3 Tools to Help You Build a Strong Website and Brand It's easier than ever to build your own digital presence. We tested and reviewed some of the latest offerings.

Emily L'Ami launched her brand's website the old-fashioned way: She paid an agency $10,000 to make it. But the result was underwhelming —­ and that was a problem. Her company, a therapeutic-­perfume startup called Bodha, was taking off. She needed an upgrade.

So even though she's not technically inclined, L'Ami tried to build a site herself using Squarespace. "I gave myself two days," she says. "I decided, I'm going to stick with it and figure it out." The result: Bodha.com is a stunner — original photos, integrations with social media, contact forms, and the all-important shopping cart. Now it draws about 12,000 page views per month and is a significant driver of sales to her business.

Success stories like these are now common for website builders like Squarespace, Wix, and GoDaddy. Years ago, they all offered basic services — designing a simple site, registering a domain, and so on. But they've since evolved into comprehensive business tools, featuring things like a full-featured shopping portal, SEO assistance, a CRM, live-chat functionality, and much more. Starting this year, they'll even help businesses do marketing and promotions.