Boxmode is the new kid on the blog in the website building space. It was launched in 2020 and already making a name for itself. Namely, because you get to make a website free of charge on a domain provided by Boxmode, and if you want to use your custom domain, you subscribe to a paid plan. OK, this doesn’t sound so much different from the likes of Weebly or Ucraft.
So, what are its distinctive features? For one, a shopping cart solution is integrated. Then, you get access to the asset library powered by Unsplash. You also have access to a range of icons.
You don’t need coding skills and can build all kinds of sites such as landing pages, businesses websites, and of course online stores.
Pros and cons of Boxmode
Boxmode is a one-stop shop to build and maintain your website. It gives you templates, a free domain, hosting including SSL, content management system, shopping cart, and other features with its plans.
Pros
- Forever free plan
- Well rounded ecommerce feature set
- Affordable prices
- Easy to use
- Pretty solid SEO covering all pages
Cons
- Limited integration
- Basic blogging tool
- Not for larger projects
- No live chat
Who is Boxmode for?
As an easy-to-use, drag-and-drop website builder, Boxmode was developed for small business owners but also marketing and web design specialists who are developing websites or marketing campaigns for their clients.
It’s also a good place to start if you’re a novice, as you don’t need coding skills to work with the service. As always, there’s a trade-off between ease-of-use and what you can do in terms of customisability.
How easy is Boxmode to use?
Boxmode was built from the ground to be user-friendly. Hence, everything from the signup process to building and publishing your site.
From signup to launch, it takes only a few steps
- Choose your template
- Customise the design
- Add pages
- Check (and tweak) how your site looks on desktop, tablet, and mobile
- Add SEO meta tags
- Publish
The drag-and-drop editor lets you add buttons, forms, and other interactive elements. It also has predesigned sections such as About Us or Testimonials to speed up the creation process. The drawback is that you don’t have a lot of basic elements, widgets, and sections to choose from.
The entire interface is well-designed and uncluttered so that it’s easy to find all the options. Nothing is hidden behind endless submenus. It’s certainly easy enough so that anyone finds their way within minutes.
Design and themes
Depending on the niche you’re operating in, you can choose a pre-designed layout for barbershop, church, or portfolio from the 22 categories. All templates are mobile-ready so that they look nice regardless of whether they’re viewed on a desktop, tablet, or mobile. The designs are clean and modern.
How easy is managing your ecommerce store with Boxmode?
You can add a store even if you’ve only subscribed to the free plan. If you’re running a store, you can access your store manager from your store page in the drag-and-drop editor. You get all the essential tools needed to manage an online store. If you upgrade to a paid plan, you get advanced features such as
- Gift cards
- Discount coupons
- Abandoned cart
- Automated mails
You set up your store with just one mouse click. Managing your store in Boxmode is a breeze.
Integrations
Boxmode has limited integrations. At the time of writing this review, it integrates with
- Mailchimp
- Google Analytics
- Google Tag Manager
- Hotjar
If a service provides iframes for it to be embedded, you can integrate it with your site.
What marketing tools does Boxmode provide?
If you run a store, it’s best to upgrade to a paid plan so that you can use its advanced features which include newsletters (via Mailchimp) and automated mails. You also get access to sales channels so that aren’t available on the free plan such as Amazon.
SEO
You can edit the page title, meta description, keywords, canonical link for each page. Boxmode didn’t forget products and blog posts. You can also disallow crawling links and even block the page from being indexed. Boxmode also creates a sitemap.xml and a robots.txt automatically.
Blogging
Adding a blog to your site is just like adding an ecommerce engine to your site. With just one click you get a basic blogging tool.
Payment options
You can accept payments via Stripe, Square, Paypal, or set up manual payment options so that you can also accept other payment methods such as invoices or cash on delivery. And, it’s a boon Boxmode doesn’t add a transaction fee.
Security
All websites built with and hosted on Boxmode are encrypted with an SSL certificate. A backup function is (still) missing.
Customer support
The main support is the self-help resource: A searchable help centre. If you still need help, you can contact customer support in the last paragraph in the help centre.
Pricing
Including the free one, Boxmode offers 3 plans. If you choose to pay annually, you can save 25%. The prices are fair. It’s in the ballpark of Ucraft.
If you plan on running an online store, be sure to select a paid plan so that it removes the branding and you get the advanced ecommerce features.
Is Boxmode the right solution for you?
Boxmode was created to be easy to use. As it’s still quite new, its feature set is still somewhat limited, particularly regarding what elements, widgets, and sections you can add to your site. This means, as long as your web project is small, Boxmode can cover your needs. But it’s not ready for larger web projects and growing companies.
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Original post here: Boxmode review – free drag-and-drop website builder
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