We often get asked by potential small to medium-sized business (SMB) clients what the difference is between a WordPress website and a Wix website. They want a new website but what platform should they choose?
Choosing the right platform is crucial for your company's online presence, and it's essential to make an informed decision. In this blog post, we will explain the key differences between the two platforms and how they can affect your business.
Before we begin, we want to emphasize that there is no "best" platform. Both platforms have their own advantages and disadvantages, and it's important to consider your specific needs and goals when making a decision. This is the part we normally spent quite some time on to really understand the needs our (potential) clients in order to recommend the best platform for their needs.
Pros and cons of a WordPress website
WordPress is an open-source Content Management System (CMS) launched in 2003. WordPress is currently the most widely used CMS, powering approximately 39.7% of all websites worldwide. It is especially popular among bloggers and small to medium-sized businesses due to its flexibility and expandability.
Advantages of a WordPress website
1. Flexibility: WordPress is highly flexible and can be customized to your business's specific needs. There are thousands of themes and plugins available that you can use to extend your website's functionality.
2. SEO-friendly: WordPress is highly SEO-friendly and comes with many built-in features that help improve your website's search engine ranking.
3. Scalability: WordPress is highly scalable and can be used for everything from a simple blog to a large e-commerce website.
Disadvantages of a WordPress website
1. Technical knowledge required: To get the most out of WordPress, some technical knowledge is required. For example, you need to know how to install and configure themes and plugins.
2. Security: WordPress is a popular CMS and is therefore an attractive target for hackers. You need to make sure that your website is properly secured to minimize security risks.
3. Updates: WordPress requires regular updates for both core software and themes and plugins. It's important to keep up with these updates to keep your website secure and up-to-date.
Pros and cons of a Wix website
Wix is a cloud-based website building platform launched in 2006. Wix is especially popular among small businesses and individuals due to its user-friendliness and ease of use.
Advantages of a Wix website
1. User-friendliness: Wix is very user-friendly, and you don't need any technical knowledge to build a website. The platform provides an intuitive drag-and-drop editor that allows you to easily create a professional website.
2. Templates: Wix offers over 500 professionally designed templates to choose from. These templates can be customized to your specific needs.
3. Support: Wix provides extensive support and documentation to users. There are also many tutorials available on YouTube and other websites.
4. Hosting: Wix also provides hosting, so you don't need to find a separate hosting provider to host your website.
Disadvantages of a Wix website
1. Limited flexibility: Despite offering many templates and customizable features, Wix is still less customizable than WordPress. This can impact your business if you're looking for more complex features or personalized customization.
2. Limited SEO capabilities: Wix is less SEO-friendly than WordPress and has fewer options for optimizing your website for search engines.
3. Possibility of lock-in: Another potential disadvantage of Wix is that you're locked into the platform. This can be a problem if you want to switch to another platform later on.
Conclusion
Both platforms have their own advantages and disadvantages, and it's important to consider your specific needs and goals when making a choice.
If you're looking for a highly customizable website with many features and functionality, then WordPress may be the best choice. It allows for greater flexibility and customization than some other website builders, and can be used to create everything from simple blogs to complex e-commerce sites. Plus, because it's open-source software, there are thousands of developers and designers around the world working to make it better every day.
If you're looking for a user-friendly platform with easily customizable templates that doesn't require technical knowledge and also requires no maintenance, then Wix may be a better option. On top of that, Wix as a website builder takes care of updates and maintenance for you. This means that you don't have to worry about keeping your website software up to date or fixing any issues that may arise from outdated software. Wix updates its software and security features regularly, so your website will always be running on the latest version without any effort on your part.
Need some help?
If you're still unsure which platform is the right choice for your business or if you're looking for professional help in creating your website, don't hesitate to contact us. As a website design agency, we have years of experience working with both WordPress and Wix and can help you make an informed decision based on your unique needs and goals. Contact us today to learn more!