Builders com uk: Find Local Builders | MyBuilder

Want to avoid cowboy builders? Here’s how to find a reliable one | Home improvements

Forget sun, sand and sea. For many, this summer will be all about skips, cement and the builder’s drill. For those planning home improvements, the key question will be where they can find a reliable tradesperson.

Some 45,000 people called Citizens Advice last year seeking help with their home improvement and maintenance problems, and the Federation of Master Builders estimates cowboy contractors cost the UK economy £10bn a year.

So which of the websites that vet traders should consumers turn to?

On this commercial site, traders pay to quote for jobs posted by customers, who can then leave feedback about them. The identities and qualifications of traders who apply to join are verified, and data analysis tools are used to check they have not been banned in the past and that the reviews are by genuine customers.

Traders must demonstrate their technical knowledge and professionalism, and 40% of applicants are declined. They do not pay to join, but are charged between £2 and £38 to quote for a job.

Negative feedback is published immediately and flagged up to customer services. Traders have the right to reply, and a decision about whether to suspend their membership is made within 72 hours. “We get threatened with legal action all the time by traders, but we don’t bow into pressure to remove bad reviews,” says Peter Wellock, head of customer service.

Another commercial site where traders pay to quote for jobs and the qualifications of those who apply to join are verified. Rated People speaks to every trader by phone or in person before they apply. One out of every four are blocked by its screening process, which includes fraud and credit checks. Those accepted typically pay £55 plus VAT per month on average, which allows them to quote for a limited number of jobs. Negative feedback is published immediately and flagged up to customer services.

Between five and 15 of the 90,000 jobs posted per month end in a dispute, says chief executive Celia Francis. “Often, the tradesperson will fix the problem and the customer will take the review down.” Sometimes, customer services will refer both parties to a mediation service, which costs each of them £25. The ultimate sanction is removal of membership.

A commercial directory of 29,000 vetted traders who pay a minimum of £70 plus VAT per month to be listed. They have to pass a face-to-face interview and provide a minimum of five references. Qualifications and public liability insurance are examined, and background and identity checks carried out. All traders must agree to a code of conduct and allow Checkatrade to talk to Trading Standards about their work.

Customers can review work online or via a Freepost postcard. Negative feedback is published within five days as long as reviewers give Checkatrade permission to contact the trader about the complaint. The tradesperson will then be allowed a right to reply and encouraged to put things right. The website may also decide to remove the trader from its directory.

This is a non-profit, government-endorsed scheme intended to raise standards among tradespeople. Registered firms that are members of 32 recognised trade bodies and scheme operators, which have been vetted by TrustMark, can pay £40 a year to display its logo and be listed on the website. Currently, around 12,500 businesses are on the site.

Traders have to sign up to a code of conduct and undergo background checks on their identity and business. They will also receive an on-site inspection at their place of business and at a site where they have carried out work.

Work quality is checked by an expert, so users do not need to rely on reviews from other customers, says chief executive Simon Ayers. Those with complaints will be able to take up their issue with the trader and their scheme operator.

An independent, not-for-profit directory of 3,550 vetted traders, run by Trading Standards and supported by 56 local authorities. Only those who have been trading for at least six months may pay £125 plus VAT to apply to be listed. A Trading Standards officer will then audit the business. Background and financial checks are done to look for criminal convictions. Previous customers are randomly selected for references, although the work is not inspected.

The website has access to a Trading Standards database and can check traders aren’t generating complaints to Citizens Advice, says the directory’s operations manager, Rachael Holden.

Any claims traders make about their business or qualifications are verified. Only traders who pass this audit and have a complaints procedure can join.

Wanted: a quote from a gardener in Cambridge

Which site works best? All five were tested with a search to “refresh my garden” in Cambridge so that costs could be compared.

No one on MyBuilder wanted to quote and only one Rated People gardener, who was not affiliated to any scheme and did not list any qualifications on his website, offered a quote but wanted to visit the garden.

When called, he said he charged £180 a day for labour and was available to start in two weeks. When the job was not offered to him, he called back two hours later to stress he had “bought” the job from Rated People. He had 15 five-star ratings out of 15 possible reviews.

The Checkatrade directory gave details of two firms within five miles that had been given feedback in the past month. Both had more than 50 reviews and scores of 9.8 and 9.9 out of 10. The first refused to give a quote without visiting the garden, but promised a gardener would then be available to do the work within two weeks. The second quoted £350 per day for two people’s labour, but was booked up until September.

On TrustMark, a trader who was a member of the Association of Professional Landscapers, the Horticultural Trades Association and Buy With Confidence quoted £320 to £350 per day for two people’s labour over the phone, but said he was booked up until early next year.

The closest Buy With Confidence landscape gardener, who was a member of the Gardeners Guild and the Countryside Management Association, and a Green Flag Awards judge, said he was too busy to take on any work until next year.

Visiting all five directories, reading the reviews, checking out individual websites and qualifications, and making phone calls took well over an hour but achieved little. In the end, it was a relief that a landscape gardener was not needed after all. The ideal trader would have been both a member of TrustMark and Buy With Confidence whose work had been inspected by an expert in their field, as well as being a business approved by a Trading Standards officer.

