TL;DR
- Webmaster For Hire recommends WordPress for most businesses. You own your site, and it can grow with you.
- Builders like Wix and Squarespace are beginner tools. They’re easy to start with and limiting as you grow.
- A builder can be fine for a small budget and simple needs. Know the trade-offs, then decide.
- Leaving a builder later usually means rebuilding.
WordPress vs. Website Builders at a Glance
- Ownership. With WordPress, you own your data and you’re not locked into one company’s system. A builder runs your site on its own platform.
- Growth. WordPress lets you add features as your business grows. Builders limit you to the features and apps they support.
- Cost. A WordPress site costs more to build and to keep secure. A builder costs less up front.
- Ease. Builders are simple to start. WordPress is easy to edit once it’s built and you’ve been trained.
Why Webmaster For Hire Builds on WordPress
We’ve worked on Wix, Squarespace, and other builders. We’ve also moved a lot of businesses off builders and onto WordPress, because they outgrew the limits. That’s why we’ve stayed with WordPress.
With WordPress, you can add, edit, and delete pages and blog posts yourself, and add features later without starting over.
When Is a Builder Fine?
As Beth has put it, “Most people stick with a builder because of their budget and because they don’t need much more.” A simple site with a small budget can live happily on a builder. We can make limited edits on builder sites, too.
There’s no wrong answer. We just want you making the choice knowing the trade-offs.
Should I Switch My Site to WordPress?
- Switch if you want to edit the site yourself with ease, or you’ve hit the builder’s limits.
- Expect a new build. Most builders don’t let you move the site itself. Your text and photos can be reused.
- Details: see Can I Leave an All-in-One Website Provider Without Rebuilding?
What Webmaster For Hire Recommends
- Know the trade-offs before you decide. We’ll lay them out for your business on a call.
- Get your website’s care covered. WordPress needs updates, backups, and security. See Should I Run WordPress Updates Myself or Hire a Webmaster?
:: Common Questions ::
Is There a Downside to Staying on Drupal?
No long-term disadvantage that we see, as long as you’re on a version of Drupal that’s still supported. If you still like Drupal, you don’t need to switch.
What About WordPress.com?
See Should My Website Be on WordPress.com or Self-Hosted WordPress?
Weighing Your Options?
Request a consultation, and we’ll walk through the trade-offs for your business.
