Jimdo Review: We take Jimdo for a test drive
Jimdo's website builder is based on one key idea above all else: ease of use in every way. Jimdo aims to remove all barriers to enable you to create your own professional website, regardless of whether you're a restaurant owner, band member or freelancer.
One of Jimdo's greatest strengths is its online store. It's easy to include this option on your website as required and it does a great job of displaying products. It also allows you to accept payment via a range of methods, and even includes inventory tracking and order management. According to Jimdo, some 70,000 shops have already been created since its launch in March 2010.
You'll find getting to grips with Jimdo takes mere minutes. Here's a glimpse of what to expect:
> You can sign up for a free Jimdo account here (link will open in a new window)
> Check out more Jimdo videos here
The team at Jimdo have taken great care to ensure that they don't over-complicate the system as they add new features. This means that more features do not automatically mean greater complexity, which is very reassuring. Let's take a closer look at what Jimdo has to offer.
Jimdo in detail
| Criterion | Rating | Comments |
| Ease of use |
 |
Well organized and very intuitive. This is one of the fastest editors we've seen, but be aware that Jimdo has no preview function. This means that all your changes will be saved directly to your live website. |
| Choice and flexibility of design (templates) |
 |
Templates look great, and there's plenty of them. Advanced users can create customized templates using HTML and CSS. For smartphones there is a mobile website version. |
| Advertisement-free | Yes | In Jimdo Pro |
| Languages |
|
The interface supports eleven languages, while the editor supports all languages. Multi-lingual websites are also possible. |
| Features | ||
| - Top-level domain (e.g. .com or .net) | Yes | Jimdo PRO includes one domain (e.g. .com), while Jimdo BUSINESS includes two. You're allowed to re-direct your existing domain: more info here. The plan also includes e-mail addresses, which you can manage directly from within Jimdo. |
| - Depth of navigation |
 |
Two sub-levels possible. Another level would be nice, and a drop-down menu too. |
| - Widgets (small tools to add extra functionality) |
|
Embedded video (YouTube) and excellent photo galleries keep your website looking good. Facebook and other social media services can be nicely integrated. |
| - Monetization | Yes | Using banners. We couldn't get Google AdSense working though. |
| - e-Commerce |
|
The store includes a range of payment options and even has its own order management system. The PRO plan allows you to put 15 products on your site, BUSINESS doesn't have a limit. Note to U.S. users: there is currently no way to charge sales tax by state. Read more about the store. |
| - Search-engine optimization (SEO) |
|
Meta tags, meta descriptions and image ALT tags are all editable on the PRO plan. But title tag and URL editing is unfortunately limited. Jimdo needs to improve here. (More on SEO). |
| - Blog |
|
Jimdo includes all the standard blog features such as trackbacks and pings, but no categories. Install Disqus if you want more comment features. |
| - Visitor statistics |
 |
The nicely-integrated Google Analytics provides detailed stats. |
| - Contact form | Yes | Fields are fully customizable with Jimdo's form builder. You can also edit the confirmation message. |
| - Add HTML code | Yes | Allows you to add other widgets and tools. |
| - Storage space | From 500 MB | PRO gives you 5 GB, JimdoBUSINESS offers unlimited storage. |
| - Forums | No | ... but there is a guestbook. |
| Support | E-Mail, wiki and forums | Generally support quality is good although it could be faster at times, especially PRO support. More on Jimdo's support here. |
| Fun factor |
|
The fun factor is high with this builder! |
| Overall rating |
|
Simple, yet packed full of great features — you really can't go wrong with Jimdo for a small to medium-sized website. The price/-performance ratio will seriously impress. |
Conclusion
When it comes to building websites, Jimdo will enable even those with limited computer experience to hit the ground running. You'll find you can create a simple business website, with or without a store, as quickly and as easily as a personal website. If you find yourself stuck, Jimdo's support team will soon have you back on track.
And it's not just the builder that will make you smile — Jimdo's price plans are friendly too. Find a detailed comparison of Jimdo's Pro and Business plans here.
Jimdo has something for everyone. You'll feel especially at home if you don't have a lot of technical skills, but can't afford to forego a professional online presence.
> Why not start right now? Click here to try Jimdo for free.
Updates
17 Apr 2012 - Jimdo doesn't charge the store sales fee anymore
30 Mar 2012 - Small updates (languages and SEO)
24 Feb 2012 - Updates to Jimdo's form builder
17 Jan 2012 - Video review and video page added
22 Nov 2011 - Jimdo's servers are very fast as we've found out in our server performance check.
30 Aug 2011 - Jimdo is now relying on Google Analytics for stats
20 Jul 2011 - Review of Jimdo's mobile-friendly websites
20 May 2011 - More email accounts for JimdoBUSINESS Users (now 20)
08 May 2011 - Smartphone-friendly templates now available by default
30 Mar 2011 - General update: note added "e-Commerce"
18 Jan 2011 - General update: PRO support could be a little faster, so we took away one star. BUSINESS support is not affected.
Last updated: 17 Apr 2012 | Robert Brandl
Try Jimdo
Why not open a free account and give Jimdo a whirl?
Take me to Jimdo!
Sample Jimdo websites
All the following sites were built using Jimdo: personal websites, online stores, club and fan sites, and much, much more.
> Go on - inspire me!