers an entry-level free plan from which to begin exploring the different features the website includes.
Aside from the previously mentioned very basic free plan, the web page features three paid plans (that may be purchased on a monthly or yearly basis) from which the user may select the services they require.
In addition, the page offers a 14-day free trial period of any of the plans on offer, which are as follows:
- Limited plan: At a monthly cost of $8.00 (when paid annually), this plan works best for entrepreneurs or small businesses. Despite showing Strikingly ads, it includes the possibility of a domain, an online store with up to five products, and two websites.
- Pro plan: When purchasing the yearly plan, this option costs $16.00 per month. Allowing for 200 GB bandwidth, an online store of up to 300 products, and the removal of Strikingly ads; this option also grants the user access to other features, such as pop-ups and site memberships.
- VIP plan: When the user commits to a yearly plan, the cost of this service is $49.00 per month. This plan includes everything from the Pro version, in addition to up to 10 GB of storage, an online store of up to 500 products, and a 0% transaction fee. Moreover, this plan allows for priority phone support and multiple membership tiers.
Final thoughts
Notwithstanding the cons, Strikingly still has to work on in order to become the perfect website creator software, the overall feel of the platform is decidedly positive.
Since the page is so simple to use and is able to adapt quickly and meet the demands of this rapidly changing market (including incorporating a company’s new products, services, and strategies), it is a success as a single-page layout website designer.
With regards to the pricing plans offered on this website, the paid options are clearly preferable.
While the free option may work for bloggers or business owners who require a fast and attractive design, this may not be what everyone’s looking for.
The obvious conclusion that in order to achieve a certain standard of design for your website, you will have to pay more, or search elsewhere.
To summarize, as an easily operated tool that works with e-commerce, helps the organization of web pages remain dynamic and evolve at their chosen pace, smaller stores and bloggers would definitely benefit from Strikingly.
Overall, this platform is the ideal option if your intention is to design a website with the limited content that needs optimum visual appeal and can fit on one page.
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