10 Best Website Builders UK Compared in 2022 (+ Pros & Cons)

Last Updated on January 4, 2022 by James Wilson

With over 50+ different website builders, many of them sounding very similar, both in features and functionality it’s often hard to know which is best suited for your requirements so we decided to sign up, test and review the best website builders so you don’t have to…

If you are working on a budget why not take a look at our list of free website builders, many of which even come with free web hosting packages.

Website builders are perfect solutions for both individuals and small businesses; the ability to create a website in less than a day and have it visible online is pretty impressive, wouldn’t you say?

Previously, if any of us wanted a website, we’d be looking at hiring a web developer for the cost of thousands.

1. Wix: Best Overall Website Builder (£3/Month)

Wix’s website builder is probably one of the easiest and cleanest user experiences you’ll encounter. With revenue growth of 40% in 2019 alone, it’s one of the fastest-growing site builders out there.

Their drag and drop builder means you can literally build a site within minutes, easily moving and editing content and image blocks as you desire. Wix screams clean, modern, and professional, and that really comes through in their website templates (some fantastic templates).

Wix has over 500 free themes to choose from. All of their themes come mobile ready which means you don’t have to create a separate mobile version of your website. Wix also has an SEO wizard which I found really helpful (read my review of Wix for further information).

Pros:

Over 500 professional template designs organised into easy-to-use categories
Variable pricing options covering all types of users
Mobile device website builder included with all designs
Knowledgeable support agents who are on hand 24/7
Exciting ADI technology with access to the latest features and updates
Their innovative drag and drop builder makes them a great choice for beginners and pros alike.
The eCommerce functionality is impressive with a great range of sales and marketing apps

Cons:

eCommerce plans are available but come at a higher price

2. SITE123: Easiest Website Builder to Use (£10.37/Month)

SITE123 is a website builder designed for those of us who aren’t as tech-savvy as the rest. The aim of the game is to get you online as quickly as possible, having a website up and running fast, and I believe they achieve just that! As of April 2020, there are just under 10,000 live websites built with SITE123.

SITE123 is different from traditional drag and drop web builders, using an editor system that allows users to choose from many exciting templates and then modify them from the settings panel, empowering users to make websites even faster!

SITE123’s free plan (honestly, it’s actually free), comes with 500MB storage, 1GB bandwidth, and a subdomain. Though the features may not suit everyone, it’s a great choice even for small businesses, to begin with. Sometimes, and there’s no harm in doing so, people want to try a product before they buy it. Once you’ve decided that SITE123 is actually pretty awesome, their premium plan is only $10.80 per month. Now, that is more expensive than Wix’s recommended plan, but it still offers some pretty cool features.

There are hundreds of templates to look through too. Everything from a basic website to an art portfolio, cafes/restaurants to online shops. It’s a really clever platform and something that I will likely spend even more time experimenting with in the future.

After signing up for SITE123, I monitored my website’s performance. Using GTMetrix, I analysed my freshly built site without any optimisation. My site loaded in just 2.7 seconds (which is great considering I literally didn’t perform any kind of compression). Over 6 months, I had a 99.98% uptime record which is absolutely fantastic. There’s much more where that came from, so if you fancy learning more, check out my SITE123 review.

Pros:

Accessible customer support with helpful advisers, including instant 24/7 live chat
All templates are mobile friendly and fully responsive on all devices
SITE123 app market is super easy to use with tonnes of features
Design Assistance allows you to create a customised template without any technical or development knowledge
Constantly updated with new features and expanded capabilities

Cons:

Some features are streamlined and cannot be customized beyond a certain point

3.

Weebly: Best for Customer Service (£4/Month)

Weebly is a website builder that truly brings all aspects of a website together. Integrating templates, eCommerce, and marketing, all of their functions work seamlessly side by side. With the wide range of pricing plans, you’ll struggle NOT to find something that suits you.

As you’ll see in my Weebly review, I like Weebly because they offer something for everyone. They’ve placed themselves snugly in the middle of the market; not too expensive, a wide range of features, and simple to get to grips with. 0.4% of all websites use Weebly, but to be honest I’d expect more.

Weebly has a selection of pricing plans to get your teeth sunken into. Like some website builders, they offer a free plan which includes Weebly branding. This means that you can build and host a free website with them but it won’t look very professional.

Weebly’s website builder is pretty easy to get the hang of. I found it to be quite intuitive and I was able to set up my website with just a few clicks. My main issue with Weebly’s builder was the fact it was really limited in comparison to other website builders.

For me, the best feature Weebly offers is quite a simple one. Weebly’s mobile app means you can edit and manage your site on the go. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve wanted to edit my site on a bus, train, or even when I’m out for a meal (yes I know, it’s addictive).

Monitoring Weebly’s performance, my website achieved a total uptime of 99.97% over a 6 month period is something to be really proud of. 6 months equates to around 4380 hours of which my site was down for 2 of those hours.

Pros:

Plenty of support options including live chat with lightning speed response times
Free option available for those who don’t mind a subdomain
Partnered with SiteGround (one of our best web hosts)
App store with endless amounts of 3rd party apps to make your website entirely unique
On-boarding hints throughout, when you need them

Cons:

The all-inclusive approach may not be to every users’ liking
Lack of server file access can make adding custom tools more difficult

4.

