Choose a solution that compliments your growth strategy.
WordPress – Content Management System
WordPress doesn’t stop with the front-end. It allows users to tailor backends and impact workflows. But with great power comes great maintenance.
Pros:
- + Full Control
- + Versatile (almost limitless possibilities)
- + Scalable (can grow with the business)
- + Most popular – easier to find help
- + Customizable backend and user interface
- + # Functionality plugins (free and paid)
- + Supported by many business services
Cons:
- – Nothing is included in WordPress.org (SSL, CDN etc etc etc)
- – Need to manage your own host and updates
- – Often overkill for small business/operations
- – Improper development, it can get bloated and slow.
Shopify – E-commerce
Shopify is all one needs to run an online store right out-of-the-box, set and forget. But with a price-tag on extended functionality.
Pros:
- + Out-of-the-box
- + Hosting, security and updates taken care of
- + Tons of 3rd party integrations
- + Choice of most 3PLs
Cons:
- – Hard to export. Nothing is yours*
- – Expensive for new businesses and/or complex products.
- – Poor CMS
- – Extra functionality adds up in price
- – Developers or “partners” are pricier
*As with all SaaS, in a dispute, you can lose everything, without recourse.
Webflow
Webflow is a WYSIWYG editor. Great for making visual edits to presentations and static content. But can be a burdensome for managing/updating large amounts of content.
Pros:
- + Out-of-the-box (hosting, security & etc)
- + Almost unlimited frontend potential (good for a visual website builder).
- + Can be quicker to develop highly visual pages
- + Quicker to make design / content changes
- + Copy updates can be easy, if setup well
- + Loads well, by creating static pages
- + Can be exported into a static site/template
- + Easy staging/versioning
Cons:
- – Still requires code
- – Limited Functionality
- – Lack of integration
- – Costly, limited CMS
- – Less mainstream
- – The interface can be burdensome
Squarespace – Page Builders
Plug-and-Play. If this isn’t the simplest way to build a basic site, you’re doing it wrong. But one-size-fits all solutions.
Pros:
- + Simple
- + Codeless
- + Many beautiful templates
- + Out-of-the-box (Hosted, Security etc…)
Cons:
- – One-size fits all solutions
- – No CMS (inability to easily organize large/complex amounts of info)
- – Difficult / Limited customization
- – Harder to implement complex brands and experiences
- – Limited functionality
- – Harder to scale
Other options:
Drupal, Joolma, Kajabi and countless other platforms are going to have their place with diehard fans. (Wix is just in an awkward place.) But it can be a difficult to find reliable contractors to help custom-fit these platforms.