Notion, one of the market leading note-taking and productivity apps, recently launched new advanced website building tools. A move that the company hopes will position them as one of the best website builders on the market and deliver greater customer satisfaction across the board.
I had the chance to catch up with Matt Piccolella, Product Lead at Notion to find out more about what this update entails, what this means for users, and what the future may look like for those looking to build a website on the Notion platform.
Interested in Notion? Check out 5 things you need to know about Notion.
Matt Piccolella is Product Lead at Notion. He oversees Notion’s enhanced productivity and collaboration tools & has most recently led the development of Notion Sites. Matt builds templates and content for the Notion community of over 30 million users worldwide – sourcing, building, and showcasing the best of what you can build in the platform.
Firstly, please tell us a little bit about the new website builder features on Notion.
Notion Sites is a new suite of features that makes web publishing simple and easy. You can get a beautiful site up in minutes using Notion’s powerful building blocks, combined with the tools you need to manage your site.
New and improved features include a Sites Settings panel, ability to connect custom domains; site customization options like black and white color themes, navigation bar, and custom share previews; and SEO and Google Analytics integration. All of this lets you focus on what’s most important: creating amazing content to share with the world, whether that’s a portfolio, pitch deck, media kit, or travel guide.
How does Notion's website builder offering differ from others in the market?
Simply put, it's the easiest way to publish a quality website. Web publishing can be time-consuming, daunting, and expensive. Managing all aspects – like writing HTML, designing pages, and integrating services for publishing, analytics, and SEO – require significant time and effort.
With Notion, there's no need for complex HTML or code. It's user-friendly and looks great right away. Plus, if you’re currently using Notion, you have the ability to publish sites without any cost, and you can begin the process now. For small businesses or freelancers who don’t necessarily have a technical skillset, saving time and resources on these processes is invaluable.
Check out our list of the best website builders for small business.
How will the website builder integrate with the wider Notion offering?
Sites is fully integrated into Notion. Users can build a website with the same design and customization tools they’d expect from the core platform. This means they don’t need to switch between different platforms or content management systems; instead, they can update and maintain their website just as they would any other Notion page. This integration streamlines the process of building and maintaining a website, making it more accessible and user-friendly.
Who do you think will benefit most from these new features? Why?
We’ve seen people create all kinds of websites using Notion: it's a versatile tool for both personal expression and professional presentation. In particular, we can see the new features helping creators who use Sites to build a portfolio or publish a blog; ‘solopreneurs’ who want to quickly build a professional website without spending significant time or money; and small businesses who are already using Notion internally, where Sites can be an extension of their connected workspace, such as FAQs, job listings or pitch decks.
Why choose now to launch these new features?
We’re constantly listening and responding to feedback from our global community of Notion users. Publishing and sharing content has always been a popular use case, and we understood that building out this functionality was a priority for them and a valuable addition to the platform. Sites will take web publishing on Notion to the next level, and we’re looking forward to seeing what people will create with the enhanced product.
What role does AI play in the Notion website builder? How big of a role do you think AI will play in future updates?
The best part of Notion is that it's a connected workspace. One of the main points of Notion Sites is that many tools you need to build a website are already part of Notion. With your Notion AI subscription, you can utilize AI while building your website. For example, Notion AI's Writer tool can assist in creating and optimizing content, such as drafting blog posts or SEO friendly copy and suggesting language improvements for different audiences. As we continue to build out Notion AI, new features will help streamline website creation with Notion.
Check out our list of the best AI website builders.
Can you tell us about anything else in the website builder pipeline that we should be getting excited about?
We plan to add more ways to enhance the visual appeal - Light and Dark modes are just the starting point. Our goal is to maintain Notion's intuitive and effortlessly beautiful design. As we introduce more customization options for colors and other elements, we'll ensure they align with this principle.
We’ll also be working on rolling out more features so that sites published on Notion can scale as a company does. In the long term, Notion aspires to be a connected workspace – one where you can run your entire company. This launch is just the beginning; we aim to make Notion the one-stop platform for all your work needs.
