Squarespace vs. WordPress websites: everything you need to know
I’ve been a WordPress supporter for nearly 8 years, and although I know it inside out, my clients were struggling with the back-end, and I was sick of the maintenance involved. Initially I’d avoided Squarespace because I’d heard their SEO integration wasn’t great, however, come 2019 there’s not much Squarespace can’t offer if you’re a small to medium sized business who’s after a stunning website with fairly standard functionality. That pretty much sums up all my clients.
Squarespace and WordPress are two of the most popular website building platforms available today, however they are very different. Squarespace is like an app or software you subscribe to where everything is included. WordPress on the other hand is an open source CMS, which means it’s open for anyone to contribute to. This is both good and bad, as there are thousands of themes and plugins to choose from, but they can become outdated and buggy quickly if the author abandons ship. It does, however, mean that there are far more customisable options you can add to your website if you require that.
Squarespace has come a long way as a platform and I have officially been converted for clients who have basic website needs. Note: basic does NOT mean ugly or incompetent, it’s simply to do with functionality requirements. Squarespace templates have improved, and their SEO integration is now B+. WordPress is always going to be superior in terms of SEO capabilities, but Squarespace has improved tremendously and I hope it continues to do so.
While Squarespace does market themselves as a DIY website building platform, there’s so much more involved in understanding and launching an effective website. An out of the box template is never going to fit your websites needs and content perfectly, so there’s always going to be an element of design involved. There’s also plenty of customisable options that can be custom coded in a Squarespace website such as custom form design and sticky menu headers, and frankly, any attempt at DIY is going to look… DIY! Building a website shouldn’t simply be about clicking ‘add section’ and adding your text – there’s lots of thought that needs to be considered such as user experience, site structure, call to actions, heading hierarchy, SEO optimisation, etc. Just like you wouldn’t pick a font and call it your logo (would you..!?)…
DIYing will get you a website that works, but it probably won’t get you a website that converts.
The benefit I see to offering Squarespace website design is the ease of use and the ability you have to edit bits of text, update photos, manage payment plans, etc. after the website launches. Everything works seamlessly, and if you have an issue, you can email their support with your questions. WordPress simply does not offer this and it can be quite overwhelming if you want to take control after the website is built. You’ll need to maintain it and implement regular external backups to keep all the parts moving. It’s a bit like servicing a car; you can avoid this but down the track it might to cost you.
Squarespace is perfect if you’re a small to medium sized business and need a conventional website or small ecommerce store. Features such as header blocks, contact forms, photo galleries and testimonial sliders are out of the box and can be totally styled to fit your brand aesthetic.
Here’s my overview about why you should (and I do!) choose Squarespace:
Easiest and prettiest interface ever
Beautifully designed starter templates
Self-hosted with everything in one place
Social Media integration
Email marketing integration
Compatible across everything (devices and browsers)
Website Security is taken care of (WordPress site are often hacked if they aren’t maintained)
Support from real humans
Built in analytics/tracking
Ability for customisation
And, here’s a few reasons to stick to WordPress:
You require really customised features (e.g. client log in portal, have a huge e-com store, real estate listings connected to internal CMS, etc)
You plan on growing to require these custom features in future
You’re happy to pay for a totally custom design and build from scratch
You have a large or growing e-com store (Shopify is another platform to consider)
SEO is of paramount importance and you want to throw money and optimising this.
Don’t forget, choosing a website platform is the easy part; creating and collating content for your website is the tricky part! The best way to start is to write down all of the features you need on your website and go from there. If you’re feeling the overwhelm, please reach out and I’d be happy to chat through the options with you. Squarespace was designed to make your life easier!
