November 23, 2020
4 min read
Starting and running your own business is a lot of work, let alone building and creating your online presence! With so many platforms available, it can be hard to know what to look for. To ease your confusion, I’m giving you the lowdown on four of the most popular website platforms (WordPress, Squarespace, Wix, and Shopify, how they compare to one another, pros and cons, and what type of website is best for each one.
I hope this guide helps you choose a solution that works the best for you and your business!
WordPress
What is WordPress?
WordPress is an open-source content management system. Some of the features included are plugin add-ons, a massive selection of template design options, and a variety of hosting options.
Pros of WordPress:
Unlimited Templates for Designing
Unlimited Customization
Extensive Plugin Library
Choose Your Own Hosting
Great E-Commerce Capabilities
Great for Bloggers and Portfolio Websites
Really good for SEO
Cons of WordPress:
Overwhelming for the not-tech-savvy
Learning curve for beginners but easy to pick up
Hosting, domain, and themes are all separate purchases
WordPress is Best For:
Blog, retail, or portfolio websites or a combination of any of these. Websites with almost unlimited customization and integrations.
My Opinion on WordPress:
I truly believe that WordPress is the best platform for any business, big or small. The customization allows unique designs and important integrations all while ensuring functionality.
When I started using WordPress for the first time, it seemed overwhelming but I quickly learned the ins and outs and now I consider myself an advanced user.
My favorite platform overall.
Squarespace
What is Squarespace?
Squarespace is a website hosting and website builder that allows users to upload pre-designed templates and modify pages with drag and drop-style visual editing.
Pros of Squarespace:
Great for Beginners and DIY-ers
A lot of good theme options (paid + free)
Good for small to mid-size websites
One stop shop for a quick website build
Cons of Squarespace:
Limited design customization options
No choice in website hosting or servers
Limited E-Commerce solutions
Less robust plugins (or extensions) library
Limited responsive options
Limited SEO options
Squarespace is Best for:
Beginners or DIYers who want to build a small blog or informational website quickly without too many bells and whistles.
My Opinion on Squarespace:
The users and builders who like Squarespace really like Squarespace. I consider it the best option for a user who isn’t very tech-savvy or needs a simple website fast. As a seasoned web designer, I sometimes find the customization challenging but with a few lines of code I can typically achieve the result I want.
Wix
What is Wix?
Wix is a cloud-based web development service. Using drag and drop builders, users can create websites from scratch or from pre-built templates. Wix allows integrations such as ecommerce, social plugins, scheduling apps, and more.
Pros of Wix:
Great for Graphic Designers learning Website Design
Quick to Get Started
Visual drag and drop builder
Some Customization Options
Custom responsive options
No coding needed
Cons of Wix:
Functionality can be funky
No choice in website hosting or servers
Limited E-Commerce and Customization
Less robust plugins (or extensions) library
Some basic functions come at an extra charge
Platform prices will rise for no reason
Little to no SEO Options
Wix is Best for:
Graphic Designers learning Web Design who want a lot of customization options and less design restrictions. Fine for landing pages and pages that can be build in one-day.
My Opinion on Wix:
Sorry, fam. I’ve got a lot of griefs with Wix. I hosted my first-ever website on Wix for almost four years. After my third year, I upgraded to the premium version in order to use a custom domain without the “.wix.com” strung onto the end of my url. After having the premium version for a year, the price of my Wix hosting almost doubled which baffled me since I wasn’t getting even half of the functionality or integrations that WordPress hosts gave out for free. I said “no more” and converted my website over.
I still think that Wix is a great platform for any graphic designer who wants to dive into website designing, though, I almost never recommend it to clients as a long-term website solution.
Shopify
What is Shopify?
Shopify is an e-commerce focused website platform that caters strictly to online stores and retail point-of-sale systems.
Pros of Shopify:
Good Plugin (or App) Library
Great for Ecommerce Websites
Good, inexpensive Themes
Great Developers for Hire
Cons of Shopify:
Limited Customization
A little bit complicated on the backend
Only for Ecommerce
Shopify is Best for:
Ecommerce website and only ecommerce websites. If your business is strictly retail, without too much focus on design or SEO, then Shopify is the best for you.
My Opinion on Shopify:
I’ve had my grievances with Shopify before but overall, I consider it a great solution for businesses that only want to focus on e-commerce. If you find a theme that allows for your design wants and needs, then you will likely not run into any issues. If you and your business want to dip your time into multiple aspects (blog, portfolio, landing pages, etc.) on top of retail, then I recommend a different solution for your business.
In Summary
The process of building your website should be an exciting journey for you and your brand. I hope my website platform guide has helped you decide which option will work best. While I lean towards WordPress as a designer, my goal is to help you find a platform that you feel comfortable using and working in. Pushing aside my bias, there are a ton of options out there to help with your success.
Thanks for reading my post! Did I miss any platforms you would like me to review? Leave a comment below!
Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook for more fun content, website tips, and techy tricks.
Stay Rad,
Katie
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