As a professional or entrepreneur in a digital age, you know that a website is your virtual storefront. It’s where potential customers stroll in, check out your services, and hopefully hit that big, shiny “buy” or “contact” button. But the question is, which platform do you choose to build your website? Three names typically come up: WordPress, Wix, and Squarespace.
Spoiler alert: There’s no one-size-fits-all answer, but there IS a right answer (based upon our 22 years of experience). It’s like picking between coffee, tea, or that mysterious energy drink your colleague swears by. Each has its own flavor and kick, but some cause kidney damage. Don’t worry; we’re here to break it down for you — with a sprinkle of humor (at least we think we’re funny) to keep things lively!
WordPress (the self-hosted version at WordPress.org) is like Lego for grown-ups. Want to build something simple? Sure. Want to build a spaceship? Go for it. But brace yourself, because you’ll need to figure out the right pieces (themes, plugins, widgets). It’s got a steep learning curve, but once you master it, you’ll be building pages like a pro. And that is why the pros, like Strottner Designs, have made WordPress the Content Management System of choice for building client websites. And we’re not alone, approximately 40% of the websites found worldwide use WordPress.
This meter clearly didn’t go that high…
Wix is your friendly, neighborhood drag-and-drop builder. Think of it like putting together IKEA furniture– without the allen wrench. You drag elements onto your page, drop them in place, and voilà! A website is born. No coding required, no sweat, no real difference between your site and other beginners.
Squarespace is the MacBook of website builders — sleek, intuitive, and beautiful out of the box, and every one of them looks alike. It’s designed for those who want a polished website without the technical sophistication or unique look of a WordPress. Like Wix, it’s drag-and-drop, but the templates are nicer and geared toward creative professionals.
With over 55,000 plugins, WordPress can do anything except make you coffee. From e-commerce to SEO to full-on membership sites, WordPress lets you customize almost anything. If you’re someone who likes to tinker and tailor, WordPress gives you the flexibility to do that. The catch? You’ll need some coding knowledge or the patience to learn it…or the services of a professional firm like Strottner Designs!
Wix gives you customization — to a point, which means it doesn’t. Its drag-and-drop editor is intuitive, but there’s a limit to how deep you can go. Think of it like painting a house; you can choose the colors and maybe some trim, but don’t expect to knock down walls and add extensions.
Squarespace’s customization is best described as “controlled creativity.” You can change things up, but only within the stylish framework they give you. Want to color outside the lines? Squarespace gently nudges you back inside with a raised eyebrow, like your Second Grade art teacher. However, for many, that’s a good thing, especially if design isn’t your strong suit.
WordPress is free… sort of. The software itself costs nothing, but you’ll need to pay for hosting, a domain name, and possibly some premium themes or plugins. If you’re bootstrapping your business, WordPress can be cost-effective, but if you start adding fancy features, those bills can add up quickly.
Clients that work with Strottner Designs are paying for our 22 years of expertise. There is no recurring design cost. Only hosting and your domain are paid more than once, but that is true for every site. And generally, free plugins provide the functionality you’re looking for.
Wix has a “freemium” pricing model, meaning there’s a free version (yay!) that’s ad-supported (boo). If you want to remove those ads and get a custom domain, you’ll need to upgrade to one of their premium plans. It’s a bit like paying for extra toppings on your pizza.
Plans on Wix range from $14 to $39/month (depending on the features you want), but if you stop paying, you revert to the free version. No matter what, you still have hosting and domain costs.
Squarespace skips the free tier entirely (sorry, no sample platter here). You pay a monthly fee, but in return, you get a gorgeous, ad-free website with hosting and a domain included for the first year. It’s like an all-inclusive resort, with fewer margaritas.
Plans start at $16 to $54/month, and if you stop paying, your site stops existing.
But does Google love you back?
WordPress is hands-down the most SEO-friendly platform out of the three, especially with plugins like Yoast SEO. It gives you full control over metadata, URL structures, and other SEO settings, which is crucial for anyone looking to dominate the search engine rankings.
Wix has improved its SEO game over the years, but it’s not quite in WordPress’s league. It has a basic SEO Wiz tool that covers the essentials, but if you’re really serious about climbing the Google ranks, you will find Wix limiting.
Squarespace is no SEO slouch, but like Wix, it’s more suited for beginners. It handles SEO basics well, but you don’t get as much granular control as you do with WordPress. That said, for some small businesses or creative professionals, Squarespace’s SEO tools will get the job done. As long as that job doesn’t include a first page ranking in Google.
Because WordPress is open-source, there’s no dedicated customer service line. However, you have access to an extensive community of developers, forums, and tutorials. It’s like surviving in the wild with a backpack full of tools — you’ll find what you need, but you’re going to work for it.
At Strottner Designs, we offer multiple Concierge plans that will handle the support for you, a dedicated contact form on our site, and we provide a user manual to our clients.
Wix has a robust customer support system with live chat, email, and phone support (depending on your plan). If you run into trouble, you can usually get help pretty quickly, which is a relief if you’re not keen on troubleshooting yourself.
Squarespace offers 24/7 email support and live chat during business hours. It’s generally regarded as having excellent customer service, with agents who won’t make you feel like you’re asking dumb questions (even if you kind of are).
WordPress is ideal for professionals who need full customization and are willing to learn the ropes (or hire someone who already knows them). It’s perfect if you plan to scale your business, need specific features, or want to achieve excellent SEO results.In the end, choosing the right platform is like choosing the right tool for the job. If you’re building a massive empire, a local restaurant, a legal practice, or a medical practice with multiple locations, WordPress is your best bet. If you’re setting up shop and want it done yesterday, go with Wix. And if you need something that brings the sizzle over the steak, Squarespace will make you look like a design savant.
If you’ve read the far, it’s no secret that at Strottner Designs, we favor WordPress, and we’ve built over 500 websites using this platform. While it may be considered “free,” it’s taken us over 20 years to gain the knowledge and skill we bring to bear on website design, and our SEO clients. When you consider using WordPress yourself, and then reach out to us instead, just remember the story of Picasso and the napkin.
This apocryphal tale has it that Picasso was at a Paris market when an admirer approached and asked if he could do a quick sketch on a paper napkin for her. Picasso politely agreed, promptly created a drawing, and handed back the napkin — but not before asking for a million Francs.
The lady was shocked: “How can you ask for so much? It took you five minutes to draw this!”
“No”, Picasso replied, “It took me 40 years to draw this in five minutes.”
Contact us at support@strottner.com to learn more, learn more about SEOctober, or audit your site on literally any page of our website today!
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