Most owners pick a website platform because a friend uses it or an advert caught their eye. That can work out, but the platform decides who can edit the site, what it costs to run and how easily it can grow. Here is how we help clients choose.
Start with who will run the site
The best platform is the one the person updating the site will actually use. If you will change prices, add photos and post news yourself, easy editing matters more than any feature list.
- You want to move things around and see changes straight away: Wix or Squarespace.
- You want full control, a huge choice of plugins and the option to hand the site to any developer later: WordPress.
- You sell products and want the shop and the site in one place: WooCommerce on WordPress, or the store features built into Wix and Squarespace.
What each platform is good at
WordPress
Open source, runs on almost any host and has a plugin for nearly every need. The trade-off is upkeep: updates, backups and security are your job or your developer’s.
Wix
Hosting, editor and security come in one subscription, and editing is quick. Moving a Wix site to another platform later usually means rebuilding it.
Squarespace
Polished templates and a tidy editor, which suit image-led businesses such as studios, cafés and shops. There are fewer add-ons than WordPress, but less to maintain.
GoDaddy and Duda
Good fits when your domain and hosting already live there, or when an agency manages many similar sites. Check that the features you need are included in your plan before you start.
Think about the next two years, not just launch day
Ask what the site will need to do as the business grows. A platform that fits today but can’t handle what comes next will cost you a rebuild later. Four questions help:
- Will you sell online, now or later?
- Will more than one person edit the site?
- Do you need bookings, memberships or customer accounts?
- Who will handle updates and backups?
Compare the running costs, not just the price tag
Hosted platforms such as Wix and Squarespace bundle most costs into one monthly fee. With WordPress, the cost depends on your hosting, any premium plugins and who looks after maintenance. Neither is automatically cheaper, so compare the total for the features you actually need.
Our short answer
If you want to edit everything yourself with very little upkeep, start with Squarespace or Wix. If you want flexibility, ownership of every file and room to grow, choose WordPress.
Not sure which way to go? Tell us how you’d like to run your site and we’ll recommend a platform that suits you. We build on all of them, so we have no favourite to push.
