If you don’t already have a website or you’ve recognized the need for a redesign (and if you’re unsure, be sure to check out Why It’s Time to Redesign Your Website), you may be curious about which website platform to choose, and there’s certainly not a shortage of options.
Differences Between Different Website Platforms
There are many different possibilities when it comes to selecting a website platform for your business website, all with a wide range of options and capabilities. So, the question must first be asked: does it even really matter which you choose? Yes! Allow us to break it down for you: choosing a platform for your website can be compared to the foundation you build your house on, and even the location where you choose to build (and in real estate: location, location, location, right?). Everything you choose after laying that foundation for your house is dependent on that initial highly significant choice. When it comes to your website, your platform can affect the design, functionality, aesthetic, look, maintenance, user experience, SEO, capabilities, security, mobile optimization, and even expansions or enhancements in the future.
WIX
A popular cloud-based platform, Wix offers a powerful set of features to build your website, and you won’t have to pay separately for hosting, as it’s a fully hosted platform. It offers a free basic plan with limited storage and bandwidth to test it out, but if you want a specific domain name (as opposed to one that’s generically username.wix.com/sitename), you’ll need to upgrade to a premier plan. Also, some other major downsides to Wix is that their basic website builder adds Wix branded advertisements to the top and bottom pages of your website, and it doesn’t include tools like Google Analytics or eCommerce capabilities. There are hundreds of templates to choose from, all of which are entirely customizable with their drag and drop builder options, so it’s simple to build a website without really knowing coding.
web.com
Like Wix, web.com offers a drag and drop website builder that’s pretty simple to navigate, and you can choose from thousands of pre-made templates that you can customize to match your unique brand. The templates are all mobile-friendly, and you can add in features such as videos, photo galleries, contact forms, map locations, testimonial sliders, and social media buttons. If you’re looking to build a small eCommerce site for your small business, Web.com allows you to add up to 50 product listings, accept credit card payments securely, offer discounts, and track and manage orders. However, a major downside to Web.com is its blogging functionality, which is lacking a lot of the power you would get with a platform like WordPress. Also, if you ever chose to switch to a different platform from Web.com, it won’t be an easy switch since Web.com is a proprietary website builder.
GoDaddy
A one-stop shop for hosting, with GoDaddy you can purchase your web hosting, register your domain name, and use their Website Builder templates to create a website that’s optimized for desktop and mobile. On the pro side, it’s a pretty inexpensive option and offers the same drag and drop options like other platforms, with some upgrade options for SEO, increased bandwidth, increased disk space, and social media syncing capabilities. However, if you ever decide to change the design of your website, you’ll lose all of your valuable SEO content. GoDaddy also isn’t the best option for combining both eCommerce or blogging, and you’ll be super limited in any customizations of your website.
Wordpress
WordPress is the top platform available, as over 43% of all websites are powered by WordPress, and it is the world’s leading CMS (content management system). In fact, some of the most well-known websites are powered by WordPress, including Zillow, Realtor, Disney, Time Magazine, and even WhiteHouse.gov. There are countless reasons why WordPress is probably your best bet, and why Inception Web Design definitely prefers it over all others. It is simply a platform that can do everything we mentioned the other platforms can do, and it can do all those things well. We first highlighted our love for WordPress in our blog, Why Choose WordPress?, but allow us to reiterate some of its top “selling points.”
- It’s free! Well.. mostly. You will need to pay separately for your own domain name and hosting, and premium plugins and themes can cost extra.
- WordPress sites are completely customizable, and the platform supports nearly any type of website for the unique needs of any kind of business, whether you need a standard multi-page site, a one-pager, or an eCommerce site (and so much more!).
- Their plugin options are expansive, with nearly 60,000 different options to effortlessly add functionality to your website. Plus, WordPress employs some of the best and the brightest in the business to continually update and improve their plugin options.
- Maintaining a WordPress site is simple, anyone can do it! But also, we are definitely happy to help with that aspect, and even offer tutorials as part of your upfront proposal cost to assist you when your website first launches. However, as business owners, we know you have a lot on your plate, so relying on a professional web designer to perform routine maintenance checks, security updates, etc., is truly a sound monthly investment.
