Jun 1, 2015
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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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
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 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
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 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 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 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 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
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!