Choosing the right website platform can be a tricky decision to make. There are some great options out there, including Wix, Squarespace, and WordPress. But which platform will meet your needs and allow you to build the best website? You want to choose the right web platform from the get-go, and our detailed guide will help you make the right decision.
We’ll compare the flexibility and ease of design, the features, and pricing, plus the pros and cons of each option. Read on to find out exactly what Wix, Squarespace, and WordPress have to offer and which is right for your needs.
Wix
Wix is an all-in-one website builder which is accessible to anyone, no matter how techy you are. With its simple drag-and-drop builder, you can create a sleek website in minutes. There’s no need to know how to code, and you can customize your website to your needs.
With Wix, you can choose between more than 500 ready-made themes. The main drawback to Wix is that once you’ve selected your theme and published your site, there’s no going back. To change the theme you will have to create an entirely new site. This could negatively impact your SEO down the road if you’re switching content from an established site. For location-specific businesses and brands that rely heavily on SEO, this could be detrimental to your website traffic.
If you’re a beginner to website development, Wix is a great choice. But if you want a little more control and flexibility, you may prefer an option that allows for more customization like WordPress.
Pro’s of using Wix
- Beginner-friendly
- No coding knowledge necessary
- Great customer support
- Excellent value for money
- Hosting included
Con’s of using Wix
- To change the theme you will need an entirely new site
- Less scope for growth
- Less flexibility over your site design
- Poor organic SEO traffic
Squarespace
When it comes to elegant web designs, Squarespace stands out. The included templates are beautiful and cover every type of website you could need. In Squarespace, you also get more customizability than Wix. Every website built in Squarespace is mobile-responsive, allowing users to view from their phone, tablet, or laptop.
You get more freedom to get creative within Squarespace, and there are tons of features to help you out. If you opt for a commerce plan, you can access smart tools like abandoned cart recovery and coupon generation. Plus, there are no transaction fees on your sales.
Pro’s of using Squarespace
- Choose from gorgeous themes
- Mobile-responsive sites
- A range of great features
- Fantastic e-commerce option
- Template switching
- Hosting is included
Con’s of using Squarespace
- The marketing options within Squarespace are limited
- The only payment processor they allow is Stripe
- Not as beginner-friendly as Wix
- Comparable pricing to Wix
WordPress
WordPress currently powers more than 50% of the web so you know it’s trusted by a lot of people! WordPress is quite different from Wix or Squarespace in that it requires more technical knowledge to get started. Although WordPress has a learning curve, this platform gives you unlimited freedom to create a personalized website. It’s suitable for everything from blogging to e-commerce.
It’s important to consider SEO when looking at what platform you’re going to choose. WordPress domains get upwards of 40% organic traffic while Wix and Squarespace get less than 20%.
Having someone take care of your hosting can often be one of the most complex parts of getting started with a WordPress site. At Kevin Brown Design we take care of that for you:
- We take care of everything for you including upgrades, security, migrations, etc. In the long run, this will save you time, money, IT resources, and so much more.
- We put your site on a dedicated VPS, whereas shared hosting is just that: a shared server, tied to a bunch of other sites that could be dealing with malware, performance issues, and more.
- We tune servers for optimal WordPress performance and configure all the caching, so you don’t have to spend time worrying about site speed!
- We do our best to stay on top of the latest security vulnerabilities and reduce the possibility that your site will be compromised. And IF your site is somehow compromised, we’ll fix it for free.
When you call us, you’ll get a real-live human on the other end, rather than dealing with a robot, and if you have any technical questions, we will find the answer.
Either way, the sky’s the limit with WordPress. It’s infinitely customizable, and you can use any third-party plugin that you like. As your business grows, a WordPress website can keep pace. You can add additional features as and when you need them. In our opinion, WordPress is an excellent platform for any kind of website.
Pro’s of using WordPress
- Powerful capabilities
- There are many SEO plugins available to help optimize content, meta tags, keyword focus and much more
- Ideal for blogging, e-commerce, or any other type of website
- Customize your site for a unique design, unlike anything else out there!
Con’s of using WordPress
- Hosting purchased separately
- It’s beneficial to purchase a website care plan to ensure that your plugins are being updated and hosting is taken care of
- If you’re developing your site yourself the learning curve is much larger then if you were to use Wix or Squarespace
Choosing your web platform is a big step towards starting your website. When choosing a platform it is important to keep in mind your budget, expertise, and vision for your site! Of the three popular web platforms, Wix is best for beginners, while Squarespace offers a creative, aesthetic edge.
However, WordPress is the best choice for the high level of customizability that you get.