A Beginners Guide To Website Platforms
- Lisa Hoover
- Jul 17, 2015
- 3 min read
]Some of the most frequently asked questions that we get from clients are about websites, platforms, and which one is really the best?
Unfortunately, it’s a hard question to answer, unlike “Do you want seconds?” which is always - “yes”.
Usually the best choice of platform will depend on your business and skill level, so we thought we would do a quick round up of the most popular platforms and their Pros and Cons.
But before we dive into some detailed explanations, we thought we would explain something about websites.
All websites are built off HTML. At it’s very basic level, HTML, is a series of short codes (numbers) that tell your computer how to render particular instructions. These instructions can range from making the background a blue color, to organizing your menu tabs and web pages. The code can be as simple or complex as you like, and has everything to do with the function and visual aspects of your site.
Some website platforms allow you to create your own HTML, which can be great since you can customize it down to the very last detail. Other platforms will do the coding for you and supply easy drag and drop options to customize it as you see fit.
It’s good to understand these differences because it will help you decide which website platform is better for you.
SquareSpace
You might think Squarespace is the newest member to the team, but it was actually started back in 2004. You probably recognize the name if you listen to Podcasts or from the Jeff Bridges Super Bowl commercial.
Pros:
Known for it’s crisp clean aesthetic, there is no way your site will look ugly.
User friendly and flexible with personal, business, or ecommerce templates.
Drag and drop options available
Mobile optimized
Manages your entire hosting process for you
Amazing 24/7 customer support.
Cons:
By far and away the most expensive option on the market
Drag and drop options are limited
Though managing all of your hosting could be a good thing, it does leave you with less flexibility.
Wix
Today Wix is one of the biggest players in the website builder landscape and hosts a whopping 60 million websites. They are a cloud based web development platform and the reigning Queen of drag and drop features. It has the ability to make anyone look tech savvy. Yes – even you.
Pros:
Also very user friendly and flexible with personal, business, or ecommerce templates.
Complete creative freedom without having to learn code – simply drag and drop content on to the page.
Tons of plug-ins for things like social media, email marketing, and newsletter sign ups.
A free website option
Free templates that are highly customizable
Mobile optimized
Includes Hosting
SEO: Page titles, meta description, alt tags can be added individually.
Cons:
Free websites have prominent Wix ads.
Long URL names.
Monthly or yearly hosting fee required for an ad free site and your own domain
Mobile optimization usually needs some tweaking before it goes live
Less flexibility with hosting since you have to go through Wix.
Wordpress
A website platform Heavy Weight. If you don’t know the name, you have actually been living under a rock. Literally.
Pros:
No setup or design fees
You could have a beautiful site for absolutely nothing
If you don’t want a “name.wordpress.com” connecting your domain name is $18 for a year, the cheapest on the market.
Unlimited pages
Tons of plug-ins to explore
Website analytics
Great SEO integration
Cons:
Very steep learning curve. Unless you or someone you know is great with HTML, navigating can become VERY overwhelming.
Not all themes and plugins are free
No support on SEO management
Well – there you have it. Hopefully, we were able to help you clear up a few questions.
If you still have more, email us here.
If you need a website but rather someone else sift through this mess, that’s fine! We like website building.
Your friends,
The Moxie Team
Comentarios