Choosing the right platform for your business website
Every business needs an online presence. Building a business website could be one of your most important decisions. But after that decision comes another question: Which platform should you choose to build your business site on? This depends on what kind of website you need, your resources, and your expertise.
Define your website’s purpose
Before proceeding, begin by describing your website’s goal. What does your website need to do? Do you need an online store, a simple way to present your company, a blog, or a portfolio? Your main goal should influence the rest of your choices and help you find a platform with the features you need.
If you run an ecommerce site, you’ll need great shopping cart functionality, secure payment options, and features to manage your inventory. If you focus on blogging or need a portfolio site, you’ll probably want good content management options, a flexible design, and ease of use. Once you understand your needs, you can narrow down the list of platforms.
Thinking deeply about the purpose of your website can also help you plan for the future. If you think you’ll expand the site with more products or a wider range of services, choosing a platform that can scale and evolve with your business might be a good idea.
Do you have technical expertise and resources?
One of the most important questions to answer when deciding on a platform for your business website is whether you have technical knowledge. Some of the website builders available right now have an easy-to-use interface that requires little to no coding skills. Some even use AI to help you build a website from scratch by simply describing it. Other platforms and CMSs give you direct influence on the appearance and workings of your website, which needs technical expertise.
If you’re not technical or don’t have a technical team backing you, looking at online platforms with drag-and-drop editors and pre-designed templates might make sense. With these, you can have a professional-looking website without writing code or understanding backend systems. Brands like Wix, Duda, Web.com, and Squarespace are some options that function like this.
However, if you have the technical resources or plan to hire a developer, a content management system like WordPress gives you more flexibility and customization options. WordPress is a popular option — it powers over 40% of websites. It’s known for its extensive plugin ecosystem — with powerful tools such as Yoast SEO — and a vibrant community.
Remember, though, that choosing a CMS that requires more technical input also requires maintenance and occasional troubleshooting, which could increase costs in the future.
There are a couple of things you need to consider when building a website for a business. First, you must understand your skill level. Second, you’ll have to find out if you have resources and support. This helps you decide whether a simple site builder or something more open-ended is the better investment for you.
Types of website platforms
Building a proper website for a business means exploring various options. Experiment and find out which online platform matches your requirements and needs. Just remember that there is not a single “best” platform that works well for all businesses. Every tool has its strengths and weaknesses.
Consider the popular options
There are many tools to help you build company websites, but you do not need to try every one. You can probably make do with the most popular options, as these have proven their worth.
WordPress
WordPress is the most popular CMS and offers an amazing selection of themes and plugins. You can customize it in any way you think, giving you great control over the platform. WordPress is a great option if you want to create a website for a business that can adapt over time. The CMS performs well in the search results and can grow with your content needs. WordPress is great for:
- Best for bloggers and content creators: Ideal for content-rich sites with robust publishing features.
- Best for customization: Offers extensive themes and plugin support to tailor every aspect of your site.
- Best for SEO and flexibility: It is highly adaptable for businesses and developers aiming to optimize and expand their online presence.
- Best for ecommerce: Seamlessly integrate WooCommerce for powerful online store features and e-commerce capabilities.
Read more: 10 reasons why you should use WordPress
Shopify
Shopify is a great all-in-one ecommerce option for companies selling products online. It handles everything from hosting to security and from payments to integration. Shopify makes it easy to build an online store. It has lots of features to help you scale your business. Shopify is good if you want a solid option to get started quickly.
- Best for online retailers: Ecommerce-friendly, easily set up to manage and grow an online store.
- Best for secure transactions: Integrated payment gateways and reliable security features ensure peace of mind.
- Easiest to scale: Intuitive interface helps startups and growing businesses manage stores efficiently.
Read more: Picking an ecommerce platform: WooCommerce or Shopify?
Wix and Squarespace
These platforms are for users who want simplicity. They come with built-in templates and handy editors. Wix and Squarespace are good options for small businesses, creatives, and professionals who want to build a nice-looking portfolio or simple business website. These are the best options for users who want ease of use over extensive flexibility and customization options.
Other options
Of the other platforms, Adobe Commerce (formerly Magento), Drupal, or Webflow may also be worth looking at if you have specific needs. Adobe Commerce is useful if you need a large-scale ecommerce environment. Drupal is great for handling larger sites with complex data needs (although the project recently launched a simplified option called Drupal CMS). Webflow is a middle ground with design flexibility and editing capabilities.
While we list several of the best platform options available, you should base your choice on your needs, requirements, security levels, and desired functionality.
Scalability, customization, and security
Choosing the right platform to build your business site isn’t just about here and now. You should also think about scaling your sites once your business grows.
