Anyone who wants to build their business needs to start with a website. There are several website building tools to make it easy to create a basic website using template designs. Of the two largest website builders are Wix and Squarespace.
What is the main difference between the two platforms?
To determine which one is best for you to get started, you need to prioritize your needs and understand your capabilities, such as being able to devote time to programming a website.
Squarespace tends to be favorited by bloggers, as it has a more straightforward blogging tool. Wix is visual and has several apps and plug-ins that many website owners appreciate. Wix is also preferred by people just getting started as it uses a simple drag and drop method. While Squarespace uses a similar format of drag and drop, and it includes a site history tool to make it easy to restore the work if you accidentally delete it.
User preference is the main factor that will determine which platform is best for you. Some people complain Squarespace is harder because you have to click around a lot when designing the look and feel of the site. Other people feel that Wix is easier because it has Wix ADI, a powerful artificial intelligence tool that helps you create a website by asking questions and programs what you want.
Define Your Skillset
While both website building platforms are designed to help novice website builders create a website, you must be realistic in what you can and cannot do. The list of templates from both Wix and Squarespace has hundreds of themes in several industries. One important thing to check is if the website is fully responsive for mobile devices.
Wix is limited on what they allow you to do with their tools. Wix will not allow you to change your website template for a new one, and you are locked into the site you choose. Squarespace is nicer as they are mobile responsive, but they do not have upwards of 300 like Wix, they are limited to 100 templates for mobile device responsiveness.
Take a trial run of the template to see what you are capable of doing. If you cannot edit the website quickly, consider contacting a professional for help with website design. The technical support of both Squarespace and Wix are helpful, but they don’t always provide enough to help people work through the elements of building a professional-looking website.
If you know you don’t have time to truly devote to building a website, hire someone that does. Freelancers can pick up where you leave off with your Wix or Squarespace website, and they can take over the build and get it published. If you find out your website will be longer than 30 pages, it might be wise to seek out a professional organization specializing in building websites. Professional developers have the tools, training, and skills needed to create secure, attractive websites.
Will My Site Rank?
If you build a website on Wix or Squarespace, will it still be noticed by Google? Self-building sites do not focus on SEO as much as design elements, which can hurt your website’s ability to rank higher. Wix and Squarespace both have basic SEO tools that give you an idea of what content needs to be added, and some small changes you can do to help your website rank.
7 Must-Know Tips for DIYers
When it comes to website building, it helps to use the training videos from Wix and Squarespace. Here are 7 must-know tips:
- Use the free website builders to guide you through website development.
- Optimize your website images and save the ALT tags to make it easier during upload
- Use gallery blocks over image blocks so you can do multiple images at the same time.
- Create sub-page templates and replicate them once you have a design saved
- Use spacer blocks to break up the page and direct the visitor when you want them to go.
- Continue adding to your website through new product pages and blogs.
- Ask for help! Several free training tutorials can walk you through building your own website, without all the hassle.
Wix and Squarespace are both excellent tools and can help you build an impressive site quickly. However, anyone seeking additional needs for a website that includes e-commerce should consider outsourcing it. It can be complicated to manage a shopping cart and ensure the customer information is secure.