Squarespace: Best Design Orientated Website Builder (£10/Month)

Squarespace will undoubtedly catch your attention! Their slick drag and drop builder makes creating a website or online store look too easy, but the truth is, it is easy. As well as their stunning templates, you can edit the HTML and CSS of said templates to make them your own. Even if you’re not familiar with coding, this could be your chance to give it a go!

To further aid in customising your website, SquareSpace gives you access to over 1000 Typekit fonts, and over 600 Google fonts. This means you can really make your website stand out. I love playing around with different designs and fonts to create something truly unique.

Although Squarespace may be a little pricier than its competitors, I don’t feel this would put me off. Their easy to use platform makes creating a website an absolute joy, even if you have no coding experience. SquareSpace has 4 pricing plans on offer. 2 plans in their ‘websites’ category, and 2 plans in their ‘business’ category.

Comparing it to the likes of Wix and SiteBuilder which are very intuitive website builders, SquareSpace certainly lacks in this area. After around an hour of using SquareSpace, I got a little frustrated!  You may think at this point I had given up on SquareSpace because of the website builder tools, but their features are hard to come by.

SquareSpace lets their users dive into the actual code of the website, making for some exciting design work. If you’ve never used website code before, don’t worry, you don’t have to do this, it’s more experimental. In fact, I’d suggest building a test website and playing around with some of the features so you can see for yourself.

When I monitored my SquareSpace website, my uptime over a 6 month period resulted in 99.95% which really isn’t bad at all! I know that if I continue with SquareSpace, I’ll receive a reliable server where my site will experience very little downtime. This is essential for any website (especially those with lots of visitors like small businesses).

Pros:

Over 60 exquisite templates for free across all of Squarespace’s pricing plans
Access to 1000+ Typekit fonts and 600+ Google fonts to make your website stand out from the crowd
Advanced users can edit the HTML and CSS of some of the templates
Video background creation for a stunning landing page
Email and live chat support with friendly staff who are quick to answer questions

Cons:

Advanced users and eCommerce businesses may not benefit from the lack of a proper file management system and advanced features
Pricing is more in-line with Shopify and BigCommerce without all of the same tools

Create a Website with SquareSpace.com

5. Strikingly: Best Website Builder for Blogging (£6.48/Month)

Diving deeper into one of the more niche markets, Strikingly is a website builder that focuses on one page websites, ideal for those with portfolios or CVs. The idea is that users, especially those on mobile, are able to access one page to gain all the information they need, making for better user experience.

I’d recommend Strikingly to those who are keen to get their website built in a matter of hours at an affordable cost. But, if you want a full-blown online store, this website builder won’t be suited to you. Strikingly have 4 main pricing plans. Their free plan is entirely FREE for life and contains the features to set up a very basic website and online store.

Strikingly is a simple and easy to use platform. You can view examples of as many templates you like. Once you’ve made your decision, simply click start editing to do just that! If you’ve never used Strikingly before, they give you the option to take a tour (which is their version of a tutorial) to get you started.

The website builder itself is very functional. Everything responds quickly and works as intended. You can add new sections like a blog with ease, or edit existing sections, styles, fonts, etc. This is great for beginners as well as experts who can sign up to the Pro plan and edit the CSS/HTML/JavaScript.

Strikingly don’t state what server specs they are using, or providing to it’s customers. They appear to use Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) which is hosting from a company called Linode. This suggests they are providing a shared hosting level of resources to their customers. What this means is that you can expect reliable and stable uptime and response time from Strikingly, of which you can see more in-depth stats in my Strikingly review. However, don’t expect your site performance to be off the charts.

Pros:

14-day free trial to test Strikingly’s website builder
Ability to transfer templates and designs mid-build without losing any of your existing work
Custom HTML headers and footers can be implemented
Ideal for portfolios due to the photo-heavy nature of the templates available

Cons:

Not suitable for advanced users due to lack of flexibility and features
Not catered towards eCommerce, even with their Simple Store they only allow 300 products per site on their Pro plan

Visit Strikingly. com

6. Shopify: Best Overall eCommerce Website Builder (£23.50/Month)

For those of you who are simply interested in creating an online store, you’ll see from my Shopify review that it is my recommended eCommerce website builder. It’s active user base of over 1 million displays a level of confidence in what it offers. Shopify is hassle-free and has all the features you’ll need to set up your online store. What’s more, you can integrate it with WordPress too – fancy!

Shopify offers 3 main pricing plans. Because Shopify is an eCommerce website builder, all plans include the ability to sell unlimited products online. Shopify offers a free 14-day trial on their products before committing to any particular plan.

Once you’ve signed up, Shopify will ask you whether you’re already using another platform to sell. They’ll also ask for your estimated revenue and whether you’re setting up a store for another person. Next up you’ll need to enter your personal details to verify you are who you say you are. This will enable Shopify to send payments to your account.

Adding products to your store is SUPER simple with Shopify. When I first started creating an online store, I was really worried I wouldn’t understand it. Shopify takes you through each step at a time and doesn’t require any coding knowledge to proceed.

There are literally hundreds of features that Shopify offer. I suggest you take a look at their website before making a decision. However, I am CONFIDENT you will love them. Creating an online store with Shopify is easy, simple, and frankly very exciting!

Shopify provides a 99.98% uptime guarantee. I wanted to put this to the test so I monitored my website with Shopify for 6+ months. During this period, I achieved a 99.99% uptime which is absolutely AMAZING! I only had 8 outages lasting a total of 27 minutes, which in the grand scheme of things isn’t much at all.

