HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT WEBSITE PLATFORM FOR YOUR BUSINESS

What’s the difference between Wordpress and other website platforms? This is a common question we get asked from our clients. There are a number of options available when it comes to choosing a website provider and it can seem quite overwhelming when faced with deciding what platform to go with. We thought it would be a great question to answer in our blog this month so here is a beginners guide to choosing the right website platform for your business website.

WordPress
WordPress has two versions – WordPress.org which is free, open-source software and WordPress.com, a paid for alternative with different plans to choose from depending on the requirements of the user.

Originally developed as a tool for publishing blogs, WordPress.org has evolved to the platform we know today that allows you to create any type of website you like! WordPress is an open-source content management system (CMS), perfect for people to build their own website! Free to download you would need to pay an annual fee for third party hosting. It does require a bit of technical knowledge so is more suited to those who are more website savvy.

WordPress.com Includes managed hosting, taking care of the tricky technical side so that your website is optimised for speed, security, and performance. There are a variety of plans available to suit most needs and budgets. This is perfect for most users who don’t have the necessary skills to build their own website from scratch.

WIX
WIX is a really easy to use, intuitive website builder. Perfect for even the most technophobe among us, WIX can help you create the perfect website for your business. It has loads of options depending on your requirements, you just need an email address to get started with the free plan. You can personalise your website to suit your brand – choose from a range of templates or use the AI options!

Its main downside is that once you’ve picked a template you can’t just switch it out when you fancy a new look! WIX allows you to have as many sites as you want in your account so you can choose a new template and then import over elements and pages before transferring your domain name and plan. 

Weebly
Another user friendly website builder, Weebly is another great option for beginners. Its drag and drop features make it a breeze to use and the affordable plans make it easy to see why it’s such a winner with many small business owners. Their ecommerce side is fantastic for any budget conscious small business.

Squarespace
We can’t talk about website building software without discussing Squarespace. It has gorgeous designs to wow any visitor to your site, it’s intuitive to use, great analytical and e-commerce tools and free SSL certificate. On the downside, Squarespace doesn’t offer a free tier, unlike the majority of its competitors. You can try it for free but you only get two weeks to see if it’s right for you.

With drag and drop features, this is a super easy platform for beginners. Like Wix, it has an AI tool which allows you to input a few details about your brand and business so that Blueprint AI can generate design suggestions.

As you can see there are loads of options when it comes to building your website and you can be as hands on as you like. 

If you need more advice and support on building your perfect website we can help you – from advising on the right type of website for your business to offering bespoke design, domain name registration, website hosting, one page websites, Content Management Systems (CMS), e-commerce websites, website optimisation, email hosting, bespoke website functionality.