It’s no secret, having a website for your business is a crucial tool for so many important reasons such as marketing, legitimacy, showcasing work and services, and so much more. This is a space online that you own and to provide an experience for potential customers. So now that you know how important a website really is for your business, which website platform should you choose to build your website on that works best for your type of business? We will go over the most popular website builders, along with their pros and cons.
WordPress
As the most popular website builder, WordPress is a superior content management system that allows you to build a website to fit your business needs and will grow along with you. This platform is a stand-alone system that needs hosting from a source such as Bluehost, Siteground, GoDaddy, and hundreds more to choose from. You can choose a template between a free or paid option, that will best fit your business model and customize it to complement your brand. This platform utilizes plugins to customize the operation of your website and there are thousands to choose from. This gives you the ability to add a shop, membership, custom actions, and so many different things to set your website apart from the masses. WordPress is known to have a bit of a learning curve but is definitely worth it in the long run. Hosting for WordPress is paid per year starting around $4.99 per month, so hosting is very affordable. This platform is also the best when it comes to SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Be sure to check out my WordPress course here.
Squarespace
This website platform is an amazing option for just about anyone, especially for those who are looking for something easy to use and learn, that also has a shop option, and a membership option already built in. Squarespace is always upping its game and with its latest release, the Fluid Engine, it’s even easier to use and the ability to drag and drop a stunning website is at everyone’s fingertips. You choose one of the templates that are free and customize it for your brand and business. There are also paid templates you can find online if you’re looking for something with more design and options as well. Squarespace also offers email marketing within the same platform for a monthly extra charge, you can connect Printify if you want to dropship merchandise with ease and add a shop for an extra fee as well. There are 3 pricing plans to choose from starting at $18 per month.
Showit
This website platform was once used mostly by photographers but has since evolved into a platform loved by several different industries. This website builder gives you extreme customization in a drag-and-drop function, making it easy for about anyone to create a stunningly beautiful website. This also uses the method of designing your desktop version and having to also tweak the mobile version as well to match your desktop version. This was once a Showit-only feature but has since become a popular aspect for many builders now. A few things that are different with Showit versus other platforms, adding a blogging option will cost you more monthly. Showit uses WordPress to host your blog and their support department will set it up for you as well. There are no built-in shop options so most create a Shopify account and embed buy buttons for their products. This is a downfall if you have a lot of products. You could also simply use Showit to host your website and link a button to your Shopify shop as well if you have quite a few products. All in all this platform is very popular among the masses, but some do struggle to figure out the SEO portion of their website. There are 3 pricing plans to choose from starting at $24 per month.
Shopify
This platform is the top e-commerce platform to use for a shop website. If you are selling physical products, Shopify is the way to go. There are free and paid templates you can choose from and customize, though the customization options are lacking compared to the options above, you can still create a great website to sell your products. Shopify uses apps much like WordPress plugins to power outside options for your website as well. You can track your inventory, revenue, and traffic all in one place too. There are 3 tier pricing plans to choose from depending on the number of products you will have starting at $39 per month.
Wix
This is the platform that is my least favorite and I never recommend it to clients. Wix tends to be costly, the customization options are severely lacking, and the SEO leaves much to be desired. Many people still love this platform though. It is mostly click and drag, there are templates to choose from, although if you ever want to change your template, you will have to delete your website and start all over, unlike the other options listed above. I believe that it’s an ok option to start out with, but will not provide a long-term desirable option for a growing business. There are 4 pricing plans starting at $16 per month for a personal website.
In conclusion, each of these website platform options are great choices depending on your needs, budget, and technical ability. It’s also a good idea to think about where you see your business in 5 years to determine which functions will you possibly need in order to choose the best platform that will grow with your business for years to come.
