Choosing the service you’re going to use to build a website has become as commoditized as picking a cell phone carrier. But similar to selecting the company you’re going to pay for your online data services, your level of satisfaction will ultimately be based on the results.
Weebly, Squarespace, and WordPress are all website CMS systems designed to be operational for the inexperienced. But how far you go with the frameworks provided depends on several factors, including time, budget, and function.
Weebly
Weebly claims it provides the tools to most easily create a website. You can build a very basic one for free, but costs tier upward monthly based on the number of features and complexity of your site. You start by picking from their 100+ designs and then drag-and-drop the elements. If all you need is a landing page — something to prove to customers you exist — a Weebly site may fit the bill. Anything more complex and you’re looking at increased cost and difficulty to maintain.
Squarespace
Featuring a similar tiered cost structure as Weebly, Squarespace is another of the simple drag-and-drop alternatives for website design. Perhaps the key way in which Squarespace differentiates itself from Weebly is the greater number of features you can include on your site. A Squarespace site will look nice, but like Weebly you can run into issues as the needs of your site become more complex.
WordPress
The majority of websites built today are done so using WordPress. It offers the most comprehensive set of tools to create a site and nearly 40,000 plug-ins to extend capabilities. In addition, the number of available themes for WordPress is astounding. Developers are coming up with new designs daily. WordPress is also the best option for businesses that require an eCommerce presence. Sites designed in WordPress are built to be more responsive and can be exported, as needed. Most developers prefer WordPress because it’s adaptable while offering a high level of opportunity to be creative. Finally, WordPress sites are, in most cases, going to have a longer shelf life than those created in Weebly and Squarespace. You’ll need to feed it with content, but you won’t have to replace it as quickly.
Are you trying to determine the route to go for building your next website? Contact us today.