Choosing a Website Platform Best for You
One of my favorite necessary business evils, websites, have become the essential storefront. Just like your storefront, your website must be attractive, clean, trustworthy, and on par with your business. Keeping your website together can be quite a chore. And if you are not in the website business, navigating design, construction, and management with all its moving parts can be a nightmare.
When it comes to housing your digital footprint, there are an overwhelming number of options to consider. Security, hosting, e-commerce, SEO, speed, function, responsiveness, green computing, and support are only a few you need to weigh. So to lend a helping hand, I’ve summarized a short list of the better content platform options for you.
WORDPRESS
For bigger websites, Wordpress offers a large amount of customization options. With thousands of plugin and template options, and the need to update the system regularly, you’ll need professional support. While Wordpress is free and open source, you’ll incur costs for hosting, security, template(s), plug-ins, professional system support, design, and website management
SQUARESPACE
Squarespace is a great website builder for small businesses. With 24/7 support, the templated features are above average in robustness and can be customized although you will need a professional’s help. They offer good e-commerce solutions, hosting, support, security, updates, templates, G Suite and domain services all in one shop. Squarespace is a great option with affordable pricing.
DUDA
An alternative version of SquareSpace, Duda offers a lot more styling options and customization. With add-ons, Duda is a robust website builder for professionals although can become pricey as you add more features, such as e-commerce. Customization can become overwhelming so it’s best to hire a professional to build and manage your website. Duda’s sites are hosted in the Amazon cloud, are secure, and they offer varying levels of support.
SHOPIFY
A popular e-commerce shop builder, Shopify offers a great deal of flexibility for store owners and even offers point of sale functionality. Because of the e-commerce focus, Shopify can get a little pricey and has a lot of little charges that quickly add up even with the included hosting, security, and support. Also, if you want to customize your store, again, you’ll need to hire professional help.
CAVEAT EMPTOR
While many options exist for your digital footprint, what works for one may not be feasible for another. A word of caution: stay away from Google’s free site, Wix free sites, and anyone who says you can build your website in an hour.
If you decide to move your website to a different platform, understand, websites can be expensive to move. Again, there are many moving parts to consider and it’s not just a flip of the switch. While moving your site will be an investment, done correctly, you’ll save money and heartache down the road.
When it comes to website design, it’s always a good idea to hire an EXPERIENCED professional. And by experienced professional I do not mean your cousin Nancy who attended one marketing seminar and decided she’s the de facto digital design expert. I’ve seen and dealt with the travesties created by those types, Godaddy (ahem) designers, and others who claim to be niched in a particular industry. Check credentials, do a little research, and if ever you hear someone tell you they can build your website in two days – run.
NEED MORE ANSWERS?
We can help. We’ll work with you to determine your distinct digital needs because you need a guide to secure an optimal solution for you. Just give us a shout.