Choosing a website platform is one of the most consequential technical decisions a small business makes — and one of the hardest to reverse. Here’s an honest comparison.
WordPress
Best for: businesses that want maximum control and plan to grow.
The most flexible option by a wide margin, and it powers a huge share of the web. You can change almost anything, add advanced features, and move hosts without losing your content. Because of that freedom, it also carries more responsibility — updates, security and hosting are on you.
Consider it if: you want to add e-commerce, bookings, membership areas or complex integrations later, or you expect significant growth.
Squarespace
Best for: businesses prioritising design and simplicity over customisation.
Beautiful out-of-the-box templates, no security patching to think about, and very little technical knowledge required. The trade-off is less flexibility: when you need something unusual, you hit a ceiling, and migration later is harder.
Consider it if: your needs are straightforward — a strong brochure site that looks great and is easy to update.
Wix
Best for: owners who want to build and edit the site themselves.
Genuinely capable drag-and-drop editing, and the freedom to make changes without touching a developer. Template quality has improved a lot. The trade-off is performance — it can be heavier and slower than a well-built WordPress or Squarespace site, which matters for SEO and mobile users.
Consider it if: you want to be able to change your own site at any time without a web designer’s help.
Shopify
Best for: businesses whose main job is selling products online.
The best ecommerce platform for most small businesses, with excellent payment options, apps and integrations. It’s overkill if you’re not selling online — the monthly cost is significantly higher and the platform is more complex than you need.
Consider it if: revenue comes primarily from online sales.
How to decide
Ask three questions:
- Who will update this site? If it’s just you, favour simplicity. If someone will write articles regularly, favour flexibility.
- What do you need in two years? If you might need ecommerce or bookings, choose for that now — migrating later is painful and expensive.
- What does speed and security cost you? A cheaper platform that’s slow and needs constant patching will cost you customers.
What actually matters more than the platform
The platform is far less important than people think. What converts visitors into customers is:
- A clear message that says what you do and who you help
- Fast loading, especially on mobile
- A design that looks credible and current
- Obvious ways to contact you
- Content written for your actual customers
All of those are achievable on any platform. Choose the one your team can actually maintain, and spend your energy on the message and the customer experience.
Need a hand with this? If you would rather not administer a platform yourself, our web design service builds and maintains it for you.
Frequently asked questions
Is WordPress still worth it for a small business?
Yes, if you want full control over your content and you are comfortable maintaining it. It costs more to run than hosted builders, but you are never locked into someone else's ecosystem.
Are Squarespace or Wix bad choices?
No. Both are genuinely good products that let a non-technical owner publish quickly. The trade-off is that custom functionality and a deep content structure are harder later on.
Should I choose a platform based on price alone?
No. The cheapest platform is expensive if you rebuild it in two years. Choose based on who will maintain it and what you need the site to do in three years, not the monthly fee.
Do I need a website if I already have a Google Business Profile?
Your profile controls how you appear in local search, but the website is what ranks and what you control. Most of your profile traffic will end up on your own site eventually.