When it comes to website development, the Content Management System you choose can make all the difference in the quality of the end product. That’s why you need to do some research and find out which one will work best for you. Two of the most popular content management systems you can choose from are WordPress and Squarespace. These two have their strengths depending on different factors. The most important one being a website’s complexity. This article may be a big help when comparing Squarespace and WordPress, especially for people who have no web development background. Here are a few points of comparison between the two.
Are you building a website yourself or using a professional?
This is one of the key factors to put into consideration when choosing a CMS. If you are building the website by yourself, then Squarespace is comparatively better than WordPress. That’s because, Squarespace allows you to choose templates much more easily than WordPress. The process of adding images and content is much easier too, which is a plus for newbies looking to build a website. However, if you are planning to engage the services of a professional, WordPress would be a better choice. It may be a little more complex, but it has other functionalities that help in building more complex websites. For instance, WordPress gives a lot more leeway for website customization.
Consider backend development complexities
If you are building a simple website that doesn’t require lots of backend work, then Squarespace works just fine. However, for websites that require some complex backend work such as plugins installations, then WordPress is the best. While you can install plugins on a Squarespace website, it is limiting because it is a proprietary CMS. On the other hand, WordPress is Open source. This means developers have the leeway to customize plugins to meet the needs of your website. On top of that, the fact that its open source means that developers have access to a wider community for more complex website customization tools. This also makes WordPress websites more scalable, and hence, better suited for large web applications.
Consider the purpose of the website
There are many reasons as to why you may be building a website. You could be building it to pass information to your clients, or for more complex functionalities such as e-commerce. For a simple informational website, Squarespace may be the best. It is easy to set up and even a newbie can take a website live in a few minutes. However, for more complex websites such as e-commerce platforms, WordPress may work much better. While both CMS’s can be used for creating e-commerce sites, WordPress is better because it is open source. For context on how big of a deal this is, WordPress has WooCommerce plugin connectivity. This is one of the most popular ecommerce plugins for businesses of all sizes.
Based on this information, you should be in a position to choose a CMS that is best for your business. There are many other factors to consider such as security and development costs. However, the above pointers are a good baseline for making a good choice.