I have never been a fan of Yahoo SiteBuilder. It was too restrictive with what you could do, the SEO wasn’t any good, and the sites lacked a lot in their design elements. That said, I know there are several small business owners that use SiteBuilder for their website. Now they need to re-evaluate.
As of March 31, 2021, people that use SiteBuilder will no longer be able to log into their site to make any changes. Want to update a price? You’ll be out of luck, and then hear your customers say “well that’s the price on your website”. Want to update a photo, or add a new product or service? Bummer. That will no longer be an option at the end of this month.
So what should you do if you use SiteBuilder? You have a few options:
- Nothing. You can keep you website the way it is. You won’t be able to update it, but it will still be there (for now, anyway). I didn’t see any forthcoming information from Yahoo about how long the outdated sites will be supported, but I’m sure it won’t be long since they’re ending support on it soon.
- Use their “New” Builder. Of course they’re going to offer a new solution to make some cash. You have an option to “do it yourself” or pay them to do it. Neither is a good option in my opinion. You’re still going to be very restricted on what you can & cannot do, and the SEO probably still won’t be up to snuff. You’ll still be paying them whatever you’re currently paying for a subpar product.
- Get a professional. I saved the best option for last. If you have a website for a BUSINESS, you really need to have a professionally done website that is reflective of your business. A poor-looking site reflects poorly on your business, and there’s no reason to try and skimp out and save a few bucks as it will cost you more in the long run with lost customers.
Whatever you decide, I’d recommend making this is a priority NOW so you’re prepared when March 31st rolls around.