Guest Blog From Astonish Me: What Type Of Website Platform Is The Best In 2024?
“There are many different website-building platforms available these days. Compared to when websites started to become mainstream in the 1990s a program called Dreamweaver was the popular option. I can remember cutting out images to individually create buttons - it was a tedious task!”
Bryce Wastney - Astonish Me Creative
As the internet community grew, everyone was looking for a better way, and as a result, we have some clever platforms out there.
How do I know what's the best web platform for me? Getting found on the internet is hard these days with the over-saturation of content online. Google search engines have to be updated constantly with new criteria that define what a “useful” website is. Increasing your digital footprint requires having a website that works well in Google Search engines.
I will keep it short and sweet and run through the pros and cons of 4 of the most popular website platforms in 2024 starting from the worst to the best.
1. Wix
They invest in lots of advertising, so there’s an assumed belief that they must be good.
Wix websites are good if you want to do it yourself. Their drag-and-drop system makes it easier for beginner web designers to create something that's visually appealing. You can sell products online.
Cons:
Wix websites are very slow and as a result get punished by the Google Search algorithm. Once you start with Wix and your business grows, you’re stuck with it. It’s difficult to grow and build on to them as they have limitations. A Wix site can’t be imported into another platform, so you need to start again if you want to change. Support is always a struggle and good luck contacting them on the phone.
2. Squarespace
Squarespace is made for DIY website builders. They have some beautiful templates, and a stock image gallery built in which makes it easy and fun to create visually appealing content. You can sell products online.
Cons:
Squarespace has limitations in layouts and runs slow. Having the stock images is handy until you start to see the same images on other sites. You really should have original images to tell the unique story of your brand. Measuring the performance on Squarespace sites is limited and even though they can look good, they don’t perform well in Google searches and are very clunky.
3. Shopify
This has gained a lot of popularity since the Covid lockdowns. It’s a very basic website builder with a focus on selling products online. It’s intuitive to use and might be all you need.
Cons:
It’s very limited regarding visual design. Difficult to get support if needed and you can’t choose your hosting provider, so you are fully reliant on the Shopify servers. Getting found in search engines is difficult if you have Shopify. SEO measurement and adjustment is non-existent.
4. WordPress
This platform has been around for the longest. It was developed for the CNN news network and grew from there. You can choose your independent hosting and there are no limits for design or functionality. WordPress sites perform the fastest and get picked up by search engines the best. You can easily use pre-designed templates or themes and they don’t need dense coding like Wix and Squarespace they run very efficiently. There’s plenty of performance analytics that make SEO work a dream. Hands down the way to go!
Cons:
For a beginner, it might be a steep learning curve to build with. That's about it.
Investing in a website takes up a lot of mental energy. Creating content takes time and a web designer will be asking you for content. My recommendation is to do it once - do it right. Once you have a great website performing organically in the Google search environment, you can enlist an expert like Nish at Wild Sea Creative to manage your Google and social media advertising campaigns. Nish can integrate the marketing into your website and present the stats so you can make adjustments and tweaks as you grow.
Digital Marketing works 24 hours a day 7 days a week. It's brilliant! Do it once and do it right with a WordPress website. Feel free to reach out for any questions or a quote.
About Bryce Wastney
Bryce is an experienced Website designer with over 15 years of experience, and he is the owner of Astonish Me Creative. He specialises in WordPress and enjoys creating beautiful and functional websites. He is happily based in Nelson, New Zealand.