Pros:

Easy to use drag and drop interface
Great management system including inventory, shipping, and marketing tools
Integration with WordPress if you already have a WordPress website or plan to start one from scratch
Unlimited products meaning you’ll never be restricted to what you can sell
All-in-one solution so your web hosting and website is under one branch

Cons:

Expensive pricing starting from $29 per month
No website builder included, only an online store

Visit Shopify. com

7. Jimdo: (£9/Month)

Jimdo is a website builder, much like Wix, which has two options for creating a website. Jimdo Creator lets you build your website using your own creative flair and customisation, whereas Jimdo Dolphin uses ADI technology to make creating a website an absolute breeze!

My Jimdo review is based on Jimdo Creator, opening the doors to an in-depth look at all of its features and tools, allowing you to dive in with absolutely no coding knowledge required.

Jimdo isn’t going to blow you off your feet in terms of their templates, however, they are functional enough to create a professional website. What’s more, they offer a free plan (completely free, for life) if you want to experiment with their builder before committing to a premium plan.

All plans include an SSL certificate to continue to make your life easier. Their editor is simple to get the hang of, selecting elements and items to build into your chosen template, of which there’s over 100 to choose from.

Pros:

Free plan available if you want to test out its tools and features before committing to a premium plan
Easy-to-use editor with plenty of design elements and items
POWr plugins to enhance your website with third-party apps
eCommerce options available with free SSL on all plans

Cons:

Templates aren’t great compared to SquareSpace
Expensive pricing in comparison to other website builders

Visit Jimdo.com

8. WordPress.com: Best Budget Option (It’s Free)

WordPress.com is essentially a web hosting service provided by WordPress. But, it uses the same WordPress software as you might be familiar with. Users have the option to choose from free or paid plans, with access to hundreds of popular WordPress themes.

Aside from their free plan, WordPress.com’s pricing starts from just £4 per month. One of the things that set WordPress apart (for me) from other CMS platforms is their themes and plugins. Unfortunately, premium themes aren’t available until you reach the Premium plan, and plugins can’t be installed until £20 per month.

WordPress is one of the easiest website builders to use (once you get the hang of it). Admittedly, at first, it can be quite daunting. There are SO many options to choose from, places to edit and customise your site, as well as plugins and themes.

What makes WordPress great is that you can customise it to make it suitable for you. For example, if you want to use a website builder plugin that enables drag and drop functionality, you can do. Most plugins are free, or at least free to use ‘x’ amount of features.

WordPress.com is different to WordPress.org – you can learn more about their differences in my WordPress review. Remember, WordPress.com provides web hosting for you, whereas WordPress.org is self-hosted. For this reason, it was important for me to check my site’s uptime and performance to see if WordPress.com could compete with other web hosts.

My WordPress.com site recorded 100% uptime across the last 24 hours, 7 days, and 30 days. There’s not really much else to say about the matter! WordPress. com has absolutely smashed the ball out of the park on this one.

Pros:

Free version available to those who want a more affordable option
Customisable designs allowing you to make your own stamp on your website with navigation menus and more
WordPress.com will automatically backup your website and keep your software updated without the need for any intervention

Cons:

Unlike WordPress.org, you can’t install custom plugins or themes unless you pay for a business plan
Lack of eCommerce features unless you upgrade to Business which costs $24 per month

Visit WordPress.com

9. Duda: (£11.24/Month)

Duda’s website builder has been designed to make the lives of freelancers and agencies much simpler. With Duda, you can manage and create multiple websites, and enjoy their awesome client management tool.

Unlike many other website builders, Duda doesn’t have a free pricing plan, and their SEO tools aren’t up to much against the likes of Wix and Weebly. I suggest taking a look at my Duda review to find out exactly what they offer in terms of tools and features.

On that note, Duda does have plenty of apps and widgets that you can use on your website to enhance it. Though there’s not as much on offer as WordPress, there’s definitely more there than I’ve seen with some of Duda’s competitors.

If you have clients that you need to create websites for and want to use a blank or pre-filled template in a matter of minutes, Duda is certainly worth considering.

Pros:

Simple website builder where you can create a website in less than an hour
Lots of apps and widgets to customise your website with
Suitable for beginners and advanced users

Cons:

Only really good for agencies and freelancers
No free plan

Visit Duda.co

10. Constant Contact (£0.00/Month)

Constant Contact is well known for its effective email marketing. However, they also have a pretty cool website builder which is free to use. Their free website builder offers unlimited storage, an SSL certificate, basic website analytics, and a blog.

You can also set up a free online store with up to 3 products. Although you’re not going to get every feature under the sun with their free website builder, it’s a great tool to get started with if you’ve never used one before.

If you’re a beginner to website builders or don’t have much of a budget, I highly recommend Constant Contact. Their website builder is easy to use and gives you a taste of the bigger picture. If you’re not ready to invest a whole bunch of time and money into a paid website builder, this is a great choice, especially considering you can sell products and accept payments!

