In this article we will explain which website platform you should choose and which one best suits your goals.
Choosing the right website platform for your business can be confusing. With so many different options, it can be difficult to find the right one.
That’s why we decided to create a short list of the most popular.
website platforms, so you can compare them all at once and know once and for all which platform you should choose for your business.
We hope this will help you decide on the next website platform!
What are the most popular platforms?
As of 2020, WordPress, Wix, Weebly, Squarespace, and Shopify are among the most popular website builders. Many successful websites have been built on these platforms.
Remember, there will be a learning curve. So there are many things you will need to learn yourself or hire someone to help you with.
The good news is that you can find many easy to use tools online that will help you create a professional looking website.
So before you choose a website builder, carefully consider your goals, budget, time, and willingness to learn. Then, find out the pros and cons of each platform you are considering.
To help you get started, I have compiled a list with all the details about the 3 most popular website builders mentioned here.
WordPress
WordPress is a content management system and open source software that allows you to create a website or blog.
The term “open source software” means that the original source code of a software is freely available to the world and can then be shared and modified.
WordPress is the industry standard for website platforms. Currently, 36% of all websites in the world are powered by WordPress. The user-friendly interface allows you to expand and customize your website as you see fit.
One of the options can be downloaded from wordpress.org, beyond that you need to upload it to your web hosting using an automatic installer. You can customize the templates, but you can also use add-ons to create your ideal website.
Many people go this route, but there is another option. With the hosted version of WordPress, you can create your own website on wordpress.com.
The choice of version depends a lot on your needs. If you already have website hosting, the best option is to use WordPress.org and also hire an expert agency like Agencia Colors.
The advantages of this variant are:
- Professional websites
- Freedom of design and flexibility
- Unlimited functionality and extension possibilities
- Highly compatible with e-commerce
- Great for SEO
Disadvantages:
- You have to purchase hosting separately. Although the WordPress platform is free to use, you cannot purchase a domain or hosting through WordPress itself.
- Easy learning curve with the language and usage for beginners.
The possibilities of WordPress are endless. Whether you run a blog, an online store, or retail services, WordPress can grow with you.
We may sound biased, but when it comes to choosing the right platform for your website, we truly believe WordPress is perfect for any entrepreneur, no matter how new or advanced you are.
Weebly
Weebly’s ease of use is second to none: It’s probably the easiest website builder on the market. That explains the 50 million websites that have already been built with this platform.
Every new feature they add is beneficial to them – the web store and members area are two good examples. The content management system is also structured to be compatible with larger websites, as a Weebly website can easily exceed 150 pages.
Advantages:
- There are no disk space or bandwidth limits on the paid plans.
- The plan includes a site search feature, as well as video and audio players, so you can offer streaming content directly from your website.
- stylish and responsive themes that perfectly adapt to mobile devices like tablets and smartphones.
- An intelligent system of page templates for further customization to suit your needs.
- Numerous additional features developed by Weebly and third-party developers.
Disadvantages:
- Although the App Center is very good, you will not find as many apps as in Wix’s App Market. Also, it seems that there are significantly fewer features available since Square took over. Portuguese is not supported. So to use Weebly, you should know some English.
Squarespace
Squarespace is an elegant option for creating and hosting your website. With the user-friendly platform, you can create good landing pages, a clear loyalty card and a professional but easy-to-maintain website. You can take a look at your business plan for all professional Squarespace users, which offers you unlimited pages as well as all Squarespace features.
Pro:
- Easy to use;
- Have beautiful models;
- All-in-one option for domain, hosting and design that allows you to get started quickly;
- Includes options for eCommerce.
Disadvantages:
- More expensive than WordPress;
- Not fully customizable;
- Most templates are for setting up websites, not blogs;
- Not ideal for setting up podcasts.
For brochure or information style websites.
If you want to get online as quickly as possible, you also do not want to be overwhelmed by options;
for beginners or anyone intimidated by technology.
Wix
Wix is another drag-and-drop website creation platform aimed at beginners, and offers a free package that lets you use this service without having to dig into your pocket. Besides, you’ll benefit from one of the most used website editors on the market.
This platform can be run in ADI (Artificial Design Intelligence) mode, which offers a simple interface, meaning that everything is very simple and easy to use. This is ideal for beginners, since they can quickly and effectively create a simple website.
Those who want to work on improving the website design can access the complete Wix platform, which has powerful features and offers the possibility to improve your website and make it look exactly the way you want.
As professionals, we can present some points:
- Professional websites
- Very easy and intuitive to use
- No programming knowledge required
- Easy to install and update
- cost effective;
- Highly customizable with endless theme options;
- flexible to start a blog;
- in constant development;
- Supported by a worldwide community that publishes free documentation online. This is very useful for solving technical problems;
- Thousands of plug-ins (free and paid) available for more functionality;
- good to appear in Google search results through SEO;
- Special themes are available for podcasters and/or youtubers.
Disadvantages
- Limited designs and functionality
- Not as robust for SEO
- No control over your hosting
- Although Wix is quite easy and intuitive to use, it has limited growth options. If you want to build a long-term business, this is not the best option for you.
Shopify
If your main goal is to sell goods online, you can not go wrong with Shopify. It is a user-friendly e-commerce platform that helps you sell products and manage your inventory. It offers thousands of themes, most of which also let you add a blog.
There are a number of apps you can add to the system to improve the shopping experience for your customers.
Many of Shopify’s features (such as automatic categorization of new items) can make managing large inventories easier.
Advantages:
- Easy to use;
- Has many pretty themes to choose from;
- Designed to showcase and sell your products (both physical and digital);
- E-commerce options are already built in.
Disadvantages:
- Expensive;
- Geared more toward eCommerce than blogs;
- Additional paid applications and plugins and plugins used to extend functionality can quickly add additional costs.
Conclusion
There are many options to consider when choosing the right website platform. Ultimately, we prefer WordPress over all other website management platforms.
WordPress does take some getting used to (like anything new you try!), but it is very versatile and can grow with your business.
WordPress allows you to create anything from a blog to a virtual store, meaning the platform fulfills multiple goals.
If you are not sure what you want, look at your competitors or other websites for inspiration. In this case, we recommend you write what you want to achieve with your website. What are your goals and what features do you want to see on your website.
For example, you can write: a blog, a photo gallery, an online store (eCommerce), a booking system, a contact form, SEO features, social media features, etc.
Most website builders offer an intuitive drag-and-drop interface for creating your new website. You can take advantage of trial accounts (free plans) or the generous money-back guarantee before making your final decision.
With Colors Agency, we guarantee much more than just an attractive look and modern layout of your website. Our main focus is to provide effective solutions to companies all over the world to generate visibility on the Internet.
Our agency develops SEO strategies and brand positioning for multinational companies, large, medium and small, all projects are important to us.