Are you looking to redesign your website and not sure if you should stick with WordPress or try another content management system? WordPress launched in 2003 and powers 40% of all the websites on the internet today, according to W3Techs. However, since then, the market has been over-saturated with options.
There are many things to consider when choosing the right platform for you, including cost, time, maintenance, and design capabilities, and there are pros and cons to each CMS interface. In this three-part guide, we will go through various options and steps to make it easy for you to showcase your business.
This second guide will go through the pros and cons of some of the popular content management systems, including WordPress, Webflow, Squarespace, and HubSpot.
If you are unsure if you are looking for a content management system or a custom-built website, look at our first guide by clicking here.
WordPress
Overview
- First and foremost, WordPress was designed to create blogs rather than traditional websites. However, over time WordPress made updates to its core coding structure and enhanced WordPress’s ecosystem in the use of plugins and themes so that now you can create any type of website.
Pros
- User-Friendly: WordPress has the accessibility to set up users with a variety of access. Each user can have different permissions allowing businesses to maintain their website collectively than individually.
- Professional Themes: There is a reason why 40% of all websites are built in WordPress, and that’s because they have a wide variety of professional themes.
- Customization: WordPress customization is sometimes attractive to larger companies that want a CMS tailored to their needs. The WordPress library of plugins allows you to customize your website however you want.
Cons
- Plugins: As I mentioned before, plugins allow you to customize your website, but it is also the Achilles’ heel of WordPress. Most plugins are free, but many include an additional cost. They are also tough to manage and require regular maintenance, which leads me to the next con.
- Maintenance: Navigating through WordPress can be challenging for people who don’t have prior experience using a web development platform. WordPress requires a lot of updates to keep your website running smoothly. Websites can go down without a moment’s notice for many different reasons. Therefore, you must keep the most up-to-date software on all plugins, themes, and templates.
- Cost: WordPress is a relatively reasonable price, but it could get costly depending on your features. You can do many things. The more plugins you need, the more money it will cost you.
Webflow
Overview
- Webflow is a relatively new website-builder solution. Established in 2013, It is an all-in-one design platform that allows you to design, build and launch responsive websites on your own. Webflow’s philosophy is bridging the gap between designers and developers. Most CMS platforms do that with template-based design, but Webflow allows users to design fully customizable websites and offers hosting domains for an additional cost.
Pros
- Responsive Design: There are no gimmicks, coding, or plugins necessary to make your design responsive on all devices. Webflow already creates your design with this in mind. However, it is imperative to make sure your website looks the way you want because Webflow will make it responsive regardless of how it looks.
- Low Maintenance: Maintaining a website is one of the biggest challenges, but Webflow has automatic updating, saving you time and money.
- Customization: Webflow’s website builder is very comprehensive for designers. The interface resembles Adobe Photoshop and empowers individuals to become developers, cutting down a fraction of the time by using Webflow modules rather than hand-written code.
- Backing Up Your Code: On paid account plans, you can export your project's HTML, CSS, assets, and JavaScript from inside the Webflow Designer. You can do this to backup your code and host it anywhere you would like.
Cons
- User-Interface: Webflow’s interface can be intimidating at first if you have never used it. Webflow modules allow users complete flexibility which in turn are difficult to use.
- Cost: Plans can range from $12/month to $212/month, depending on the plan you choose.
- Limited Customer Support: Webflow customer support is little. However, they have developed a Webflow University that you can watch tutorials on all Webflow modules. There is also a big Webflow community that you can lean on for questions.
Squarespace
Overview
- Like WordPress, Squarespace started as a blogging platform, then quickly evolved into a website builder. To get started, all you need is an account, choose a template and edit it to suit your needs. This option is most famous for designers, artists, photographers, and others in the creative space because it is very focused on the design, and there is no coding necessary.
Pros
- Beautiful Templates: As I said above, many people in the creative industry use Squarespace because of their award-winning templates without much customization out of the gate.
- Easily-Navigated Dashboard: Compared to other CMS dashboards, Squarespace is straightforward to navigate and update their site. Individuals that do not have the experience or knowledge using back-end CMS could easily edit text or replace a photo using Squarespace.
- Domain included: Users can register a domain for free during their first year using Squarespace. This is very beneficial for companies who are first starting. Many organizations fall victim to losing their domain name unintentionally over an unpaid bill because they have trouble keeping track of their CMS host and their domain registrar.
Cons
- Customization: Squarespace templates are stunning, but they are nearly impossible to truly customize. Therefore, you are often stuck using a template that someone else may be using and will have a similar-looking website.
- Poor SEO: Squarespace marketing capabilities are limited because of their template-based websites. Some templates are better than others, but most do not meet Google’s standards, meaning there is much leg work to make your site up to par.
- Performance: Squarespace loading time can be pretty slow, which can be a problem for people who want to move through your content quickly. Page load is also a big consideration for your site’s organic rank.
HubSpot
Overview
- HubSpot is a complete CRM tool that can help you with all aspects of your business. HubSpot is an all-in-one marketing solution - whether you want to increase leads, automate your email marketing strategy or build a website. You can do many things with HubSpot, but today we will focus on their CMS Hub software.
Pros
- All-In-One: Manage all of the components needed to market your business effectively by having everything in one place. If you use HubSpot in any capacity and are looking for a simple website, HubSpot CMS is an excellent option to look into.
- CRM Integration: HubSpot Smart Content is one of their CMS’s best features, which allows you to personalize the content CTAs on your site depending on the client persona, behavior, and whatever else you know about the contact.
- Responsive: HubSpot drag-and-drop templates are responsive by default. Their drag-and-drop Manager tool is easy to use for anyone that doesn’t have prior experience. However, it does not leave room for customization.
Cons
- Limited Customization: HubSpot CMS is quite different from any other CMS platform. It gives you limited functionality to use custom coding, and there are only a few templates available at this time.
- New in the Market: HubSpot launched its CMS Hub in the Spring of 2020, so it is relatively new with little documentation, implementation, and knowledge. There are also a limited number of plugins and themes to get you started.
- Cost: The price is high in terms of its limitations. The professional cost is around $400 per month, while the expertise tier is about $1,200 per month.
In conclusion, there are many options when choosing a CMS builder but always keep your company’s needs and goals in mind. Overall, when deciding on a CMS for your business, cost, time, maintenance, and design capabilities play a significant role. I hope this article helped you understand different options in the marketplace and equipped you with the knowledge you need.
We are in the business of helping companies grow in the digital age. So, if you are looking to redesign your website, we would be happy to have a conversation with you.
Stay tuned to our last website building guide: I want to sell products online. How and where do I start?