If you want to build a professional-looking website, you’re going to want to opt for their paid plan. The simple reason being is that this removes adverts and branding from your website and lets you connect your own domain. It doesn’t look very good if your website’s URL reads something like mywebsite. constantcontact.com 

I deem their free plan to be very generous. It’s clever because it gives you just enough tools and features to launch a website, but not enough that it makes you want to buy into their paid plans. Saying that their paid plans are very affordable too, starting from just £6 per month. You can read more about Constant Contact in my Constant Contact review, including an in-depth look at their pricing and features.

Pros:

Great for beginners
Offers a free plan with an online store
Good set of features with 24/7 live chat

Cons:

Free plan has branding and adverts
Features aren’t as in-depth as other website builders

Visit ConstantContact.com

How to pick the best website builder for you

Free trials and free plans

Many website builders either offer a free trial or have a free plan you can use for life. My suggestion is to take advantage of those offers as you’ll be able to judge whether a website builder is right for you or not, without spending a penny.

Some of the main things to consider are:

• Is the website builder easy to use?
• How long does it take to sign up and edit a template?
• Can you change templates one your site is live?
• What aspects do you like or dislike?
• Are you happy with the templates and designs?
• Do the features match your requirements?

Even if you try a website builder and it seems great, try another one just to be sure! You’ll never know unless you try, so give them a go and don’t be afraid to compare them to each other.

Think about your budget

A professionally designed and developed website can cost a lot so you need to assess how much you want to spend. Most people opt for website builders because they are more affordable than hiring a web designer, and they offer you more control. Each website builder tends to come with at least two pricing plans, which means you can assess which plan is best for your needs.

Whilst it may be tempting to go for the cheapest option to save money, you’ll want to consider which features each builder offers and whether they really are as good as they seem (that’s what I’m here for!).

Monthly prices tend to be more expensive but give you greater flexibility if you decide you wish to cancel. However, if you’re set on a website builder, signing up on an annual basis can definitely save you money.

Consider what you want to create

Some people may have a design or idea in mind that they want to execute when they first sign up for a website builder. Others might not have a clue, but it’s important to get some idea of what you want your website to include.

I’ve mentioned it several times, but please don’t choose a website builder just because of the price. Hopefully, you’ve read this article and have a better idea of what things you should look for in a website builder, and which website builders are best for different industries and purposes. Also, consider that most of the best hosting companies we’ve reviewed do include one but in most cases, they will be an extra cost.

For example, if you want to create an online photography portfolio, SquareSpace is a fantastic option. If you are an agency or freelancer, Duda is your best choice. What I’m saying here is that it eliminates the need to look elsewhere – although other website builders have benefits, they may not be fit for your purpose.

Website Builder FAQs

Are website builders a popular choice?

Website builders have become a very popular choice of platform to create websites, without any coding knowledge. There are currently over 10 million websites powered by website builders, 321,000+ of which are in the U.K. Website builders are attractive due to their easy-to-use nature.

What is the best website builder for design?

In my personal opinion, SquareSpace outranks other website builders in terms of design. Their templates are absolutely stunning, and they own 40% of the website builder market share, beating Wix to the top spot. Since 2011, SquareSpace have massively grown in popularity, with 1% of the top 1 million websites worldwide using SquareSpace.

How much do website builders cost?

Many website builders like Wix and Weebly offer free plans, meaning you can host and publish your website, free of charge. However, there are limitations, like you won’t be able to use your own domain and the companies will place adverts or branding on your website. Premium website builder plans generally start from around £4 and can go up to £30+ depending on your requirements.

Are website builders scalable?

Website builders are mainly aimed at individuals wanting to create a personal website or small businesses. For these purposes, website builders are scalable as you can upgrade your plan as your website or business grows. However, if you plan to sell products or services online, you’ll need to look for a website builder that offers eCommerce options, or an eCommerce builder like Shopify.

Is WordPress classed as a website builder?

WordPress.com and WordPress.org are different entities of WordPress. Although neither are technically website builders (they are content management systems), WordPress.com is more similar to a website builder than WordPress.org. WordPress. org is far more advanced and used by developers as opposed to beginners.

Can you edit website builder templates?

Yes! In fact, this is often the most enjoyable part. Most website builders offer thousands of templates to choose from. They tend to categorise them into different industries, e.g. restaurants, online store, portfolio, non-profit, etc. The templates are often populated with dummy content which you can then edit to your heart’s content. You can edit text, images, features, etc. However, some website builders are more restrictive than others, so it may be difficult to reposition or re-design the layout.

Why should you choose a website builder over a web designer?

Most web designers and developers will charge upwards of £1000+ for even the most basic of websites. Unless you have that kind of money to spend, a website builder is a wise choice. You won’t have to learn any code to get started, and they are often very affordable, and sometimes even free. Some of the biggest brands use website builders like Wix, so don’t be fooled into thinking they are only for beginners.

Is a website builder the right choice for you?

You may be wondering whether you even need a website builder. Although they’re very useful, the truth is they’re not recommended for everyone and that’s okay. Let me run you through the reasons why a web site builder would be suitable. If any of these points ring true with you, then I invite you to carry on reading:

• You run or want to start a small business website
• You have a personal blog or want to start on
• You want to or already do sell products online

In honesty, that probably covers a lot of users, and that’s why I highly rate website builders. I think more and more people are starting their own small businesses now than they ever were before. Why? Most likely because they can start a small business without the worry of how much a website is going to cost to build or start.

