How Do Shark Tank Entrepreneurs Build Their Websites? (Infographic)

In our online-all-the-time reality, the first step to building a business is building a website.

learn more about Catherine Clifford

By Catherine Clifford

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Ever watch Shark Tank and start fantasizing about the business you are going to build?

If you are going to build a business, you are going to have to build a website. So, where do you start? How do you even begin?

If you aren't going to build your own website one line of code at a time -- engineers get paid top dollar to do this -- then you are going to need a content management system, or "CMS" for short. That's a computer application that allows you to operate a website without necessarily having to be an engineer. You use CMS to publish and edit online content.

Related: 7 Deadly Web Design Sins You Might Be Making

And if you are going to be selling products on your website, then you are going to need an e-commerce management application to interact with customers. You need software that allows you to offer products for sale online and accept payment, among other more nuanced functions.

Austin, Texas-based hosting service WP Engine went through all five seasons of Shark Tank to determine what CMS and e-commerce platforms the contestants were using. Wordpress and Shopify were the breakaway winners. To be sure, using Shark Tank contestants as a sample pool is not necessarily representative of the overall entrepreneurial community.

Related: Launching a Website: The One Thing You Can't Forget
But, as you are sitting on your couch, watching Barbara Corcoran invest in an entrepreneur and planning your own blockbuster venture, here's a wee glimpse into how those on TV are getting started. Have a look at the infographic, embedded below, generated by WP Engine, summarizing results of its investigation.

Click to Enlarge+
How Do Shark Tank Entrepreneurs Build Their Websites? (Infographic)

Related: Launching a Website: Mistakes to Avoid

Catherine Clifford

Senior Entrepreneurship Writer at CNBC

Catherine Clifford is senior entrepreneurship writer at CNBC. She was formerly a senior writer at Entrepreneur.com, the small business reporter at CNNMoney and an assistant in the New York bureau for CNN. Clifford attended Columbia University where she earned a bachelor's degree. She lives in Brooklyn, N.Y. You can follow her on Twitter at @CatClifford.

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