When working with a company on a website redesign, there’s often a decision that needs to be made: which website platform is best for them? Although Windows and macOS tend to dominate the computer world, there are plenty of choices for your website.
These are just six of the options. Today, we’ll give you a brief overview before unpacking our answer to the question, “Which website platform is best”.
WordPress.com
WordPress.com launched as a blogging platform. Often, a person would start a blog and later decide they wanted to expand it. WordPress would then allow a paid conversion to a custom domain at a monthly cost.
This is a good starting place if you’re an influencer or blogger looking to boost their online presence.
WordPress.org
The alternative is the more powerful WordPress.org. The biggest difference here is that a .org installation allows you to download the core files, yet requires hosting — a server where website visitors access your content. However, in comparison to its .com counterpart, this is a far more powerful option including various e-commerce capabilities.
WordPress.org is the Windows of the website design world. It runs, at last estimate, upwards of 40% of all websites on the internet from small businesses to multi-million dollar firms.
Joomla
Joomla is an alternative to WordPress yet offers many of the same customizations and features. It has an easy-to-use CMS and perhaps a stronger focus on security than other platforms.
Joomla has many plugin options as well, like WordPress. However, it’s not necessarily known for its e-commerce features, though it is an option.
Wix
If you’re not a coder or don’t enjoy tinkering, Wix might be the website platform for you. Few website agencies would choose Wix over some of the options we’ve mentioned so far. However, for the single-person operation, it offers built-in analytics, though be aware that it’s updated far less frequently that the other website platform options.
“All-in-one” systems
We’re lumping several different website platforms into this category, and for good reason. Often, an “inbound marketing” system will include a full-package option. This
includes a CRM platform, integrated email system, landing page development, as well as a traditional website CMS.
These are best if you’re moving head-first toward a full lead generation model. Popular opinions here include Marketo and Hubspot.
Squarespace
If you’ve ever watched a YouTube video, you’ve probably seen either an ad or a message from the video producer stating something along the lines of “This video was sponsored by Squarespace. More about them at the end of the sketch.”
Squarespace has a specific focus on a user-friendly UI. For what it lacks in customization it makes up for with a low-maintenance approach. This is a good idea for someone looking to jump into e-commerce but doesn’t need all of the traditional website bells and whistles.
The best website platform is one that meets your needs
Working with a marketing agency can help you narrow down which website platform is best for your brand. Whether you need an e-commerce solution, are a new and blog heavy brand, or simply need a way to promote your services, our team can help you sort through these various options. Often, if you work long-term with an agency, they can handle all of the necessary updating for you anyway.
This can reduce your dependence on learning how to maintain your website and get you back to what you do best: running your business. Would you like to learn more about our ongoing packages and how we can take a part of the load off of your plate for you? Then let us know HERE and we’ll schedule a time to chat!
