Building a custom website is a struggle for most modern businesses. Websites must be mobile-friendly, load fast, and provide dependable performance across multiple devices. This cannot be very easy, especially when organizations need more professional expertise to do everything independently.
That’s where website-building platforms come in. Three of the most popular website-building platforms, Wix, Squarespace, and WordPress, make it easier for businesses to build a modern website with good UX sensibilities.
While these services seem similar, they operate very differently. Some website-building platforms aren’t suitable for specific website projects. Pitting Wix vs. Squarespace vs. WordPress in a head-to-head battle for supremacy will paint a clearer picture of the strengths and weaknesses of each.
Why Use a Website Building Platform in the First Place?
Web design has been around for decades, and the amount of work it takes to create an effective website has only increased in that time. In the past, designers could get away with basic layouts and static pages, but today’s users expect interactive pages and apps with flawless performance.
A website-building platform simplifies web design by giving users the tools they need to create modern user experiences with less overhead. Not only are website-building platforms simple, but they’re also fast, intelligent, cost-effective, and virtually maintenance-free.
Simple
A good website builder is easy to use and can give users everything they need to start immediately.
This means making templating systems, themes, and plugins available to users without prior web design experience. A unified dashboard makes navigating different parts of your website a breeze, providing a beginner-friendly, all-in-one solution to many common problems associated with website design.
Website builders also provide online stores so users can expand their websites as needed. With a website development platform, businesses can easily communicate their brand through a custom page without getting into the weeds with programming.
Fast
The best part of website-building platforms is allowing users to quickly iterate over ideas and develop a unique design that fits their brand. Website-building platforms cover many critical aspects of web development, allowing you to get your idea up and running in no time.
Website builders abstract away many common aspects of development so you can make your vision a reality and take it to market as soon as possible rather than spending time creating pages from scratch.
Intelligent
Website builders allow for rapid prototype development that helps companies to eliminate errors while scaling quickly.
Businesses can use these platforms to deploy websites in multiple languages or specialized markets without adding or removing a single line of code. This kind of versatility empowers people from all walks of life to create unique websites and use their creativity in new ways.
Automations and AI-driven services lower the barrier to entry so you can create great-looking websites even if you don’t know anything about programming. Website-building platforms give you the flexibility to bring your vision to life, no matter what the style or content happens to be.
Low Maintenance
Even after a website has been deployed, businesses must continue to invest in security, updates, and manual interventions, often resulting in ongoing maintenance that requires additional time, cost, and personnel to resolve. With the exemplary website-building service, businesses can eliminate much of the unwanted overhead from their websites.
Looking at the different website-building platforms, Wix, Squarespace, and WordPress offer different experiences to users. More specifically, some offer lower maintenance overhead than others. As such, it’s essential to understand the ins and outs of each option and how they can save you on maintenance costs.
Cost-Effective
A low-cost website is essential for businesses of all sizes, and less money spent upfront means more money saved for more important concerns. For smaller organizations, or those operating on a budget, website-building platforms are beneficial for staying competitive and meeting growth targets.
Many convenient, affordable website builders are available to users in all industries. Wix, Squarespace, and WordPress are probably the most well-known and thoroughly documented. You can save money on your website deployment by leveraging existing infrastructure and design templates with these services.
Whether you want to create a blogging platform, a photography website, or a personal portfolio, building a website for your business is as simple as it’s ever been with website-building platforms like Wix, Squarespace, and WordPress.
Choosing the Best Website Platform
It’s crucial to select the right website platform from the start. Your website will function differently depending on your choice, making it tough to change later.
If you want to take advantage of a website development platform’s benefits, consider which one will work best for you. Different platforms come with different prices, functionalities, use cases, and support services that users need to be aware of to make an informed decision.
Wix vs. WordPress
Wix is a simple website builder known for its ease of use. It’s ideal for designers who have a limited amount of technical expertise in website development.
While WordPress is generally considered more difficult than Wix for most users, it’s still an accessible option for developers and non-developers. This platform offers users advanced functionalities that can be used to create more unique pages. Wix, on the other hand, works best for simple website designs.