Suspicious people: seizures of oligarchs’ property began in the UK

Britain began to seize property of unknown origin as part of the fight against criminal proceeds. Thanks to a new law, “politically exposed persons” will not be subject to charges of corruption or other crimes

orders, UWOs) requiring an unnamed owner of a £22m British luxury property to reveal the source of the funds to purchase it. At the same time, the NCA received interim freezing orders (IFOs) in the same court, prohibiting the suspects from alienating this property until the end of the investigation.

The NCA press release does not mention the nationality of the person involved in the investigation, however, according to the British press, it is a politician from one of the countries of Central Asia.

New law gives law enforcement a free hand

In January 2018, British law enforcement officers were given the opportunity through the court to oblige the owner of property to disclose the sources of funds for its purchase if the buyer’s official income clearly does not correspond to the value of the property.

Moreover, we can talk not only about real estate, but also, for example, about securities or any other asset worth more than 50,000 pounds. This became possible with the entry into force of last year’s Criminal Finances Act 2017 (Criminal Finances Act 2017).

Moreover, in order to obtain authorization to investigate foreign “politically exposed persons” (politically exposed persons, PEPs), the court only needs to be convinced that there are “reasonable grounds to suspect” that the known sources of income of a potential person involved in the investigation are not sufficient to acquire property, which such person owns (in relation to non-PEPs, there is also a second criterion – the existence of “reasonable grounds to suspect” that the potential defendant or persons associated with him are involved in the commission of any serious crime in the territory of the UK or outside it).

Therefore, PEPs do not need to be charged with any corruption or other offenses, nor evidence of any illegal activity, to conduct a background check. Even the very suspicion of criminal activity is not necessary. It turns out that British law enforcement officers have a free hand to ask the court for permission to conduct checks on PEP.

• The lists show what the fight against money laundering in the UK will mean for Russian billionaires

Who are these PEPs?

The definition of PEP is the same for all EU countries – it is established in the “anti-money laundering” directive 2015/849 of May 20, 2015. It is about foreigners from outside the EU, who have certain powers in their country, as well as about their relatives and friends. The UK will likely continue to use the European definition of PEP after leaving the EU. It is expected that within the framework of Brexit, most European norms will simply be transferred to domestic legislation, so that at the time of exit there will be no “holes” due to the fact that European norms will cease to operate at once.

There are special PEP databases, but the fact of inclusion or non-inclusion in such a database is not decisive – the court may or may not recognize a PEP person regardless of the compiler of the database.

From Russia with cash

As you might guess, the new law did not come out of nowhere. The political agenda in the UK is quite controversial right now. On the one hand, London must remain the world’s financial center, despite Brexit. Entire sectors of the economy depend on the influx of foreign money: construction, financial and legal services, private medicine and education… The list goes on and on. On the other hand, surveys of London residents show a high level of dissatisfaction with rising house prices.

Over the past decades, London has earned the reputation of the world’s capital for the rich. Having a mansion or at least an apartment in London has become a matter of honor not only for the regulars on the Forbes list, but also for figures of a lower rank. I must say that English law, unlike Russian law, imposes obligations to combat money laundering not only on banks, but also on representatives of the professional services sector: realtors, lawyers and accountants. All of them must identify their client (the KYC rule – know your client) and the counterparty and make sure, as far as possible, that the source of funds is legal.

In 2015, Channel 4 journalists, armed with a hidden camera, tried to “buy” a property in one of the most prestigious areas of London. To a direct hint to the realtor that the “client” is a high official of one of the countries of the former USSR with a small official salary and would not like to talk about the sources of his wealth, he only grinned and promised to arrange everything “in the best possible way.” The resulting documentary “From Russia with Cash” caused a big scandal, the realtor shown in the film was deprived of his license.

• Even an empty house in England can become a reason for a lawsuit with the owner

However, this did not solve the problem. At the end of last year, the Solicitors Regulation Authority in England and Wales conducted a selective audit of several dozen law firms and found that in many cases procedures for controlling the sources of client funds were inadequate.

Abolishing the presumption of innocence

It might seem that the new law essentially abolishes the presumption of innocence and gives the state the right to violate privacy on the basis of mere suspicion, not evidence. Is such interference justified? The search for a balance between personal and public interests in the context of the fight against crime is relevant not only in the UK. In the United States, debate has been raging for years over the legality of stop & frisk tactics (quick searches of suspicious-looking individuals right on the street in order to detect illegally carried weapons and illegal drugs) used by the police in disadvantaged areas. Supporters believe that such a right allows the police to more effectively deal with street crime. Opponents, on the contrary, believe that such a technique is a manifestation of racism, since almost exclusively young African-American men fall under the suspicion of the police.

One can trace a direct analogy with the new British law: if a person is a PEP, then he is a deliberately suspicious subject, which means that his rights can be limited in the interests of combating money laundering.

Whether such an approach will justify itself and whether it will help the fight against corruption and money laundering, time will tell. In the meantime, we can only recommend to those who have already bought or are thinking about buying real estate or other assets in the UK – and at the same time are or have a chance (due to past or current work) to be classified as PEP – to take care of confirming the legal sources of funds for the purchase, without waiting for such confirmation to be required by the English court.

