Quick map of what’s ahead
- What my cleaning site had to do
- The builders I tried (real talk)
- What I loved and what bugged me
- Who each one fits
- My final setup and a few tips
A tiny bit about me first
I run a small team called Kay’s Sparkle & Shine. We do homes, move-outs, and small offices. I’m not a coder. I’m a cleaner who likes a tidy website.
Over one busy year, I built my site six different ways (full breakdown here). I wanted online booking, fast pages, and a look that felt warm, not stiff. You know what? Some tools made life sweet. Some… not so much.
What my cleaning site had to do
I wrote this list on a sticky note and kept it by my laptop:
- A big “Book Now” button that’s easy to tap on a phone
- A booking form with bedrooms, bathrooms, extras, and zip code check
- Clear service areas (I used a simple map and a list of towns)
- Real reviews and a few before/after pics
- A quote form for odd jobs (post-reno, short lets)
- Simple prices and straight rules (I call them “house rules”)
- Text or email reminders so folks don’t forget
If a builder made these steps hard, I moved on.
Winners at a glance
- Best all-around for a small cleaning team: Wix
- Fastest “I need a site today” setup: Durable (AI builder)
- Best booking power out of the box: BookingKoala
- Cleanest design feel: Squarespace (+ Scheduling)
- Most control and Google love: WordPress + Elementor (+ Amelia or Bookly)
- Built to turn reviews into calls: NiceJob Convert Websites
Now, the real stuff.
If you like head-to-head breakdowns, the annual rankings on Website Builder Awards give a sharp, jargon-free look at today’s top platforms.
Just like I won’t sign up for a web platform without reading brutally honest takes, I appreciate seeing the same transparency in other corners of the internet. I recently came across a no-punches-pulled review asking whether WannaHookup is the real deal—dig into it here—and it’s a good reminder of how detailed insights can help you dodge scams and pick tools (or apps) that actually deliver. If hyper-local breakdowns are more your style, there’s even a guide that zeroes in on the Montana scene—check the Skip the Games Butte overview to see real user experiences, red-flag listings, and tips for navigating the platform safely.
Wix: My steady, no-drama choice
I built “Kay’s Sparkle & Shine” on Wix first. It took me one weekend. I used a home services template, swapped in my brand yellow, and wrote a simple headline:
“We clean. You chill.”
Then I added:
- Wix Forms for “Get a Quote”
- A “Book Now” button that jumps to my booking page
- A photo gallery with before/after sliders
- A reviews section (I pulled in Google reviews with a small app)
- An FAQ block with my rules: late fee, pets, parking, that kind of thing
Booking on Wix can be a little odd for house cleaning, but it worked. I set “Home Cleaning” as a service with base price and time. I made extras like “Inside fridge” and “Oven” as add-ons.
What I liked
- Mobile view looked tidy without me fighting it.
- The editor felt like moving magnets on a fridge. Click, drag, done.
- Wix Automations sent thank-you emails after a booking. Easy.
What bugged me
- Add-ons took a few clicks to set up the way I wanted.
- The blog tool is fine, not great.
- The site felt slower when I stuffed too many apps on a page.
Best for: Busy owners who want nice design, simple tools, and okay booking.
Real example: My homepage hero was a photo of a sunny kitchen, with one button: “Book a Clean.” Under it, three boxes: “Standard,” “Deep,” and “Move-Out,” each with short copy like “Best for weekly reset.” Folks clicked. It felt clear.
BookingKoala: The booking beast
When spring rush hit, I switched to BookingKoala for two months. This one shines for service businesses like ours (see real user reviews).
I built a full site inside it. Home, Services, Pricing, FAQs, Reviews, Contact. The star, though, was the booking form.
What I set up
- Bedrooms and bathrooms as main pickers
- Extras: inside oven, fridge, windows, baseboards
- Frequency discounts for weekly, biweekly, monthly
- Zip code check so we don’t drive forever
- Travel fee for far zones
- Coupons (SPRING10 worked great)
- Stripe for payments
- Text reminders and follow-up review requests
What I liked
- The checkout flow felt made for cleaners. No hacks.
- I loved the frequency discount feature. People booked repeats.
- The admin calendar made team scheduling less messy.
What bugged me
- The design parts are okay, not fancy.
- Styling the site took longer so it matched my brand.
- If you want heavy blog or custom pages, it’s clunky.
Best for: Owners who say, “I need booking to be perfect. Fancy design can wait.”
Real example: My booking page started with “Where do you live?” then “Bedrooms/Bathrooms,” then extras. The price updated live as they clicked. I watched folks finish in under 2 minutes. That felt good.
Squarespace (+ Scheduling): So pretty it almost hurts
I tried Squarespace next. It’s gorgeous. Fonts. Spacing. Images. It made my brand feel grown-up.
I used Squarespace Scheduling (Acuity) for bookings. I turned my add-ons into intake form checkboxes, and I named Appointment Types like “Standard Clean” and “Deep Clean.”
What I liked
- My site looked like a magazine. No kidding.
- The photo blocks and spacing are perfect for trust.
- The built-in email campaigns were neat for promos.
What bugged me
- The booking setup took some creative work for extras and pricing.
- No live price changes on page. Some folks asked, “So how much?”
- If you need zip code zones, you’ll be making manual rules.
Best for: Solo cleaners or small teams who care about brand and simple booking.
Real example: I added a section called “Our Promise” with three icons: “On time,” “Pet friendly,” “Bonded & insured.” It looked polished and got comments.
WordPress + Elementor (+ Amelia or Bookly): Power with patience
This setup gave me the most control. I used:
- WordPress on fast hosting
- Elementor for drag-and-drop pages
- Amelia for booking (Bookly also worked well)
What I liked
- I could tune SEO, page speed, and schema.
- Amelia let me build service steps, add-ons, and time slots.
- Plugins for everything: reviews, maps, forms, the works.
What bugged me
- Updates and plugins need care. Things can break.
- Setup took me way longer. I watched three YouTube tutorials. Maybe four.
- If you hate fiddling, this will test you.
Best for: Folks who want full control and plan to write blog posts for Google.
Real example: I wrote a post called “How long does a deep clean take?” It brought in two leads a week after one month. That made the work worth it.
Durable (AI Builder): Shockingly fast launch
I tested Durable when I had to rebrand. I typed “house cleaning in Cedar Park,” chose a style, and it made a simple site in minutes. I swapped photos, fixed the About text, and added my booking link.
What I liked
- It was wild how fast I had a site.
- The copy it wrote wasn’t bad. I tweaked it to sound like me.
- Good for landing pages and short tests.
What bugged me
- It’s basic. You’ll still need a booking tool embed.
- Design control is lighter than Wix or Squarespace.
Best for: “I need something live today, and I’ll polish later.”
Real example: My headline from Durable’s first draft was “Reliable Cleaning for Happy Homes.” I changed it to “We Clean. You Chill.” Felt more me.
NiceJob Convert Websites: Reviews turned into calls
I used NiceJob for reviews for a while. Their Convert Websites team built me a site focused on leads. It came with social proof baked in. The little review pop-ups—“Sarah in Leander left a 5-star review”—actually got clicks.
What I liked
- Review collection, display, and the site all worked together.
- They handled the build, so I wasn’t glued to my chair.
- Good if you hate tech and love phones that ring.
What bugged me
- It’s managed, so you depend on their team for big changes.
- If you want to tinker each week, you may feel boxed in.
Best for: Owners who would rather clean houses than build sites, and want proof front and center.
Real example: