Is Squarespace A Good Alternative to WordPress?
An introduction to the pros and cons of Squarespace V Wordpress.
“What is freedom? Freedom is the right to choose: the right to create for oneself the alternatives of choice.”
How to choose the best CMS for you
To understand if Squarespace is a better alternative that WordPress, you really have to know what these two are all about.
While on the surface they may appear to be similar platforms, they actually have different features that make them unique to one another.
WordPress is more of a content management system, whereas Squarespace is presented as a website builder, although in reality these are 2 sides of the same coin and both can be either a CMS or a website builder. So the short answer to whether Squarespace is a good alternative to WordPress is it really depends on your needs.
The purpose of your website will determine which is a better fit for your business.
Some WordPress options may be better in the short-term than Squarespace and vice versa. The following questions should help you to decide the best fit for your company and how each platform excels in their own way.
What Type of Functionality Will Be Required?
In order to determine whether Squarespace is a better alternative to WordPress, we need to start with the basics.
- Start by writing down what type of website you are going to be building.
- Next, decide what your website is going to do.
- Finally, it is important to know today what you expect from the website in the future.
When you come up with the answers and find that you are going to need more than just a static website, WordPress might be the right fit. However, if you are looking to create a stunning website that is all about drag-and-drop, Squarespace is the answer.
There are many sites that are using Squarespace templates that really are stunning to say the least. These websites are perfect for displaying the menu of your website, your portfolio, or your clothing store inventory to mention just a few.
WordPress on the other hand gives you a little more flexibility to add a huge range of features by simply installing a plugin.
When you clearly understand your precise needs in advance, you can choose the right platform that will give you the perfect website for your needs. That being said, it is also easier if you have clarity about your future needs now, because if you have to switch platforms later it could create added hassle and expense.
How Much Flexibility are You Going to Need?
Again, on the subject of whether Squarespace is a better alternative that WordPress, it all comes down to the needs of your business.
If you own a local pizza restaurant and only want to show your customers the latest menu, the Squarespace website is more than enough. However, if you have a website that requires a range of user logins, and complicated functionality, WordPress allows you to incorporate a number of plugins to realise a more custom solution.
As Squarespace is a privately owned company, you must use their service providers - Squarespace is a hosted solution. If you need a simple website without a million features, Squarespace websites rival some of the best online.
By comparison, WordPress is more of an open book, which means if you have a custom need or specific function you want to incorporate, chances are good that there is a free plugin for that. You are also able to use your preferred website hosting provider.
Will You Need to Scale Up Your Website Over Time?
Websites should not be static, they should be maintained and updated frequently, especially if you are always looking for ways to drive new traffic to your site.
It is best to know today what your future plans are for your website because you don't want to get locked into one type of platform and find you are unable to scale things up in the future.
Many people simply assume they need to jump into WordPress because it gives them the flexibility to grow easily over time.
It is important to note here that Squarespace has features that make it more favourable in unique situations.
Perhaps you do live shows on YouTube and at any point could have over 10,000 live viewers, who in turn rush to the website for more information. Squarespace can handle the load with zero issues, whereas the WordPress site might crash from the huge rush of traffic all at once. In this example, Squarespace makes use of huge load balancing servers which can keep that website stored at several locations and point that rush of traffic to the closest server. WordPress sites could freeze up because they need to talk to the database. This is however very dependent on the quality of your web hosting as well.
While this is just one example, both platforms have their good features, again, depending on how you plan to scale things up down the road. So if you intend on only getting traffic when you do a huge live online event, then Squarespace might be a better option. If you are constantly expanding your reach and incorporating new features for your visitors to utilize, Wordpress allows you to keep adding those features with ease.
So now you should have a better idea about whether Squarespace is a better alternative to WordPress - whether your are a global corporation that needs a landing page or a small home-based business that needs more of a fully functional website. It all comes down to your specific needs, your plans for the future, and what type of user experience you want to give your customers.
Do you want to learn more about which platform is right for you?
Roundhouse is a professional creative agency specialising in custom web solutions. We are a squarespace specialist having over 7 years experience with the platform and Wordpress Expert. Creative Director Saul Edmonds has over 20 years professional web experience. He is an international expert on Squarespace and has developed many custom Wordpress websites for clients across all industry groups.
If you wish to learn more about Squarespace and Wordpress - and which is the right platform for your business, call us on 1300 727 749 or email us anytime. We are here to help you make the right choices for your business now - and into the future.
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