• Oligarchs and sanctions: the epoch is burning like a fire

Armenians of Great Britain – Interlocutor of Armenia

This summer the attention of the whole world is riveted to the UK. In June, the 60th anniversary of the accession to the throne of Queen Elizabeth II was solemnly celebrated. Then the legendary singer and composer Paul McCartney celebrated his 70th birthday. And from July 27 to August 12, 2012, the XXX Summer Olympic Games will be held in London, the capital of Great Britain. Let me remind you that Great Britain includes England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Often the whole country is called England. Well, let’s talk about this country, which traditionally occupies the most important position in the world. But we will be primarily interested in the role of the Armenians of Great Britain, who contributed to its power and prosperity with their work. Now there are not so many Armenians living there – 18 thousand people. Let’s focus on the most worthy and talented, which both the UK and Armenia are proud of.

The name of Calouste Sarkis Gulbenkian (1869-1955), an entrepreneur and billionaire, the largest oil tycoon of the first half of the 20th century, and a philanthropist, is closely associated with Great Britain. It is also known all over the world as “Oil Talleyrand” and “Mr. 5 Percent”. Gulbenkian studied engineering at the Royal Oxford College, University of London, from which he graduated summa cum laude in 1887 with a degree in petroleum engineering. In 1892 he moved to London and became active in the oil business. At 189In the year 8, Calouste Gulbenkian was appointed economic adviser to the Ottoman embassies in London and Paris. He had British citizenship. In 1922, in memory of his parents, Gulbenkian built the Armenian Church of St. Minas in London. And his resting place in 1955 was another Armenian church in London – St. Sarkis.

Darzi (Terzyan, 1960) – doctor, statesman. He is a doctor of medical sciences, a professor. Known as one of the best surgeons in the world. Darzi is the founder of surgical interventions with the help of robots. He contributed to the worldwide introduction of the method of performing operations without large cuts. In June 2007, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown appointed Ara Darzi as British Minister of Health. He became the first Armenian member of the British Cabinet in British history. For 2 years, he managed to carry out many revolutionary changes. In July 2009Darzi resigned. After that, he returned to his clinical and scientific work. In 2002, for outstanding services in medicine, the Queen awarded him the honorary title of Knight of the British Empire. Thus, he became a member of the British House of Lords. Sir Ara Darzi, an outstanding surgeon and public figure, has many high English and international titles and awards. He is actively interested in everything that was connected with the homeland of his ancestors – Armenia, where he has repeatedly visited and provided his assistance. In 2008, Darzi became a foreign member of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia.

Vache Manukyan (1945) is one of the most successful businessmen in the Armenian Diaspora. Manukyan built a large business empire. His business interests include banking, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, renewable energy and the leisure industry. Owner of holding and trust companies. He now owns a racetrack in the US and is the owner of a large property in the UK. Vache Manukyan is the owner of the Adelphi high-rise hotel in the very center of London. And the Armenian flag flutters over this building. On his initiative, one of the English churches was bought out, transformed into an Armenian one and renamed the Church of St. Yeghishe. Manukyan works closely with Armenia and provides her with great assistance. For his patriotic activities, Vache Manukyan was elected an Honorary Citizen of Yerevan and at 1996 year awarded the Order of St. Gregory the Illuminator

Alexander Raphael – politician. In 1829 he was appointed sheriff of London by the government. Rafael was the first Briton of Armenian descent in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom. He was elected as a Liberal MP for the Irish constituency of County Carlow in a by-election in June 1835. However, the election results were contested and in August 1835 he lost his mandate. Later, in 1847, Raphael won the election in the city of St. Albans from the Conservative Party and ended up in the House of Commons, of which he remained a member until his death in 1850. Alexander Raphael is the first Armenian to become a member of the House of Commons.

Hassan Karyan – politician. He is director of communications for Imperial Chemical Industries in London. In 1994, Karyan was elected to the Local Council in Hammersmith and Fulham, and later helped members of the British Parliament. Then, in 1997, he took part in the election campaign of British Prime Minister Anthony Blair. As the youngest member of the Council, Ghassan Karyan was elected by his peers in 2002 as Mayor of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham.

Aro Bedelyan (1943) — architect and builder. He is the president of Tranf Mash Link. Major specialist in road and underground construction. According to Bedelyan’s designs, the Victoria station of the London Underground and the underground station next to the circus in Oxford, as well as the railway station in Oxford, were built. He is one of the main authors of the project and construction of the 50-kilometer “Eurotunnel” under the English Channel, which opened in 1994 and connected the French city of Calais with the English city of Volkstan. Under his leadership and with direct participation, a complex development of the London suburbs (highways, bridges, tunnels) and many objects in different cities of the country was designed and implemented. Aro Bedelyan – Commander of the Order of the British Empire.

George Gabriel Coury (1896-1956) – military. Recipient of the Victoria Cross, Britain’s highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in combat. During the First World War, from 1914, he was an officer, fought in France against Germany. At first he fought valiantly in the infantry, for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross in 1916. And then Kouri was seconded to the Royal Air Force and after training he became a pilot. He ended the war as a captain. When World War II began, Kouri joined the royal army and took part in the battles in Normandy. His name is highly revered in the UK.

Michael Arlen (Tigran Kuyumdzhyan, 1895-1956) – writer and public figure. He wrote many books and plays. His novel The Green Hat, published in 1924, caused a great stir in Europe. According to his scripts, about thirty films were shot, a number of which were awarded the Oscar film award. During the war, in 1940, Arlen was appointed Chief of Public Relations for the British Civil Defense Committee.

