It’s almost standard for website builders to be designed for the desktop, where there’s plenty of space to neatly lay out the options and controls for you to design your website. The website builder Universe turns this on its head and takes a mobile first approach.
It’s not that you can’t design for larger screens like a laptop or desktop and then turn your attention to smaller screens like a mobile device. Universe believes it’s better to start with film first, given the dominance of mobile devices in today’s digital landscape. This is in response to the growing need for seamless, engaging and user-friendly experiences on smartphones and tablets.
Another way Universe differs from your traditional website builder is that it has a desktop application that you install on your computer (Apple eco system only for now). If you prefer not to install anything, you can also work with its web application.
Pros and cons of Universe
Universe is about creating and editing websites with a focus on mobile devices. Yes, that’s right, you can build your website from your mobile phone. It’s a all purpose website builder that lets you launch your online store, portfolio or corporate website without writing a line of code.
If you upgrade to a paid plan, Universe even lets you buy your own domain.
For this review, I’m going to focus on the Mac app version. The web app version, which you access via your browser, is less powerful.
Pros
- Forever free plan
- Cost effective
- No hidden fees
- Easy to use
- Gus, the AI builder, also generates the text and images for you
Cons
- Login to web app version is spotty and seems to work on a whim – or not
- Online store features only available for the US at the time of writing
- Web app is less powerful and displays load errors at times
Who is Universe for?
Universe is a great place to start if you want to quickly launch and validate a new idea without a lot of fuss and overhead, and give your audience a seamless experience when they visit your site from smartphones or tablets.
So if you’re an individual, entrepreneur or business looking for an easy-to-use and mobile-first website building experience, Universe gives you a simple, flexible but non-cloud-based way to create and manage your online presence.
How easy is it to use Universe?
You can download and install the desktop application for your Mac, iPad or iPhone from Apple’s App Store. The great thing is that it is free to get started, you just need to create your account within the app. Universe will help you find the best template for you and ask you a few onboarding questions.
Not unlike other website builders, Universe lets you choose your template first. Once it has narrowed down the purpose of your website, it will only show you a selection that fits.
When you create your website with Gus, Universe’s AI builder tool, you will be asked a few questions such as
- What kind of website do you want?
- What brand
- What kind of look and feel
Then Gus goes into action and builds your website. If you don’t like it, you can just press the “it’s not great” button and Gus will ask you why not and then generate a new version. The cool thing is that it also generates the copy for you.
Once you’re satisfied, you can go in and add more elements to your website. Blocks are elements such as galleries, maps, links and text. You can even embed custom code if you upgrade to a paid account.
It’s a breeze to customise your site with the app, regardless of your work device. You literally can throw together your website on your phone and launch it within minutes.
Design and templates
As you’d expect, the templates are all optimised for mobile devices. You can add as many blocks as you like. It’s easy to change elements like the font and background colour.
How do I manage my e-commerce store in Universe?
You can sell on your Universe website by adding the Sell block. Universe will guide you through the process of adding a product with price and product name. If you haven’t accepted Universe’s terms and conditions yet, now is the time to do so. Note that you can only accept if you’re in the USA. Also note that the online store is still quite basic.
Integrations
You can add integrations by selecting a block for services such as YouTube, Soundcloud or by embedding custom code. If you want to add third party analytics like Google Analytics, you will need a paid account.
What marketing tools does Universe offer?
You can easily add blog posts to your website. The tool is very easy to use, but you may find it a bit basic as you don’t have any scheduling options.
Customer support
If you need help, fire up your browser and visit Universe’s website. There you can browse through their help centre, which includes a chat facility. You can also contact Universe by email.
Pricing
If you don’t mind using a domain name along the lines of yourname.onuniverse.com, you can use Universe for free forever. If you want to use your own domain or start selling it, you will need to upgrade to a paid account.
Is Universe right for you?
Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock for the last decade or more, you know that mobile devices dominate today’s digital landscape. Universe understands this, and with its mobile first philosophy, gives you the tools to create websites that offer a seamless experience. Websites that not only look great on smaller screens, but also scale elegantly when viewed on larger desktop displays.
If you’re a solopreneur or a business, no, even if you’re an individual who just wants to create modern and functional websites with a focus on the mobile user experience, then Universe is a good choice.
You can see for yourself what a site built with Universe looks like. Universe itself is built with its own technology and you can also browse through its gallery of projects.
If you prefer the traditional cloud-based web application to build your website, but still want a mobile-first approach, why not take a look at Olitt? If you prefer a website builder with more features for running an online store, take a look at Cratejoy.
Original post here: Universe review
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