Looking to build your own website in 2023, but there are so many options to pick from? I get you, this decision can be tricky.
Luckily, you came to the right place. In this post I’ll tell you the 3 most popular platforms for building websites, their pros and cons, and who are they best for.
Then, to wrap things up you can get a personalized recommendation through my free quiz.
Are you ready to choose the right platform to build your website? 😎
Let’s get started!
What are the 3 Most Popular Platforms for Building Websites?
As of 2020, WordPress, Squarespace and Shopify are the 3 most popular website builders. Many successful websites have been built on them.
Keep in mind that if you’re looking to DIY, there’s going to be a learning curve. There will be a lot of things that you have to learn by yourself or to hire someone to help you out. The good news is that you can find online a lot of easy to use tools to help you set up a professional-looking website.
That said, before choosing a website builder make a careful assessment of your goals, budget, time and willingness to learn. Next, get informed on the pros and cons of each platform you’re considering.
To help you get started, I’ve prepared a list with all the details of the 3 most popular website builders mentioned here.
Let’s get started!
1. WordPress
WordPress is the industry standard for website platforms. Nowadays 36% of all the websites in the world are made with WordPress. Its user-friendly interface allows you to grow and customize your website however you’d like.
WordPress itself is free, but you will have to pay a third party for hosting. See What’s the key difference between wordpress.com and wordpress.org
That said, WordPress is my #1 recommendation to my clients because it offers the most flexibility for both design and functionality.
WordPress advantages:
- Easy to install and upgrade;
- inexpensive;
- highly customizable with endless options for themes;
- flexible to start a blog;
- in constant development;
- supported by a global community who publishes online free documentation. This is very helpful for solving technical issues;
- thousands of available plugins (free and paid) for more functionality;
- good for showing up on Google’s search results through SEO;
- has specific themes available for podcasters and/or Youtubers.
WordPress cons:
- Not an all-in-one option, which means you have to shop around for hosting and premium plugins;
- requires more technical skills than either Squarespace or Shopify.
WordPress is ideal:
- if you feel comfortable enough with technology to figure things out yourself;
- if you want the ability to customize your design;
- for bloggers, podcasters and freelancers.
Squarespace is a sleek all-in-one option for building and hosting your website. Its user-friendly platform allows you to create nice landing pages, a clear customer “journey map” and a professional, yet easy to maintain site.
2. Squarespace
You can take a look at their Business plan for all pro users of Squarespace, which gives you unlimited (ish) pages and all of the features of Squarespace.
Squarespace advantages:
- Easy to use;
- has beautiful templates;
- all-in-one option for domain, hosting, and design, allowing you to get up and running quickly;
- includes options for eCommerce.
Squarespace cons:
- More expensive than WordPress;
- not fully customizable;
- most templates are for setting up websites, not blogs;
- not ideal for setting up podcasts.
Squarespace is ideal:
- for brochure or information style websites.
- if you want to go online as quickly as possible, and don’t want to be overwhelmed by options;
- for beginners or anyone who feels intimidated by technology.
3. Shopify
If your main goal is to sell goods online, you can’t go wrong with Shopify. It is an easy-to-use eCommerce platform designed foremost to help you sell products and manage your inventory. It offers thousands of themes, most of them including the ability to add a blog.
There are a number of apps you can add to the system to improve the shopping experience for your customers. Many of Shopify’s features (such as auto-categorization of new items) can make large inventories easier to manage.
Shopify advantages:
- Easy to use;
- has lots of beautiful themes to choose from;
- designed to showcase and sell your products (both physical and digital);
- ecommerce options already built-in.
Shopify cons:
- Expensive;
- more focused on eCommerce than blogging;
- extra paid apps & plugins used to add functionality can add up costs quickly.
IDEAL…
if you already have an inventory of products to sell.
What platform should you use to build your website?
Deciding to set up a website is a smart first step into building your online credibility. But when you’re in front of so many options, things can get tricky. Don’t fret! Remember to:
- make a careful assessment of your goals, budget, willingness to learn ;
- compare the top platforms for building websites which are WordPress, Squarespace and Shopify. For sure there many other options (free and paid) that you can check out in this guide.
I hope this article and my quiz help to take a better decision. If you have any questions send me an email.
