How to Decide on a Website Platform for Your Business
I’ve worked on custom website design for my clients for 5+ years now. In these past 5 years I have learned that every business is truly unique and requires different website platforms to run efficiently and successfully online. There are a lot of things to consider before signing up for a website platform to run your website and start reaching audiences to increase conversion and sales.
It might also feel extremely daunting to try and look through all the different website platforms and know which one will truly be best for you. This blog post is not affiliated with any of the platforms, just simply recommendations for different business types and wants/needs from one business owner to another.
You need to consider these 4 things in choosing the platform that’s best for you and your business:
Price/Affordability
Ease of Use
Features
Level of Customization
Wordpress
It seems like everyone knows about Wordpress, it’s the longest standing website platform and once only started out as a blogging platform. Since then it has expanded, but it definitely reigns as the best platform for bloggers.
Pros of Wordpress
Great for advanced customizations involving HTML, Javascript, and CSS
Amazing blog features
Lots of plugin features that allow for expansion
Cons of Wordpress
Not easy for non-coders to edit; ease of use can be more difficult to navigate
The recurrent updates the platform uses can sometimes cause issues with your website’s design and renewal
Due to the amount of code it takes to run these websites, loading speeds tend to be lower
Shopify
Shopify is our top platform for our e-commerce clientele! It’s a game-changer for anyone selling physical products. Similar to any website platform, it has some major pros and some cons as well to know about before signing up.
Pros of Shopify
Great flexibility for the growth of your e-commerce business
Easy for shipping and fullfillment of orders
Generally simple to use design-wise
Lots of plug-in features that allow for expansion
24/7 support is available to you if you need help
Multiple payment processors
Hosting and security is highly-protective
Cons of Shopify
It has a higher pricing point
Limited customization without coding experience
No email hosting
Blogging is almost non-existent
Squarespace
Squarespace is an all-in-one website builder that’s being talked about more online from influencers, business owners, and creatives. They’ve seriously kicked their website features into high-gear and becoming a top-rated website platform for various reasons. It is great as it’s versatile for different businesses whether you need blogging, selling digital products, marketing your services, appointment scheduler features, and more, leaving this a versatile platform to choose.
Pros of Squarespace
Easy to use and navigate
Easy to edit and make changes to without coding knowledge
Features are included that allow you to expand and grow your business
Has features such as: scheduling, online payment/selling, portfolio showcases, blogging, etc.
Cons of Squarespace
More controlled customization has been desired from website owners
A higher pricing point to run your website and often require updated subscriptions to get all features
Limited plug-in’s available and extensions
Wix
Wix is an all-in-one website builder similar to Squarespace that lets you quickly create attractive websites, even if you have no design or coding experience. Wix is popular among bloggers, entrepreneurs and small business owners.
Pros of Wix
Amazing drag and drop features that allow for a highly-customizable design, without needing coding experience
Easy to use and navigate
Built-in SEO
Payment-friendly with lot’s of options to choose from for all budgets
200+ plug-in and extensions available to expand on (great for scheduling, online purchases, customer reviews, and more!)
Cons of Wix
Analytics for your website aren’t as accessible as other platforms
Storage limits on all plans which may slow down your website’s loading time and capabilities
Blogging features could be better
ShowIt
You may or may not have heard of ShowIt’s website builder and hosting platform and that’s probably because it’s considered fairly new, but it doesn’t change how great this platform is for creatives and solopreneurs needing portfolio showcases who want control with their entire website! It allows you to create a completely custom desktop and mobile website, all with a drag-and-drop interface that requires no coding. It integrates with WordPress for easy blogging and SEO, which is a huge pro as well.
Pros of ShowIt
Great blogging and SEO features through Wordpress (a dream!)
Completely customizable that requires no coding
Easy to navigate and use
Completely customizable mobile website design
Supportive community + tech support is available to you
Cons of ShowIt
Challenging for e-commerce; it’s almost non-existent and you’ll have to hook up an external platform to it, which means more $$$
Contact forms are not very customizable and you can only add text-fields (no check-fields)
Higher monthly-fees to run the website
Ready to Take Your Website to the Next Level?
Your website is your virtual online seller, it’s important to consider how your business is showing up online to increase conversion and sales rates! We offer custom website design services for those in all business stages.
Welcome
I’M DANIELLE LABONTÉ
Brand and website designer working with ambitious entrepreneurs, leaders, and scaling companies seeking impactful and refined branding built upon both strategy and storytelling.
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