Website Builders Compared: Wix vs Squarespace vs WordPress
Website builders are growing in popularity in the changing digital paradigm. More business owners are looking towards website builders as a reliable alternative to web development service providers. While these platforms can offer an initial level of functionality, businesses might need the help of custom web development services in the future. Keep reading this article to learn more about website builders and what they have to offer.
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Website builders are gaining popularity in the growing digital era. From established businesses to first time business owners, everyone is looking for the best platform that can simplify their efforts to create a reliable website. According to Siteefy, there are 1.13 billion websites on the internet today, growing at an exponential rate. A survey has shown that 18 million websites are built with website builders alone.
In this article, we will discuss the top website builders in the market today, how each of these can benefit you when looking to create a reliable website and the role of an ecommerce development company.
Benefits of Website Builders For New Businesses
Website builders can be a great way for businesses to create their website. While you could recruit the help of a web development service provider, this could lead to increased costs and time. For businesses that are just starting out, it is advised to choose a reliable website builder or employ a web development company. Following are the benefits you can enjoy by using a website builder to create your website.
Cost-Effective
Website builders typically offer affordable subscription plans compared to hiring a web developer or agency to build a custom website from scratch. This makes them ideal for new businesses with limited budgets.
User-Friendly
Website builders are designed to be user-friendly, with an intuitive drag-and-drop interface and pre-designed templates. This allows people to create a website without the need for technical skills to create professional-looking websites quickly and easily.
Time-Saving
With website builders, you can create a website in a matter of hours or days, rather than weeks or months required for custom development. This accelerated process enables new businesses to establish an online presence quickly and start attracting customers sooner.
Customisation Options
While website builders offer pre-designed templates, they also provide customisation capabilities which are simple to understand. This will allow you to tailor the website to your brand and preferences. The customisation can allow you to change colors, fonts, layouts, and more to create a unique look and feel for your business.
No Coding Required
Website builders eliminate the need for coding knowledge or experience. Instead of writing code, you can simply choose elements from a menu and customise them using visual editors. This accessibility allows anyone to create a website without technical expertise.
Responsive Design
Many website builders offer responsive design features, ensuring that your website looks and functions well on various devices, including smartphones, tablets, and desktops.
Integrated Features
Website builders often come with integrated features and tools, such as e-commerce capabilities, contact forms, social media integration, and SEO optimisation.
Customer Support
Most website builders offer customer support through various channels, including live chat, email, and tutorials. This support can be valuable for new business owners who may encounter technical issues or have questions about using the platform.
Scalability
As your business grows, website builders typically offer scalability options to accommodate increasing traffic, sales, and content needs. You can easily upgrade your subscription plan or add new features and pages to your website as needed.
Maintenance and Updates
Website builders handle maintenance tasks such as hosting, security, and software updates, freeing you from technical responsibilities. This allows you to focus on running your business while ensuring that your website remains secure, reliable, and up-to-date.
Wix vs Squarespace vs WordPress : Pros And Cons Compared
Wix, Squarespace and WordPress are the leading website builders in the market. Each platform has a large list of benefits and functionalities that can benefit businesses of any size. The following table is a comparison of all the benefits that each platform offers, along with some bottlenecks that businesses might face.
Aspect | Wix | Squarespace | WordPress |
Pros |
|
|
|
Ease of Use | – Intuitive drag-and-drop editor | – User-friendly interface | – Wide range of themes and plugins |
| – WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) | – Easy-to-use design tools | – Flexible customisation options |
| – No coding skills required | – Simple content management | – Ability to create any type of website |
Design Options | – Hundreds of templates | – Stunning, professionally designed themes | – Thousands of themes available |
| – Customisable layouts and elements | – Highly customisable designs | – Extensive plugin ecosystem |
| – Access to Wix ADI for automated design | – Advanced design options | – Access to custom CSS and HTML |
Features | – Integrated apps for added functionality | – Built-in features for e-commerce, blogging, analytics, etc. | – Wide range of plugins and extensions |
| – App Market for additional features | – Seamless integration with third-party tools | – Robust e-commerce capabilities |
| – Wix Bookings for service-based businesses | – Built-in marketing tools | – Built-in blogging platform |
Support | – 24/7 customer support | – 24/7 customer support | – Extensive online documentation |
| – Help Center and community forums | – Dedicated support team | – Large community of users and developers |
| – Knowledge base and tutorials | – Online tutorials and resources | – Support from hosting providers |
Cons |
|
|
|
Learning Curve | – Limited flexibility compared to WordPress | – Limited flexibility compared to WordPress | – Steeper learning curve for beginners |
Customisation | – Less control over customisation | – Limited template customisation | – Requires more technical knowledge |
| – Restrictive design options | – Higher cost for e-commerce plans | – Need for regular updates and maintenance |
Integration | – Difficulty in migrating to another platform | – Limited integrations with third-party tools | – Higher hosting and domain costs |
Storage | – Bandwidth and storage limitations | – Limited scalability for large websites | – Security vulnerabilities if not updated regularly |
Website Builders vs. Custom Website Development
If you are looking for a quick and cost-effective solution, then a website builder is your best bet. That said, once your business grows, so will your need for added functionalities and improved aesthetics in your business managmeent solutions. This is when the need for a custom web development service provider arises. While it may be costly, custom web development offers benefits that outweigh those of a website builder. These benefits include:
Tailored Solutions
Custom web development allows businesses to create custom website solutions that is specifically tailored to their unique requirements, branding, and goals.
Scalability
Custom-built websites are more scalable than those created using website builders. As your business grows and evolves, you can easily expand and enhance your website’s functionality to accommodate changing needs.
Performance Optimisation
Developers can fine-tune the code, optimise page speed, and implement performance-enhancing techniques to ensure your website loads quickly and performs efficiently across different devices and browsers.
Unique Design and Branding
Unlike website builders that offer limited design options and generic templates, custom development enables you to create a unique and visually appealing website that accurately reflects your brand identity and values.
Advanced Functionality
Whether you require complex e-commerce capabilities, integration with third-party systems, or custom-built web applications, custom development allows for the implementation of sophisticated features that are not possible with online website builders.
Security and Compliance
Developers can implement robust security measures, adhere to industry best practices, and ensure compliance with data protection regulations to protect your website and sensitive information from security threats and breaches.
Long-term Cost Savings
With custom development, you avoid recurring subscription fees associated with website builders, and you have full ownership and control over your website, reducing ongoing maintenance costs and potential limitations associated with third-party platforms.
Conclusion
Website builders are a great way for new business owners to start off their website and get their brand out to the world. It is seen as one of the most cost-effective strategies. That said, as your business grows, you will need to recruit a custom web development company.
Partner with FuturByte and get custom web development services and search engine optimization services that will offer you long-term benefits and promote scalability for your brand. Contact us today for a free consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions
While website builders offer convenience and affordability, they may not be suitable for all businesses, particularly those with complex or specialised requirements. Businesses that require advanced functionality, custom design, or integration with third-party systems may benefit more from custom web development.
In most cases, yes. Many website builders allow users to export their website content, such as text and images, which can then be imported into another platform. However, switching website builders may require some manual effort to rebuild the site’s layout and design.
Yes, most website builders offer hosting services as part of their packages. This means that users do not need to purchase separate hosting from a third-party provider.
Yes, website builders typically allow users to connect their own domain name to their website. This helps businesses maintain a professional online presence with a custom domain.
