Which website platform is more user-friendly, WordPress or SquareSpace?
I'm building a health and wellness website for my coaching business. Which website platform is the most user friendly and professional looking: WordPress, SquareSpace, or another tool? I've noticed a few postings on WordPress. Does anyone have experience on Square Space?
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Dec 29, 2020
Looking to create a stunning website? Then it’s no surprise you’re choosing between Squarespace and WordPress.
Squarespace is a website builder with the highest quality designer templates on the market. It’s hosted for you, so you don’t have to worry about managing updates or finding a hosting provider. You don’t even need to know code, although the option is there if you want.
WordPress also allows you to build your own website, but it’s not a website builder. We’re reviewing WordPress.org, which is an open source platform and is what most people are referring to when they say “WordPress”. WordPress.org is different from WordPress.com, which is hosted for you and designed more like a website builder. You’ll have to find your own hosting for your WordPress.org website (we recommend Bluehost). And unlike Squarespace, you’ll also definitely need to know how to code. The upside of this is it gives you the ultimate level of customization.
There really is no limit on what you can build with WordPress, which makes it extremely popular. In fact, 32% of the whole internet is powered by WordPress!
WordPress is a Content Management System (CMS), whereas Squarespace is your typical drag-and-drop website builder. A CMS generally has more in-depth functions than a website builder, meaning you can scale and customize your WordPress site on a more technological level.
On the other hand, Squarespace takes care of complex design functionalities for you, so you can focus on the more artistic aspects of building a website.
The first thing to say is, Squarespace is easier to use than WordPress. It’s not the most beginner-friendly website builder on the market, but if you’re not confident with coding, it’s still the easier choice.
Squarespace Ease of Use
Because Squarespace is a website builder, you can pick, switch, and personalize your templates using drag-and-drop. You simply choose an element like a text box, drag it to where you want it, and drop it – and that’s exactly how it will look once your page is published.
This is called “What You See is What You Get,” or WYSIWYG editing. It makes it super easy to make changes because you’re seeing everything right in front of you, exactly how visitors to your site will be seeing it once it’s live.
WordPress Ease of Use
WordPress is slightly different. Because it’s an open source CMS platform, you use code and third party plugins to customize your pages. This gives you lots more creative control, but makes the whole process a lot more difficult, especially if you’re not tech savvy.
You don’t see your changes as you make them like you do with Squarespace. Instead, you make edits in the backend. This is like flipping switches backstage. You can walk round to the front to see which lights you’ve turned on, then go back behind the curtain to change the settings.
However, WordPress does also offer a builder-like feature: the “Gutenburg editor” helps you compose the text and media on each individual webpage. Instead of typing out custom code or plugins, you’ll use “blocks” that allow you to quickly add elements like a paragraph, quote, image, or header image.
You’ll likely still need additional plugins, but this editor helps bring WordPress a little more in line with the ease of use that Squarespace offers.
Feb 23, 2018
I perosnally prefer using Wordpress for my websites. I use some business wordpress themes from https://www.templatemonster.com/category/business-wordpress-themes/ and they always work nicely for me. What are your thoughts on it, guys? Do you like it?
Feb 19, 2018
Personally, I'm a huge fan of WordPress. Well, making a WordPress website is super-easy at first place. Certainly creating a website on WordPress is super simple – all you need to know is how to choose a highly customizable WP theme and the most effective ways to develop it into an effective website. This resource can be pretty helpful - https://studioblackbelt.com/
Feb 15, 2018
I personally prefer using the help of professional web design services for this purposes. You can use the one from https://weblium.com for your needs. I like how it works a lot and I am always happy with the results. I think you will be too :)
Jul 23, 2015
Wordpress has become the most popular website platform for small business because of its easy to use and flexibility. Clients love to have a wordpress website because they can quickly and easily add and change content without requiring a web developer to change any code.
It is easy to set up website in wordpress as it include number of plugins that can be used to extend WordPress with regards to SEO. Wordpress is right choice when it comes to SEO.
Why WordPress?
1. It’s extremely beginner-friendly
2. It’s powerful
3. It’s mobile friendly
4. Easy to customize
If you are looking to have high quality custom wordpress website, consult with wordpress expert http://www.fatbit.com/website-design-company/requestaquote.html
Jun 4, 2015
WordPress is 100% customizable platform along with extended functionality. It search engines friendly and a best CMS based website.
Jun 4, 2015
You might try looking for experts in your marketing niche. In the long run their help should be one of the deciding factors. See http://www.presscoders.com/coachpro/ for example. - PWD
Jun 3, 2015
Hi Christina,
Both platforms can deliver beautiful looking websites and both are easy to use.
However, both have limitations, and in the case of Wordpress, you have the option of a wordpress-hosted option on wordpress.com or a self-hosted option on your own server. The self-hosted option is more work to set up, but it gives you more flexibility and control. This is great for starting small and growing to something more complex over time.
However, in my view, these are not the most important considerations.
I think the specific goals and objectives of what you want to accomplish with your website should drive the selection of the technology. If I were you, I would lay out what I want my initial site to include in terms of features and functions, as well as identify what I want my site to expand to in the future.
Based on those business requirements, I would then make a selection. To help me choose which platform to use, I would take my current and future requirements to one or more professional web developers and seek their opinion.
