In order for businesses to succeed, they need a good online presence. Without a strong online presence, customers will not be able to find information about your business and you will be negatively impacted by this. Developing a good website is an important part of developing an online presence. Squarespace and WordPress both give businesses the opportunity to create their own websites. Here is a look at both website building tools to help you decide which one is best for you.

Ease of Use

WordPress is a flexible tool that allows you to modify codes to use them however you would like. WordPress can help anyone, whether you are a novice at this type of technology or an advanced user. WordPress allows you to add images, videos, and other features with relative ease.

Squarespace does not have as many choices as WordPress, however that may be an advantage, as Squarespace is very easy to use. Adding images and audio files is simple, and Squarespace has a drag and drop content editor that makes creating new posts and pages easy for beginners. Both Squarespace and WordPress come with visual editors, though WordPress also includes a text editor for more advanced users.

Costs

WordPress is free to download. However, you will need a web hosting provider, which does cost a fee. You will also need to purchase a domain name and a theme. Based on the needs of your business, you can purchase a shared plan or go with a private server. The fee for your domain name depends on the hosting provider that you can choose. As things change, you can alter your hosting plan. WordPress gives you the ability to only pay for what you are using. WordPress offers thousands of free plugins and templates.

Squarespace offers four primary premium pricing plans: Personal, Business, Basic, and Advanced. The personal plan gives you a limited number of pages, along with a blog and two contributors. You may only sell one product. If you increase your plan, then you can sell more products. Choosing the higher Basic or Advanced plan allows you to receive an unlimited amount of pages, galleries, blogs, and bandwidth.

Design

As previously noted, WordPress features thousands of free plugins that you can use for your benefit. This gives users the ability to create any type of website that is possible. There are thousands of themes to help your website achieve a unique appearance. Regardless of what business or industry you are in, WordPress likely has something for you.

Squarespace only offers users a few types of templates to choose from. There are also a limited number of features that Squarespace offers through their customizer feature. You are only allowed to use the plugins and built in features. Squarespace has limited integration through selected services.

Maintenance

WordPress is constantly updating its platform to try to improve its security. Be sure to update your site whenever WordPress updates as well. Be aware that you could become vulnerable to attacks if you are not updating and monitoring it all of the time.

Squarespace automatically updates all users. You will not have to worry about your website because Squarespace will update everything, giving you more time to devote to other important issues.

The choice between Squarespace or WordPress comes down to your individual preference. WordPress is more powerful and flexible, while Squarespace is easier to use and more convenient. For those of us with slightly more complicated sites, it’s best to try and find a reliable designer you know you can trust early on, as the translation between designers and website builders can be grueling and lose a lot of content along the way. It’s always best to invest the time and research early and be sure you’ve made the right decision for the long term.