At Bauhinia Solutions, we are huge advocates of WordPress. We use it for our own website and recommend it to all of our prospective clients looking to create a site for themselves. It is safe to say that the majority of our clients prefer WordPress as a website building tool, too. When starting out in business, it is always important to know all the options available to you. To better inform your decision making, we have listed the pros and cons of two other popular website platforms, Squarespace and Wix.
Squarespace Pros
Professional templates available
As a shoddy looking website can be very off putting for browsers, Squarespace shines with its professional and responsive template options. Select from a large range of ready to use templates that will have you online within the hour.
Easy to use admin section
Even if you’re just a little bit schooled in WordPress, you will be able to find your way around the backend of Squarespace. Navigation is simple and easy to work out, even if you are just a beginner.
24-hour support
Squarespace offers 24 hour, seven days a week email ticket support which is perfect for those who don’t have time to sit and wait on the phone. Live online chats are also available for those who prefer that as a communication option.
All in one website solution
For those wanting a simple option, this all in one solution will give you a domain, website and hosting from the same site. For many small businesses, there is no need to go elsewhere for their online business need.
Squarespace Cons
A lack of marketing tools
Without marketing, where does that leave your website? For business owners wanting more advanced marketing assistance, they may find the tools available rather limiting. Basic meta structure and share buttons will only take you so far.
Editing content and design features can be difficult
Moving features and elements can be difficult not to mention time-consuming. And if you want to create something a little more out of the box, you will have to source someone with specialty Squarespace experience.
No support for third-party apps
Third party apps, extensions, and plugins are not available for use within Squarespace, so you will have less control than say with other platforms which take advantage of third-party upgrades. While it may not even be an issue, those looking for extra flexibility in website capability may not find it.
Limited e-commerce
Squarespace is limited in terms of its e-commerce offerings and templates, and only accepts Stripe and Paypal business accounts for payment. There is no ability to customise the checkout process, and the platform offers limited reporting.
Wix Pros
Cost-effective
For many small businesses, the free service option gives you plenty to start with. The free Wix service comes with a Wix domain, free hosting on secure cloud servers and 500MB storage. The paid plans are quite cost-effective for small business owners looking to pay monthly and are a must for those wanting their own domain.
Range of templates
With just shy of 600 templates, Wix gives small businesses a range of attractive templates to modify and customise. It makes setting up easy, with no need to know coding or website development.
Functional shopping cart
Not only can you create an informational website or blog, but Wix also gives you the capability to build a fully functional and attractive online store. Thanks to the shopping cart and other useful integrated features, Wix will help you set up an e-commerce business, whatever the size.
A large number of integrated apps
Whatever you wish to do on your website, there is bound to be an app to assist. Simple to install, Wix offers up over 200 apps to help you build a website that works solely with your business in mind.
Wix Cons
Only suits small to medium-sized websites
If you have a complicated structure in mind for your website, bear in mind that you may struggle with Wix. While it is great for small to medium-sized sites, a large number of pages may cause more headaches than it is worth.
Some features are only available in the paid version
For those wanting a free website, you may struggle to achieve all that you want from the free version. Many of the features and functions offered by Wix are only available in the premium versions which come at a price.
Fewer options for advanced users
For advanced users wanting a more bespoke design using HTML coding, you may struggle. The amount of control you actually have is limited, and this is one of the first things you give up when opting for this service.
More expensive than other websites
Long-term, Wix is one of the more expensive website options out there. It is more costly than Squarespace and much more costly than setting up and hosting your own WordPress website. If you do decide to move to a cheaper option further down the track, it will require a painstaking cut and paste of code to achieve a similar look unless you wish to start from scratch.
There are many ways we can assist you with your business administration or marketing needs. Feel free to schedule a call with Nicole and explore how we can support you. If you’re thinking about a new website, you may be interested in our sister site, Start Smart Website.
