It’s 2018 and now more than ever it has become easy and possible to make money online. If you want to make $1000 on the side, if you want passive income or build your empire, now is the time to cash in on your skills, knowledge, or passion. You probably agree with this statement on some level, which is why you are reading this post. You are on your way, and probably there’s a to-do list somewhere staring at you. We have written plenty of articles on our blog on how to choose the right domain name for your business here’s just one and another one. So I thought it was about time to move the needle a little bit and help you decide on your next step. I am going to write about Squarespace and WordPress and help you make a decision between Squarespace or WordPress.
Who is behind the software?
I like to look at things long-term. Why is that important when building a website? Well, if down the road this company stops supporting your website or shuts down, what are you going to do. Obviously, that’s probably not the case here, because both Automattic / WordPress Foundation and Squarespace are reputable companies. With Squarespace, it is more simple than with WordPress. Squarespace launched in January 2004 as a private company based out of New York. You pay Squarespace, and you can use their software to build your website, while they also host your website and register the domain name. WordPress, on the other hand, is an open source software created by the WordPress foundation. You have to install it yourself on a web hosting that you purchase with a web hosting company.
I’ve also mentioned Automattic (founded in August 2005) because this is the software company that’s credited with creating the WordPress software and are one of largest contributors to upgrading the software. Both Squarespace or WordPress as of January 2018 contract between 600 and 700 employees, so suffice it to say, you are in good hands.
Should I use Squarespace or WordPress?
Squarespace or WordPress
Believe it or not, the keyword here isn’t Squarespace or WordPress. The keyword is “I”! Meaning, you should focus on what is best for precisely you, and the stage you are currently in. It doesn’t really matter if one solution is better or if the team behind it is better. Both Squarespace and WordPress are great software and great companies, so it really boils down to you. Do you like more work and options (WordPress) or do you like less work with plenty of options (Squarespace)? Are you someone with design and coding experience? Do you plan to focus on selling your products (Squarespace), or building a website for your products (WordPress)? Do you need help that’s always there (Squarespace) or do you think you can manage by yourself (WordPress)?
These are just some of the questions that can help to guide you in the right direction for you. So although I personally use WordPress, it doesn’t necessarily mean I would recommend it to you.
Is Squarespace good?
Is Squarespace good?
Again, you should be asking, is Squarespace good for me? Squarespace isn’t good, Squarespace is great! They have Keanu Reeves (yes, Neo, the one himself and Johnny Mnemonic) making websites! So, is it the right solution for you and what it can actually do? After testing it myself, I can tell you, Squarespace can do a lot. I don’t know when was the last time you gave it a shot, but this is not your average website builder. The drag-and-drop is exceptional, themes are breathtaking, and as for the plugins, well just check out SquareStudio.
There is a bit of a learning curve, so if you have never used it, it’s going to take you a little bit to get the hang of it. Besides, Squarespace has your back (Tutorials). Anyway, it is still much easier to grasp than WordPress.
What about WordPress?
WordPress is also very good but you sort of have to juggle more balls. If you have no idea what is web hosting or the challenges that come with it, how to point a domain name, how to operate an FTP software, and do I even need to continue? Perhaps WordPress isn’t the best solution when you really want to be focusing on selling your digital or physical products. I know some of you out there are into dropshiping, and would like to work as little as possible and focus on the core business. Well, try to stay calm when you are stuck with a WordPress theme installation. Sure, you can pay $50 someone else to do this. But then again, you would probably have to pay someone to install your SSL certificate as well. Because you should have one, here’s why.
Even if you decide to install everything yourself, with WordPress, you still have to pay for web hosting, domain name, theme, SSL certificate. Often times this will happen with multiple different providers. And this will be your final cost if all the plugins you use are free. You should really put all your cost on paper if you decide to make a decision strictly on cost.
What is great about WordPress? With marketplaces like Themeforest there are more WordPress themes probably than anything else out there. There’s a good chance that no matter what you plan, there’s a theme that looks pretty much exactly what you envisioned. And there are a lot of developers and designers in the world that have specialized in WordPress, so no matter what your plan is, there’s a good chance there’s someone that can build it.
Squarespace or WordPress
Maybe in the future, we will write more posts like “Squarespace or WordPress”, but I totally understand if you need more info today. It is important that you keep advancing in your journey and make a decision. So if you are interested in other options as well, you can check this comprehensive post on Weebly vs WordPress. Weebly is more similar to Squarespace than it is to WordPress and it will give you a good idea on how you want to proceed.
