Which Website Platform Is Right for You?

Let’s say you need a website or you need to improve your website. You have a few options. You can hire website designers, content creators, and developers. Or you can search for “website builders” and see that you have hundreds of options to create a website on your own. But, there are almost too many options for DIY site builders. When evaluating which choice is right for you, you need to consider your budget, goals, and tech savviness. Here, we’ll discuss some of the most popular website building platforms and share how you can decide which one is right for you.

WordPress

WordPress is the most popular website platform. It’s the system that currently powers over 800 million websites, which is 43% of all websites. 

You can start using WordPress for free, but you’ll need to pay for a customized domain name, hosting, and features such as plugins and pre-made themes. Still, 10,000 of WordPress’s 20,000 templates are free. Other themes usually cost $59 per year.

There are also plugins you can add to your WordPress website. They give your website extra functionality, like the ability to sell items on your website or enable contact forms. Like with the templates, some of these plugins are free while others cost money. 

WordPress has a learning curve when you first get started, but it will allow you to do more with your site in the long run. 

Wix

Many people like Wix because they feel its drop-and-drag editor makes it easier to use than WordPress. One study found that Wix is the force behind 43 million websites or around 2% of all websites.

One of the biggest reasons people use Wix is that they are impressed by the design of the templates. Wix is great if you need to get a website up and running quickly. Many customers use it to quickly put a digital face on their brand of business. 

Wix costs anywhere from $16-$59 per month. The price depends on if you want to allow ads on your site, sell products, and how much storage space you need to directly upload high-quality videos and images. 

Shopify

Shopify was designed specifically for businesses that are selling items online, in addition to or without, brick-and-mortar stores. If you want to sell things online and manage your business operations like inventory from one place, Shopify is worth investigating.

While Shopify doesn’t have a lot of free themes, they outrank the others when it comes to business management tools. According to Shopify, more than 1.7 million businesses have made over $200 billion in sales with their Shopify websites.

They have several different monthly subscription models. The more you pay, the more tools you have at your disposal. One downside is that most of their plans charge you a per-transaction fee if a customer uses a credit card. 

Questions to Ask Yourself Before Choosing a Website Platform

At SEO Design Chicago, we can help you figure out what website platform is right for you. But here are a few questions you should ask yourself:

How Tech-Savvy Are You?

If you have no time or interest in managing complex website platforms, something like Wix or Shopify is best.

How Much Do You Want to Pay?

Don’t just think about what you want to pay right now. Think about your business’s future plans. You can upgrade within a platform, but switching platforms – from Wix to Shopify for example – will cost time.

How Much Flexibility Do You Want?

WordPress and Shopify offer the most flexibility for business owners. If flexibility is something that is important to you, these are probably your best options.

If you’re interested in learning more about any of these website platforms, reach out to SEO Design Chicago. We can give you all the important information you need as well as help you get started. Reach out to chat with us!