The primary benefit of WordPress over Wix is that it gives users fine-grained control over their websites’ look and feel. Because Wix was intended to be an easy-to-use alternative, there are fewer plugins available than there are on WordPress, meaning users have fewer customization options.
Wix vs. Squarespace
Wix and Squarespace make up 55% of the website builder market. However, the two platforms couldn’t be more different in practice. What exactly is the difference between Wix and Squarespace?
Wix is what’s known as an unstructured editor, while Squarespace is a structured editor. Structured editors are easier to use but have more limitations for users who want to expand functionality.
Because structured editors are easier to use but less customizable, Squarespace is better suited for those who want a quick and straightforward way to get their page up and running.
Wix has more features and templates, but Squarespace’s available options are incredibly refined and well-received by users. Looking at the cost of Squarespace vs. Wix, Wix is a far more affordable option.
Squarespace vs. WordPress
When it comes to WordPress vs. Squarespace, the two platforms couldn’t be more different as far as website-building features go.
Squarespace is made for non-technical users who want as streamlined an experience as possible. In contrast, WordPress requires more technical knowledge but is also more capable.
Not only does WordPress have more theme options than Squarespace, but it also has more expandability. There are thousands of WordPress plugins available showcasing an impressively diverse range of functions.
Although Squarespace doesn’t offer nearly as many plugins as WordPress, the ones it has are easier to use, manage, and update. Furthermore, Squarespace has a dedicated support team ready to answer questions and help users with any issues.
WordPress doesn’t have a dedicated support service. Still, it does have a massive online community with tutorials, documentation, and other users that are knowledgeable enough to provide answers to most inquiries.
Choosing the Best Website Platform
Generating leads and building your brand requires a quality website capable of handling traffic and providing a great user experience. Between Squarespace, Wix, and WordPress, you can bring your design to life.
While most users will throw themselves into a project, it’s essential to consider which platform provides the right tools for the job. Depending on the one you choose, you’ll gain access to vastly different degrees of usability and functionality. Therefore, the choice of which website platform to use is essential.
Squarespace
Squarespace is an all-in-one platform for designing, building, and testing websites. Boasting unlimited hosting, state-of-the-art security, and full support options, it’s an excellent choice for those who know very little about website development and don’t want to spend a lot of time and money getting their idea off the ground.
From award-winning web designs to advanced analytics capabilities, Squarespace customers have all they need to get a modern website up and running.
While Squarespace is easy to use, it does have some drawbacks. For one thing, it lacks the customization options of its counterparts. With plans starting at $23 a month, Squarespace can be more expensive than competitors like Wix and WordPress, and businesses will have to pay up to $65 to unlock the platform’s features.
Wix
Wix is considered an intuitive and user-friendly option for those who don’t need quite as much support but still want to deploy websites at scale quickly.
It’s a sensible option for small businesses and those just starting web development. While it comes with various features and support options, it also can be expanded and customized as users see fit.
Wix’s marketplace has more options than Squarespace and allows users to add more features on an as-needed basis. It offers web developers more functionality than Squarespace but is different from what WordPress is capable of.
Wix is free for most users. However, those who want access to premium features must upgrade to a paid subscription.
WordPress
Although WordPress is the most difficult of the three platforms to use, it has the most to offer.
Users seeking functionality and scalability alongside a supportive community will be at home using WordPress. WordPress is perfect for websites seeing massive growth or businesses that want to expand their website’s functionality at some point in the future.
WordPress is free and has limitless customizability options, making it perfect for users who want to quickly build and deploy custom websites at no cost.
Although all three website platforms make it easier to get a modern website up and to run in no time, new users may want to consult a professional web developer before deciding which one is right for them.
Build Your Website with Oyova
Are you interested in using Wix, Squarespace, WordPress, or another website-building platform but need help figuring out where to start? Oyova is your professional partner for brand development. We’ll do what it takes to help you build a solid online presence so you can quickly achieve stable growth.
At Oyova, we offer consulting in web and app development, marketing, and software development for businesses of all types and sizes. We’ll help you build mobile-friendly websites guaranteed to provide a great customer experience and solve your marketing problems to deliver you everything you need to succeed.
Contact us today to learn more about how Oyova’s web development services can improve your business’s website.
