I’ve always advised my clients to focus on what things they’ll need on their platform and then find the best fit. And there are many different platforms out there but for small businesses the most commonly asked about are Wix, WordPress and Squarespace. It’s not an easy answer to what seems at first glance a very simple question.
For those that just want a straightforward response here it is.
WordPress
- Self-hosted
- Open source
- Content management system (CMS)
- Lots of flexibility and control (advanced programming options)
- Native blogging
- No dedicated support (articles)
- Themes and Builders or custom design
- Plugins & integrations
Wix
- All in one website builder
- Easy to learn
- Great for non-technical people
- Built-in sales features
- Tough to customize
- Dedicated support
- Has an app market for additional functionality and features
- Different pricing plans (7 packages)
- Good for small business
Squarespace
- More technical than Wix but not as complicated as WordPress
- Beautiful templates (that you can change around and not lose content)
- Has a CSS editor to edit design
- Squarespace commerce app (+ Square can track offline sales and track online inventory)
- Built-in blogging features
- Different plans include different features (4 packages)
- Good for creative industries
It’s not as simple as choosing the platform with the longest list!
What is a bonus for one business is a limitation for another. So you MUST look at it from your unique perspective. Here are a few questions to ask yourself as you dig into this.
Think about what you’ll need to do on your site:
- Sell products
- Generate leads
- Educate prsopects
- Build followers/audience
- Etc.
Think about what functionality you need on your site to do this:
- eCommerce? Shopping Cart?
- Content management?
- Integrations with email or CRM?
- Blogging? Video?
- Templates or themes? Custom design?
- Membership capabailities?
- eLearning?
- Etc.
Then ask yourself a few administrative questions:
- How large is your website? How many pages?
- How much traffic do you expect?
- Do you have set branding? Will it change anytime soon? Often? Does it need to be unique?
- How much technological skill do you have? Are you wanting to learn?
Based on your responses to these questins you can review the comparison table again and see which platform best fits your needs.
Many businesses grow out of their first website within the first 6 months to a year because they haven’t spent time thinking about the purpose and functionality they need. Do yourself a favour and take the time to make the choice that best fits YOUR needs.
Is it all a bit much and you need someone to take the reins and build it for you? We got you! Book a call to discuss your needs and budget!