Scalability
When selecting a platform, consider whether it can handle increased traffic and additional content you might need. Can you expand your capabilities as your business grows? For example, if you plan to add more products or expand your feature set, you need a website solution that scales without much work. Look for features, services, and plans that support growth.
Customization
Your business is unique, and so should your site reflect your unique brand. The platform you pick should give you plenty of options to customize your business site. It shouldn’t just let you pick from a selection of templates but also offer the options to change design elements, add custom code, and integrate tools you need to build your business. Platforms that offer much flexibility allow you to do what you want. This helps your site feel fresh and aligned with your brand.
Security
Security is essential for a business website. As we hear more stories about data breaches and online threats, you should choose a platform that values security. You should consider SSL certificates, server security, software updates, and secure payment options for ecommerce sites. A reliable site builder should have proper security protocols to protect customer data.
Managed hosting services or SaaS platforms like Shopify often handle WordPress security automatically for you, but you should double-check it. If you go the self-hosted route, you should make sure that you have the resources available to manage the security of your business site.
Budget and cost considerations
For many, cost is the most important factor when choosing a website platform for a business. However, it’s important to consider both the short-term and long-term investments. Make sure that your budget evolves as your site does.
Upfront and ongoing fees
Site builder platforms all work with subscriptions, but sometimes, one-time costs are involved for themes, plugins, or other features. For example:
- Subscription fees: Site builders such as Squarespace and Wix charge a monthly fee for hosting the site, accessing features, and support.
- Hosting and domain costs: If you choose a CMS like WordPress or Drupal, you must budget for web hosting, domain registration, and premium themes and plugins. Investing in a more premium hosting plan often leads to better performance. Of course, you can also have a custom theme built by an agency or solo developer, which would also cost money.
- Transaction fees: Online stores need payment systems, and some platforms charge money for handling transactions. These costs can add up if you move a lot of volume.
Value over time
Picking the cheapest option might sound sensible, but you should consider the costs over a longer time. A highly scalable platform with a long list of features and a good support team might cost more initially but could save time and money in the long run. Look at the full package and see which platform offers the best mix of price and functionality.
Testing and trials
Be sure to try out the different options. Many website builders offer free trials or demo versions. Use these to explore the capabilities before you sign up for a specific plan. Testing the interface and features gives you a better understanding of whether this product meets your wishes. This is a good way to avoid making the wrong decision, which could lead to extra costs or limited growth.
Additional considerations and support
After you’ve crossed off the technical and monetary questions from your list, a few questions still need to be answered.
Customer support
Your website is central to your business, so keeping it up and running is essential. For this, you need a platform with good support. Access to good customer service is a huge help if you run into issues or you’re trying to implement new things. Look for platforms with various ways of contacting support (email, phone, chat) and ample documentation available. Platforms with proper support can reduce downtime and help you on your way quickly.
Integrations and marketing tools
Websites are the centerpiece of a business strategy, and they should not live alone. Find out if your preferred platform integrates with business tools like CRM systems, email marketing services, and social media platforms. Many site builders now include built-in SEO tools to rank your site in search engines. And if they don’t, Yoast SEO has plugins for WordPress, WooCommerce, and Shopify. Choose something that matches your existing digital strategy.
Analytics and reporting
What would you do without knowing how your site is performing? Data is essential to make informed decisions. Analytic tools show how visitors behave on the site and which pages perform well. Some platforms come with built-in analytics tools, which help see how your site is doing.
Deciding on the business site platform
To recap, you can choose how to build your business website by answering these questions:
- What is the goal of your website?
- What technical expertise and resources do you have?
- Which site builders have the features and scalability you need?
- Do the cost structure and support options fit into your budget?
- Can the platform integrate with your marketing and analytics tools?
Take the time to answer these questions. Then, read honest reviews of users of the various platforms and try out the demos — very important. It’s all about getting your hands dirty in this process. You need to determine which platform best fits your business while giving enough flexibility to scale when your business grows.
We’re saying it again: there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. You should pick the platform that works today and will still work when your business has grown. It doesn’t matter if you pick an easy-to-use website builder or a highly customizable CMS, as long as it makes sense for you and your business — now and in the future.
Now, choose a platform for your business website
It costs a lot of time and money to build a website for a business. You need to define your goals, evaluate the various platforms, and determine how you want your business to grow. Every decision you make affects how you support your business objectives. When you look at your technical know-how, budget, scalability needs, and support options, you should be able to decide which site builder to choose if you want to succeed.
The most important thing is to sign up for the free trials and demos. Don’t hesitate to contact experts or customer service for tailored advice. You should build a site that is ready for today and prepared for tomorrow. Choosing the right platform for your business helps you set up for success.
