Choosing the right service to create your website can be a daunting task. A website is a digital home for your business and it should fit the size and function of your operation. Consider this, a family of five wouldn’t need the same kind of home as a recent college graduate and an entrepreneur wouldn’t have the same website demands as a fortune 500 company. The success of your digital home is contingent on choosing the right service for your business needs. I have picked out the apartments, the condos and single homes your business will be ready to move in to.
Your First Apartment – Wix
Similar, to a first apartment Wix websites are move-in ready, efficient and have everything you need to get started. With Wix, you have the ability to customize templates to your business’ needs. By using the editor, you can add photos, rearrange page elements and change the color pallet, simply with a click of a button.
This is my go-to site anytime I need a new website. My favorite thing about Wix is it’s FREE. That’s right Free. I’m all about saving where I can especially when starting a new business. Wix offers a free plan where you receive a subdomain at no cost, based off of your email address (If you’re sallyjoe@email.com then your domain will be sallyjoe.wix.com).
There are hundreds of templates to choose from and even blank templates if creative juices are really flowing. There are options for every website need. Just search for by business type such as retail, consulting or blog. Wix is perfect for the new entrepreneur because it gives you the opportunity to really hone in on your brand and messaging. The Wix editor lets you play with colors, change fonts, add images, switch up the layout, without knowing anything about code.
Wix does have its limitations, interactive features are slow to load and mobile editor is not user-friendly and the ADI editor very problematic. Even still, the positives outweigh the negatives and Wix provides a great value for any budding business.
The Luxury Condo – Squarespace
Wix is for the new business while Squarespace is for the established brand. This brand knows it’s customer base, it’s messaging and wants a mature look to its site. Squarespace is the luxury condo of websites. Through this service you’ll receive a sleek website right out of the box. There are plenty there are many templates to choose from and most have a minimalist aesthetic.
If you’re willing to pay, Squarespace is a great value. A personal plan is $12/month when billed annually. Unlike Wix, Squarespace lacks a drag and drop editor so templates are not completely customizable when it comes to layout. However, you could team up with a web developer to create a custom site for Squarespace.
The third best about Squarespace is, if you’re confused, there are plenty of knowledgeable people who are happy to share their expertise. Your Squarespace membership includes 24/7 customer support and Squarespace hosts a series of workshops and webinars to answer any common platform questions.
The Single Family Home – WordPress
I describe WordPress as a single family because when home shopping you have the option to either purchase land and build a house from scratch or purchase a house already constructed, At WordPress, it’s the same premise. You can code your site from scratch pay for a hosting service with wordpress.org or you can have a free account with WordPress.com and have them host your site for you at no additional cost.
If you opt-in to use wordpress.org the best thing is you will have complete control over your website’s design and functionality. You will have opportunity upload custom themes to your account giving your website a major wow factor. The downside to wordpress.org if you need some understanding of website development or you will need to pay someone with that expertise. Building your site will be a major overhaul and it will cost you time and money but remember this will be your business’ forever home so the investment will be well worth it.
Now, if this does not interest you, WordPress.com is where you should turn you attention. It is similar to Squarespace with a library of templates where you can customize the site to make it your own. The free wordpress.com account does come with a free custom domain. Your site URL will look something like this: yoursite.wordpress.com. The free versions come with some limitations so I recommend purchasing the premium plan tailored for entrepreneurs and freelancers. The plan is $8/month and is billed yearly. The plan provides you with a custom domain, access to premium themes, advanced design customizations with CSS.
Websites are most often the first impression customers will see your businesses so picking the right platform is crucial. I hope the information is the guide helped to provide some clarity helped you make that first step in making your entrepreneurial dreams a reality.
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