Having said that, even self-hosted WordPress is not the "be-all and end-all" option for all websites. I've seen cases where a content management system like Joomla or Drupal is the best choice. It all comes down to your requirements.
Jun 3, 2015
I would go with wordpress because of a lot of reason...1. It is free and you can do it your self just got to have a little background in the computer world.
2. It gets pluggins like crazy which are design by users.
or try Joomla its well supported and kinda the same as wordpress
Jun 3, 2015
Hi !! Both application use for (CMS) Content Management Section for websites. If you are thinking powerful options and elegant designs then I would like to suggest `SquareSpace`. You’ll lose some capabilities but maybe they’re not important for your. All the basic stuff is there. Other hand I would like to say Wordpress is also leading content management frame for CMS website creation.
Here, in feature & functionality you will find more option for work.
Thanks for your consideration.
Best,
Vaibhav
Jun 2, 2015
I would recommend you WordPress. It's a user friendly and even customization is very easy for beginners too. WP is free online tool for creating simple website or blog.
Jun 2, 2015
Although I'm waxing "technical" below, the most important thing is to have a marketing plan that deliniates your expectations for your website and social media efforts.
That said...As far as platforms go, WordPress is very flexible and you can acquire support readily for all sorts of features/enhancements.
But, to be a bit more percise, unless the platform/hosting you pick allows you to be "adaptive" with your site - your at the mercy of their offerings. The reason I say this is that you can use the WordPress platform on your own hosting, which is ultimately flexible but using either WordPress or SquareSpace on their hosting solutions means you only get to pick from their menu.
Your choice should also be influenced by the complexities of technology involved in your intended offerings. For example, if you intend to sell physical products, you will need an ecommerce platform, if you are just going to use your site to promote your services then a brochure site with a blog would be fine. If you intend to deliver advice in real and augmented time online via webinars, podcasts, and "chat" you'll need additional resources that may or may not be readily integrated into your site depending on the platform.
Jun 2, 2015
Thanks, David. At this point, my site will be used to provide knowledge about me, show my program offerings, and host my blog. In the future, I may expand to webinars, podcasts, etc. At that point, it sounds like I may want to host my own site? Thanks again!
Jun 3, 2015
Christina, be sure that the platform/hosting you pick allows (facilitates?) your move your own hosted site! It is not a trivial process to move a well established website, particularly from services like SquareSpace.
As I mentioned above, be sure you have a handle on the features you might want. Chat with some local web provides and get an idea of the "extras" you might be interested in. Not really a cautionary tale but, many of my prospects/clients had to struggle with the limitations of their plaforms and spend extra time and money with site migrations.
Jun 2, 2015
The amount of Wordpress users speak for themselves - after all it is the most used platform on the Internet. With 1000s of templates and themes, plugins for almost any scenario and a modular approach - it comes down to 'support' and help if needed. Depending on time, hire a Wordpress expert via Updesk or Freelancer - and your site will be up and running in a couple of days. Hope that helps!
Jun 2, 2015
Thanks for the tips on Updesk and Freelancer. Not sure I have the time to learn wordpress. Great advice!
Jun 3, 2015
Just a reminder that you are on a site with a lot of great experts, including WP experts. I am sure someone who has just given you some great advice would be available to help you.
Jun 2, 2015
Hi Christina,
From my point of view there are excellent aspects to both options you are looking at.
If you are looking to provide online courses that you are selling. I think you will find that Wordpress has more plugins available and is a little easier to use than squarespace.
For an online prescence and e-commerce solution style of website, squarespace would be my recommendation. I find it easier to use but thats just me.
A lot of the more static sites that I build are in Adobe Muse and then I use a LMS on a subdomain for the training platform.
I suppose it really all depends on what you are after and also how involved or technical you want to be.
Hope that helps and answers more questions than it raises.
Cheers,
Dan
Jun 1, 2015
I'm very happy with WordPress, I find it very easy to customise my site. It's a very popular choice, I heard there are 20 million websites built on it.
I'd go with the tried and tested WordPress, it's a solid platform.
Jun 1, 2015
Christina,
I haven't worked with FourSquare.
After looking at WordPress I opted for WIX.
IMHO This is a much more effective way to build/deploy web sites.
Good Luck!
Doug
PS - No affiliation with any of these products.
Jun 1, 2015
Doug
Thank you. I've never heard of WIX.IMHO. What specifically makes it more effective? I appreciate the suggestion.
Thanks again,
Christina
Jun 2, 2015
WIX is pretty much the same thing as Square Space. Wix, Webydo, Weebly, SiteGo, etc. All of those are "easy CMS" SaaS applications. Any one of which can easily build a website, but not all of them are the best when it comes to customizing code or optimizing your site for search.
Jun 1, 2015
When you're talking about user friendly, you specifically so you can easily build the website?
Squarespace is definitely more user friendly than WordPress. Though, WordPress is a much better CMS in terms of functionality and marketing your brand through SEO.
There are also more templates to choose on WordPress, and if you ever decided to do a custom template, that can also be added to WordPress easily.
Jun 1, 2015
Thanks, Rory. SquareSpace does seem more user-friendly. I'm glad you told me about CMS and SEO considerations because I wouldn't have considered that in making my decision. This is very helpful. Thank you!
Thank you, Jeff. I'm laying out content now and was trying to save some money by doing it myself. If wordpress becomes to challenging, I may see a professional web developer.
Thanks again.
Christina