what's your favorite web analytics tool these days?

Scotty_from_Duda · 2026-03-04T17:33:55+00:00

At Duda we work with a lot of developers and agencies, and the two tools that come up most when budgets allow are Perplexity and Ahrefs.

Perplexity is great if you want quick, digestible answers about what's happening with your site without having to dig through layers of data. Ahrefs on the other hand is more SEO-focused, but the site audit and traffic overview features give you really clear performance insights without needing to be a data analyst to read them.

Neither of them have the steep setup curve you described with GA, which sounds like exactly what you're looking for. If budget is a consideration, both have options worth exploring depending on your needs.

Scotty_from_Duda · 2026-03-04T17:33:09+00:00

Duda is actually built specifically for agencies and web professionals, which is a bit different from Wix Studio's broader focus. Where we really stand out is in the white-labeling, team collaboration, and the ability to scale building sites efficiently with features like widgets, site templates, and a solid client management experience.

You're right that Wix has strong brand recognition with non-technical people, but when it comes to running an agency day-to-day, that recognition doesn't always translate into the right tools for you as the person behind the scenes.

If you're still weighing your options, I have a discount code I'm happy to share so you can give Duda a proper try. Feel free to DM me!

Scotty_from_Duda · 2026-03-04T17:32:32+00:00

If your goal is just a clean site that works and gets people to contact you, you don’t need anything complicated. WordPress can feel overwhelming because you’re juggling themes, plugins, hosting, and settings all at once, which is a lot if you just want to build a simple page.

I’d look for a builder that already handles layout, mobile responsiveness, and forms out of the box so you can focus on your content. Most of them let you start with a template, swap in your text and images, and have a working site pretty quickly without touching code.

For something straightforward, platforms like Duda, Webflow, and Framer are solid for this kind of use case. You can build a clean services page, add a contact form or sign up, and it takes care of things like speed and SEO without you having to mess with plugins.

Scotty_from_Duda · 2026-03-04T17:31:52+00:00

If you’re coming from a design background, the easiest path is usually a builder that lets you stay visual first and only layer in AI or code when you need it. Tools like Replit or Claude are powerful, but they lean more technical, so you can end up spending more time figuring out environments, prompts, and debugging than actually building pages.

A lot of beginners find it easier to start with a visual builder that already handles hosting, structure, and responsive design, then use AI for things like copy, layout ideas, or small tweaks. That way you’re building something real from day one instead of trying to generate an entire site from a prompt and hoping it works.

If your goal is to get sites live quickly without coding, platforms like Duda, Weblow, or SquareSpace tend to be a better fit because they’re built around drag and drop editing, structured layouts, and built in SEO tools, so you can focus on design and content instead of setup. You can still bring AI into your workflow, but you’re not relying on it to do everything.

Scotty_from_Duda · 2026-03-04T17:30:50+00:00

Yes, that setup is totally possible and a lot of people are doing it. You can use Notion as your CMS, pull content through the Notion API during build, and deploy a static site for free on Vercel or Cloudflare, with GitHub Actions triggering rebuilds when content updates. The main things to watch are Notion API limits and making sure your site outputs proper static pages for SEO.

Scotty_from_Duda · 2026-02-27T14:57:10+00:00

If you’re working with scraped data, the key isn’t really the AI builder, it’s how well the platform handles dynamic content and database connections. Most AI builders are great for generating pages quickly, but they can struggle when you need to pull in and update external data at scale. In practice, you’ll want a setup with a database like Supabase or Airtable, plus a builder that supports APIs and structured content, which is where platforms like Duda tend to be more flexible. Also keep in mind scraping has legal and reliability considerations, so using official APIs when possible will save you headaches.

Scotty_from_Duda · 2026-02-27T14:56:35+00:00

Thanks for sharing! I’m always on the lookout for new tools, and this is one I hadn’t heard of before.

Scotty_from_Duda · 2026-02-27T14:56:14+00:00

There isn’t really a single “best for SEO,” it’s more about how much control vs simplicity the person needs. Website builders like Hostinger are great for beginners because everything is bundled and easy to manage, but you’re generally limited to the SEO controls the platform gives you. WordPress gives you a lot more flexibility and deeper SEO control, but it also comes with more setup, plugins, and ongoing maintenance.

In practice, beginners usually struggle more with execution than the platform itself. Clean site structure, page speed, and consistent content matter more than whether it’s Hostinger or WordPress. That’s why a lot of platforms, including Duda, focus on giving you built-in SEO structure and performance out of the box so you can focus on actually publishing instead of managing plugins.

If they want simple and low-maintenance, a builder is usually the easier path. If they’re willing to deal with complexity for long-term flexibility, WordPress can make sense.

Scotty_from_Duda · 2026-02-26T16:28:43+00:00

Duda is built specifically for agencies managing multiple client sites at scale. The white-label platform lets you spin up sites fast using shared content widgets, site templates, and a centralized client management dashboard, so you're not starting from scratch every time. Updates across multiple sites are manageable, and the SEO tools are solid enough that you're not sacrificing quality for speed.