There’s also HubSpot, Shopify, WooCommerce, HostGator, Zyro, Domain.com, Squarespace, Weebly, DreamHost, Site123, Google Sites, Webflow…. Just to name a few.
Ultimately, it comes down to what you want your website to be able to do. What features are you looking for most and what are the goals you’re looking to accomplish with your website? Are you looking to have a blog section (we sure hope so!), an online store, a photo gallery, contact form, SEO features, reservation form? All of the above? Then it’s likely WordPress is truly your best bet.
As pros with a lot of years of experience, our clear preference is WordPress, and you’ll find that’s the preference of nearly every other professional web designer in the business. Inception Web Design has countless affordable, time-saving options for every business owner. Whether you’re a solopreneur or a larger enterprise, we’re here to help. Book your free consultation today.
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Pearl John2023-09-08I am delighted with the website Valerie Tanswell has created for me. The process of building it was painless and Valerie was reliable, supportive and very creative.Tony Rhine2023-08-27Working with Valerie was an incredible experience. She was prompt and worked very hard to get our project done. She had great references for when we needed additional outside work done. The site looks amazing and the experience couldn't have been better.Eddie Lack2023-08-11Working with Valerie on my new website was an absolute pleasure. Her professionalism and easy-going nature made the process a breeze. From our initial discussion to the final result, Valerie's expertise shone through. Valerie's ability to understand and translate my ideas into a stunning website exceeded my expectations. She kept me updated every step of the way, incorporating my feedback seamlessly. The website speaks for itself - it's visually appealing, functional, and perfectly represents my brand. I've received numerous compliments from impressed clients and colleagues. I highly recommend Valerie for her creative talent and professionalism. She's turned my vision into reality and I couldn't be happier. Thank you, Valerie!Tanner Esparza2023-08-08Our company recently had the opportunity to work with Valerie and she exceeded our expectations. From the moment we began our project together, I was impressed with her professionalism and attention to detail. She was able to deliver high-quality work and was always available to answer any questions or concerns I had. Overall, I would highly recommend Tanswell Web Design to anyone looking for exceptional marketing services. She truly goes above and beyond to ensure her clients are satisfied with the results.Shane Alexander2023-08-03Excellent design and very timely!Carlos Suescun MD2023-07-29Valerie came to us like an angel at a time of need when we needed a trustful website designer to completely redo our website and start from scratch. She created a beautiful, elegant, and very easy to navigate website for our hormone replacement center. Communication was very professional and timely and Valerie was very responsive to my company's specific needs. I highly recommend Valerie to anyone in need of an excellent website designer. Thank you ValerieTheresa Paganini2023-07-20What gorgeous websites Valerie creates! She is so diligent about creating your vision and ensuring your needs are met. If you are looking for someone who is easy to work with and very very talented, go with Tanswell Web Design. Check out her portfolio and you'll be sold.Carolyn Cummings2023-05-08I am an author/academic who needed a professional website to showcase my ideas and my work-in-progress. I contacted Valerie at Tanswell Web Design and she got to work straight away. Within 24 hours I had some suggested design ideas for logos and colour schemes. There was so much content to be put into this website and it is in this sense that a designer with an aesthetic sense like Valerie's can make all the difference. Before I knew it, my content was arranged into short, sharp chunks so that those who just want a 'taster' can get a feel for what my work is about and those who want more can click on the links for longer reads and more images. There were times when Valerie's suggestions didn't match my vision for the website. No problem. We discussed it, she made the adjustments to suit me and we agreed on a solution. Valerie pays attention to what her clients want and a challenge is right up her street. I believe mine was the first author/academic website she has designed. I'll not hesitate to recommend her to my colleagues.susan pack2023-02-09So very pleased with the end result of my new website. “Construction” started at ground-zero and Tanswell Web Design was with me every step of the way. Thank you for meeting my goals & exceeding my expectations. Tanswell Web Design listened to every detail and implemented exactly what I wanted. Extremely impressed with their abilities & professionalism! Thank you!!Glenn Ostlund2023-01-11Valerie is an absolute joy to work with. She is incredibly professional, creative, responsive and kept our commuication very organized. The web design she created is gorgeous beyond anything I could have possibly imagined at the start of our project. I highly recommend Tanswell Web Design. No complaints. Thank you Valerie!
