Shopify, WordPress, Wix, Oh My!

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Shopify, WordPress, Wix, Oh my!

Which Website Platform is Right for Your Business?

Shopify, Webflow, WordPress, Wix, and Squarespace—how do you decide?

Here are the pros and cons of each to help you make the right decision.

By Abbey Alexander

Choosing the right platform to build your website is not only crucial to the success of your online presence, but it will dictate how easily you’re able to evolve and grow your business in the future.

Whether you’re building an e-commerce store, a content-based website for your brand, a scheduling site for your services, or an event and ticketing platform–choosing a platform that fits your needs streamlines your workflow. Making the best choice from the beginning will save you money and time now and down the road as you expand.

01 Shopify

If you’re building an e-commerce website and want to sell products online, Shopify might be for you.

Shopify is one of the most popular platforms for e-commerce. It’s known for being simple and functional to use when it comes to setting up an online store.

Pros:

E-commerce Powerhouse: It’s purpose-built for online stores, Shopify provides the tools needed for easy product management, inventory tracking, and sales.
User-Friendly: It has a drag-and-drop interface that makes it accessible for non-tech-savvy users to build and manage their store.
Integrated Payments & Shipping: Shopify offers built-in payment gateways, shipping calculators, and inventory management. This helps to streamline your store setup.

Cons:

Cost: Shopify’s monthly fees can add up quickly, especially when factoring in the costs of additional apps or premium themes for more advanced functionality.
Limited Customization: If you want to go beyond Shopify’s core features, you’ll need coding skills, and even then, customization options are limited compared to some other platforms.
SEO limitations: Shopify has built-in SEO features. It also automatically generates XML sitemaps and optimizes product pages for search engines. However, there are limitations and it isn’t as customizable as other platforms like WordPress.

Tip: Are you a cannabis or psychedelics business? Shopify has strict rules and restrictions around the promotion and sale of controlled substances. WordPress (WooCommerce) will be a better option for you.

Cost starting at: $38/mo (CAD)

02 Webflow

Webflow strikes the balance between design freedom and powerful features, making it a favourite for designers who want control over their site’s look and feel.

Pros:

Design Freedom: Webflow offers a high level of customization, making it ideal if you’re looking for a unique, visually impressive website.
Content Management System (CMS) Flexibility: Great for content-driven websites, Webflow’s content management system allows for easy organization of blogs, portfolios, and dynamic content.
Powerful and Customizable: Webflow bridges the gap between visual design and coding.

Cons:

Learning Curve: With design freedom comes complexity. Webflow can be more complex to learn if you’re new to this platform, or if you’re looking for a more ‘plug-and-play’ option.
E-commerce is Not Core: Webflow supports e-commerce, but it’s not as streamlined or robust as Shopify for online stores. It’s best suited for content-heavy websites rather than full-fledged e-commerce businesses.

Tip: Webflow is a great option if you’re working with a design agency or developer. A knowledge of HTML and CSS coding is an asset when working with this platform. WebFlow offers tutorials for learning how to use their builder if you’re building your own website.

Plans starting at: $14/mo (US)

03 WordPress

WordPress is the go-to platform for a lot of businesses It’s known versatile and scalable. If you’re building a simple or complex website, WordPress likely has the tools you need. If you expect your business to scale over time, WordPress gives you a lot of flexibility to do this easier than with other platforms.

Pros:

Highly Customizable: With over 50,000 plugins and integrations, you can extend WordPress’s functionality to fit almost any business needs. Its popularity makes it likely that the software you use for things like CRM, scheduling, etc. has an easy integration available, saving you time and money.
Ownership: Since WordPress is self-hosted, you have full control over your website, including design, hosting, and plugins.
Cost-Effective: You can start with a free version and pay only for hosting or any premium features you want. It’s a flexible option that grows with your business.

Cons:

Maintenance: You’re responsible for updates, security, and general site upkeep. Managing plugins and ensuring they are compatible can also become a challenge. If you need help with ongoing web maintenance, we’re happy to help.
Tech-Savvy Needed: While drag-and-drop builders (like Elementor) exist for WordPress, optimizing it often requires some knowledge of coding, especially if you want advanced customizations. We’ve been working on WordPress sites for 8+ years. Let’s chat about what you’re looking for if you need help building a WordPress website.

Tip: WordPress is a great tool for content based websites, but it’s easy to bloat your website with plugins that affect page load speeds if you’re not careful. It’s helpful to work with an agency with experience building in WordPress to make sure your site is optimized for speed and functions exactly how you want it to.

Plans starting at: $4/mo (US)*

*Does not include hosting costs

04 Wix

Wix is an all-in-one solution designed to help users build a website quickly with little to no coding knowledge. It’s a good entry-level option for smaller businesses, creatives, or anyone looking for simplicity.

Pros:

Ease of Use: Wix offers a true drag-and-drop builder, meaning you can easily build your site without needing technical skills. It’s great for beginners.
Templates: With hundreds of designed templates to choose from, Wix makes it easy to start quickly.
All-In-One Platform: Hosting, domain registration, and customer support are all built into Wix, making it an all-inclusive option for small businesses.

Cons:

Limited Flexibility: Once you choose a template, you’re locked into it, which means that scaling or redesigning your site later can be challenging. This can make it challenging to adapt as your business grows.
Less Advanced Features: While Wix is great for simple websites, it doesn’t offer the depth of customization or features available in more robust platforms like WordPress or Webflow.

Tip: Wix offers templates across various industries. If you choose Wix, start with a template that closely aligns with your business and then customize it to make it your own.

Plans starting at: $16/mo (CAD)

05 Squarespace

Squarespace offers sleek designs and a user-friendly interface, making it a good choice for businesses who want to keep it simple, and prioritize aesthetics and simplicity.

Pros:

Templates: Squarespace is known for its stylish, mobile-responsive templates that look great right out of the box. It’s a good choice for businesses that want an elegant online presence.
Easy to Use: With its drag-and-drop interface, Squarespace makes it easy for non-tech users to build and maintain a professional-looking website.
Integrated E-commerce: Like Shopify, Squarespace has built-in e-commerce features, although they’re simpler and best suited for smaller online stores.

Cons:

Costly for Larger Sites: As your business grows, Squarespace can become expensive, especially if you need additional features or support for a larger product catalogue.
Limited Customization: While you can tweak templates, Squarespace is more restrictive than platforms like Webflow or WordPress when it comes to advanced design options or custom features. If you want your brand to stand out from the crowd and not look like competitors’ websites, Squarespace might not be the right fit for you.

Tip: Squarespace sites emphasize visual appeal. Use high-resolution images to showcase your products, services, or portfolio. You can access Squarespace’s free stock photo library, or upload your own images to personalize your site.

Plans starting at: $21/mo (CAD)

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