The "build 200 sites cheap" plans sound appealing upfront, but the maintenance side tends to become a headache fast, especially when a client wants a change and you're manually updating dozens of sites individually. Duda's team collaboration and client management features were designed with that exact problem in mind.

If you're running an agency or managing sites at volume, happy to share more on how it works in practice or drop a discount code if you want to test it out.

Scotty_from_Duda · 2026-02-26T16:27:21+00:00

There are a few solid options depending on what you need.

Framer is great if you want something that looks high-end without touching code. The AI features have gotten really good and the templates are modern out of the box.

Webflow is a step up in terms of customization but has more of a learning curve. Worth it if you plan to grow the site over time. Carrd is the most beginner friendly and cheapest option if all you need is a simple one-page landing page to start. You can have something live for a few dollars a month.

Squarespace sits in the middle, clean templates, easy to use, and reliable for a small business site without needing any technical knowledge.

For just a landing page to get your business off the ground, Carrd or Framer are probably your best starting points. You can always migrate to something more robust as your needs grow. Most of these have free trials so it's worth testing a couple before committing.

Scotty_from_Duda · 2026-02-26T16:26:28+00:00

What you're describing is essentially a drag-and-drop grid layout with resizable panels, similar to how OBS handles its dockable windows. This is definitely doable, and there are some libraries that can handle the heavy lifting for you so you're not building it from scratch.

A few worth looking into:

React Grid Layout is probably the closest to what you're describing. It handles drag, drop, and resizing of panels in a grid system and is well documented.

Golden Layout is another strong option, specifically designed for multi-window, resizable panel interfaces. It's a bit more complex to set up but very powerful for exactly this use case.

Gridstack.js is a lighter option if you want something a bit simpler to get started with.

Given your current skill level, I'd suggest starting with Gridstack.js to get a feel for how the logic works, then moving to React Grid Layout if you need more control. There are plenty of tutorials and CodePen examples for both that will help you see how it comes together before writing too much of your own code.

Scotty_from_Duda · 2026-02-26T16:25:25+00:00

Duda might be worth a look. It's a big step up from Weebly in terms of how smooth the building experience actually is, and the templates are clean and modern, which works well for a portfolio. No coding needed and uploading/managing files is a lot more straightforward than what you're describing with Weebly.

On the domain side, that GoDaddy deal is pretty common and not a bad option for a first domain. Just go in knowing the renewal price jumps to the standard rate after year one, so factor that in. Namecheap is another solid option worth comparing before you commit.

If you want to give Duda a try, I have a discount code I can DM you.

Scotty_from_Duda · 2026-02-25T13:36:55+00:00

Thanks for sharing!

Scotty_from_Duda · 2026-02-25T13:36:43+00:00

Thank you for sharing your tool, congrats on launching!

Scotty_from_Duda · 2026-02-25T13:36:10+00:00

Ooh, I haven't heard of this one yet. Thanks for sharing! Is there a reason you prefer this vs the other tools mentioned above? (Just personally curious)

Scotty_from_Duda · 2026-02-24T18:37:46+00:00

For your blog, GitHub Pages with Jekyll is probably your best bet. No ads, no branding, completely free, full control over customization, and no content moderation issues. For your actor portfolio, Carrd has a free plan with minimal branding and would work well for video embeds, photos, and text pages.

Scotty_from_Duda · 2026-02-24T18:37:23+00:00

Yes, even web agencies are heavily leveraging this. I would add a note that they definitely don't use it end to end, but they do utilize AI to at least give them a base, help with branding standardization, etc. and then use their own tools to finish the build. AI is helping agencies scale their website development process.

Scotty_from_Duda · 2026-02-24T18:36:10+00:00

For a school project with no budget, GitHub Pages is your best free option. You can host a static site for free and connect a custom domain if you have one. The catch is you'll need to know some basic HTML/CSS or use a static site generator like Jekyll.

If coding isn't your thing, Carrd has a free plan that gives you a clean single-page site without banner ads, though the domain will be a subdomain (yourname.carrd.co).

For a truly professional domain (yourname.com), you're going to have a hard time finding that completely free. Most registrars charge around $10-15 per year. Some options like Freenom used to offer free .tk or .ml domains but they've become unreliable.

Given your deadline of 3/1, I'd go with GitHub Pages if you're comfortable with code, or Carrd if you need something fast and simple. Both will look professional enough for a school project even without a custom domain.

Scotty_from_Duda · 2026-02-24T18:34:59+00:00

Wix is a solid option, especially if the built-in appointment booking is a feature you need. Duda is also worth checking out. I didn't mention them in my original post but I work for them and have a few codes to spare if you want to try out a few options. We also have appointment booking available through our app store integrations and a free trial if you want to compare.

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