In every business building a website that works for your goals and is true to your brand is paramount! So how do you go about choosing a platform to host that website these days when there are so many to choose from ?
Well ... I have done the diffing for you ! so here are the 5 things I think are most important when looking at the platforms and how they will work for your business.
1. What type of business do you have and what is your budget? Wordpress is always a great choice provided you have enough budget and staff to run it for you regularly , But , like most of us who are smaller scale and do a lot of the work for yourself it would not be the smartest choice!
2. What types of things do you need the website to do ? Are you selling physical products? Booking appointments? If you are just showing off a portfolio of images you could do with a square space website very well , the designs are beautiful and easy to manage. But if you are looking to be able to market products through email marketing using lead generation magnets and other must have marketing tools I suggest Wix.
3. Ensure you have a proper Marketing plan in place with a branding kit and content strategy to ensure you have an actionable strategy so that you know exactly what tools will be most important on your site. Blogs can be monetized and used for content across all platforms. But you need to know that Blogging is work and to create good blogs you need to be somewhat gifted with writing! So be aware of what your goals are and plan accordingly.
4. Budget! Budget! Budget! if you are someone who is working with a limited budget this is where it really comes in to the decision making process ! Many website platforms have only so many plug ins which means you are paying extra for the additional things needed on the site. So while you may save money on the front end it might be more expensive in the end with more monthly payments to keep up with your email marketing, SEO, etc...
5. Finally do your research !! Don't be quick to sign up to any one platform, do your competitor analysis and see what they are using and watch YouTube videos etc! There is a whole world of knowledge out there so be sure to use it ! And do not cheap out when it is necessary, If you don't think you will be able to design a website that is brand appropriate as well as functional HIRE SOMEONE who can!
So there you have it ! My Two cents! Do what you will with this information :)
I Hope if you read this you find this information useful ! Good Luck and Happy Dream Chasing!
J.
