Why hosting providers have an opportunity with DIY website builders in 2026
A 2026 survey of US small business owners from All About Cookies highlights an important shift for the web hosting industry. While much of the coverage focuses on the need for hosting companies to better educate small businesses about what hosting is and what it should cost, one finding stood out for us at BaseKit.
More than 60 percent of small business owners still choose to build their own website.
This behaviour presents a significant opportunity for hosting providers that are looking to grow revenue and strengthen relationships with their small business customers.
Small businesses still want to build their own websites
Despite the growing availability of fully managed services and digital agencies, the majority of small business owners continue to take a hands-on approach when it comes to creating their online presence.
This tells us something important. Small businesses want tools that give them control, simplicity and speed. They want to get online quickly, make changes themselves and avoid complicated or expensive build processes.
For hosting companies, this creates a clear opportunity to support that preference by offering easy-to-use website building tools directly alongside the services customers already trust.
Competing with large website builder brands
Many small businesses that choose to build their own sites turn to large standalone platforms such as Wix, Squarespace and Shopify.
However, hosting providers are uniquely positioned to compete for this audience. They already own the relationship for essential services such as domains, web hosting and professional email. By bundling a white-label website builder into this existing offer, hosting companies can create a far more compelling and convenient solution for small business customers.
Instead of purchasing services from multiple providers, customers can manage everything from one place, through a single trusted brand.
Building a compelling bundled offer
By combining domains, hosting, professional email and a website builder into one bundled package, hosting providers can significantly simplify the journey for small businesses that are looking to get online.
This approach supports customers who prefer to build their own websites while removing the friction that often comes with choosing tools, configuring services and connecting multiple platforms together. It also allows hosting companies to position themselves as long-term digital partners rather than infrastructure only providers.
From a commercial perspective, this bundle creates new revenue opportunities while helping to grow and retain the small business customer base.
Helping small businesses get online with confidence
At BaseKit, we support hosting partners by providing a white-label website builder that can be bundled directly with their existing products. This allows partners to meet the growing demand from small businesses that want to build and manage their own online presence, while keeping the entire experience under their own brand.
As more hosting providers look to differentiate themselves in 2026, bundling website building capabilities with core services will play a central role in helping small businesses get online, generate value and build lasting customer relationships.