Do you remember buying your last car? What factored into that decision?
You probably considered price, comfort, economy, style, and how well it fit your life. You put in the thought because you’ll be stuck with that car for a few years. It has to stand the test of time. And a bad decision can cause a lot of headaches.
Choosing a CMS (content management system) to build your website on is a similar dilemma. Every time you work on your website, you’ll be using your CMS. So, choose one that fits your business and can grow with you for a long time.
With that in mind let’s compare two of the most popular players in this space: WordPress and Squarespace.
WORDPRESS
This is the world’s most popular CMS platform. It’s open source and free to use. It’s a platform that we use to develop many of our custom sites.
Advantages:
There are a wealth of plugins to help you do almost anything with your site.
Ability to create completely custom websites with WordPress simply layered in, such as dmc.mn
Use a variety of themes from WordPress, third-party sellers, or hire an expert to build a custom theme such as BrandHoot often does.
Choose your own domain and hosting provider. Full control.
Build custom integrations with just about any 3rd party system you may wish.
Disadvantages:
With so many moving pieces, there’s no guarantee that everything will work together.
Third-party plugins can easily become out-of-date, unusable, or create security risks.
Setting up a WordPress site can be complicated for anything beyond basic. (Who wants basic?)
WordPress is a good option for companies who have very specific design needs, want to create custom solutions, or need to achieve a unique high-end look. But, it’s not the best option for most small businesses and nonprofits.
SQUARESPACE
Although it’s been around for as long as WordPress, Squarespace has gained real popularity more recently. We like Squarespace for its simplicity and a curated approach to design and technical structure.
Advantages:
Every single theme is specifically designed by the Squarespace team to high quality standards.
Key visuals such as colors, logo, and pictures can be customized to match your brand.
Squarespace has a fully-integrated plugin system, which means that there are no conflicts between third-party developers and the platform. One less thing to fiddle with. It just works.
Squarespace updates itself automatically to meet the latest web standards.
Its interface is intuitive and easy to use once you’re familiar with it (no code skills needed).
Disadvantages:
Squarespace sites can be easy to spot and may not be “unique” enough for medium to large businesses.
Integrating truly custom solutions later on can be difficult to impossible.
Limited creative control since Squarespace only offers its own starter templates.
Squarespace is best for small businesses and nonprofit organizations that need an online presence, but don’t have the IT skills or budget to maintain a custom site such as WordPress. If you need a simple site that can more easily stand the test of time, Squarespace might be right for you.
Need Something Different?
WordPress and Squarespace are both great in their own ways, but every situation is unique. There are lots of other CMS options on the market, or the option to run your website without a CMS at all.
We believe that having the right tool for the right job is a must. Contact us and we'd be happy to provide ideas and insight to help navigate your decision making process.