Levon Chilingiryan (1948) is a violinist. Founder of the string quartet “Chilingiryan”. Professor at the Royal College of Music in London. He is the music director of Camerata Nordica and the Swedish Chamber Orchestra. In 2000, Chilingiryan was awarded the Order of the British Empire for his services to the development of English music.

Andy Serkis (1964) – actor. He is best known for his role as Gollum in the film epic The Lord of the Rings, as well as the role of the primate Caesar in the film Rise of the Planet of the Apes, where his movements and voice were used to create computer characters. Serkis has played over 30 roles in film and television. His work takes place on the border between acting and computer graphics. In the new adaptation of “King Kong” he is the lead actor in the film. Serkis imitated all the movements of King Kong, and he also played Lumpy the cook.

Robert Istepanyan – scientist. He received his PhD in electronics and electrical engineering from Loughborough University in the UK. He has held a number of responsible positions in research and academic institutions in the UK and Canada. Istepanyan is currently a professor at Kingston University in London and a visiting professor in the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine at St. George’s University in London.

Robert Tateossian is the creator of the famous Tateossian brand. The stores under this brand sell magnificent watches, jewelry and all kinds of accessories. Shops with Robert Tadeossian’s products are open not only in London and other cities of Great Britain, but also in the largest cities of the USA, Russia and other countries. And recently his dream came true. “Tadeossian” store opened in the center of Yerevan. He regularly makes donations to the Armenian Church in the UK.

Barbara Sahakyan – psychiatrist. Professor of Clinical Neuropsychology at the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Cambridge Institute. Has a high international reputation. In recognition of her achievements in the field of cognitive neuroscience, she was elected a Fellow of the British Academy of Medical Sciences in 2004. Professor Sahakyan is a fellow at Christ’s College, Cambridge. She was elected President of the British Psychopharmacology Association. He is a major specialist in the study of Alzheimer’s disease.

Ruben Glichyan – historian, cartographer. Professor, former Honorary Consul of Armenia in Great Britain, Trustee of the Armenian Institute of Great Britain, author of several works on ancient maps of Armenia, Honorary Doctor of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia. In 2009, his book Mythologization of History was published in English. Azerbaijan, Armenia, Fiction and Facts. And in 2010, a Russian-Armenian translation of this book was published. Glichyan is also the author of the following works: “Cartographic Heritage”, “Maps of Historical Armenia”, “Countries of the South Caucasus on Medieval Maps”, “Armenia in World Cartography” and “Fictitious History”.

Michel Mosesyan (1959) – architect. In 2005, he created and headed the Mosesyan and Partners architectural studio. The work of this studio has received a number of awards. The great achievement of Mosesyan’s team was winning the tender for the construction of a new NATO headquarters building in Brussels. In 2009, in London, he is building a 15-storey office building with retail space in Paddington. In addition, Mosesyan is building new facilities in London, as well as in China, France, Spain, Qatar and Morocco.

Nouritsa Matosyan (1945) – writer, actress, TV presenter. He writes about art, architecture, contemporary music, history and Armenia. In 1998, after twenty years of research, Matosyan published the book “Black Angel” about the life of Arshile Gorka. She acted as a consultant for Atom Egoyan’s film “Ararat”. Nouritsa Matosyan is a broadcaster for the BBC and works as a columnist for several English newspapers and magazines. In addition, it closely cooperates with Armenia. She was Honorary Cultural Attaché at the Armenian Embassy in London at 1991-2000.

Kev Orkian (1974) – musician, comedian. With his humorous programs, he traveled all over the world. In England, he performs with comedy shows in the most famous clubs and even in the Royal Variety Show, invariably causing a standing ovation from the public. Orkian has performed for both the Queen’s husband, Prince Philip, and her son, Prince Charles, earning the enthusiastic gratitude of the Windsors on both occasions.

Charles Hamilton Ayde (Aydinyan, 1826-1906) – poet and novelist. In the second half of the 19th century, he was very famous in the aristocratic and literary circles of London. Author of multi-volume novels about the life of the English aristocracy.

John Eidinyants is a longtime director of the world famous Sherlock Holmes Museum located at 221b Baker Street in London. Concurrently, Eidinyants also manages the International Aid to Armenia charitable foundation.

According to TV journalist Alexander Gordon, voiced on the NTV channel, the most popular English comedian Rowan Atkinson (Mr. Bean) is also an Armenian. The outstanding English film actress born in India also had Armenian roots on her mother’s side Vivien Leigh. And finally, the universal favorite Princess of Wales Diana (1961-1997) – the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, son of Queen Elizabeth II. A few years ago, letters in an unfamiliar language were found in the ancestral home of the Princess of Wales. As a result of the research, it was found that the letters were written in Armenian. They were written to their children and grandchildren by an Armenian from India, Eliza Kevar (Kevorgyan), Diana’s maternal great-great-grandmother, who married a Scottish merchant. Thus, 1/64 of Armenian blood flowed in Diana’s veins. Princess Diana tragically died at 1997 year. After this event, a postage stamp “The Queen of Human Hearts” dedicated to her was issued in Armenia. Lady Diana, or simply Lady Dee, was ranked third in a 2002 poll by the BBC broadcaster in the list of the 100 greatest Britons in history.