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Last Updated on March 24, 2022
Are you wondering what platform is best to use for your blog? You’ve come to the right place. Here I break down all of the pro’s and con’s of three of the top website buidling platforms: Wix, WordPress, and Squarespace. I include the costs associated with each platform, as well as which one I recommend!
This post is sponsored by Bluehost. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make it possible for us to provide free content and blogging business inspiration.
Hands down, the most common question I get asked about starting your blog (or any website) is: “What platform do I use? Do I really have to use WordPress? It seems so complicated!”
The most important thing to ask yourself and keep in mind before reading on is: what is the primary purpose of your website? If you are an artist who simply wants to showcase their portfolio, that’s incredibly different than if you are a high-traffic blogger, or if you have a business that requires a more robust website that serves as a strong foundation for your online business success.
But perhaps the most important question you need to ask yourself is: do you want to be searchable or findable on Google? Do you want people to be able to type in something related to your business or blog and have your website show up on the first page? If so, there’s a clear winner in terms of Wix Vs. Squarespace Vs. WordPress. But before we get to know the best website builder for small businesses (and even for larger corporations)…
In this post, I’m going to give an overview of the three most popular platforms–Wix, Squarespace, and WordPress–along with their pros, their cons, things to keep in mind, and then make my recommendation based on what I’ve seen to be best after 7 years in online marketing.
So without further ado, let’s get into it!
Wix is the easiest website builder for beginners with drag-and-drop functionality; however, there are some major cons that need to be considered depending on your website goals.
The bottom line: Wix is good for total tech beginners who don’t mind having a simple website and do NOT, I repeat do NOT:
Wix has a free plan to start, but you’re likely going to need to upgrade to one of the seven premium plans, ranging from $14 to $49 per month.
Squarespace is known for having stylish websites, but definitely leaves a lot to be desired. Here’s an honest Squarespace review…
The bottom line: Squarespace is good for design lovers who want a beautiful, sleek, creative aesthetic and don’t mind a little learning curve. But like Wix, Squarespace is NOT for you if you:
You can trial Squarespace at no cost for 14 days, then pick from one of four premium plans ranging from $12 to $40 a month.
WordPress is a free, self-hosted software, which means you have total freedom and unlimited capabilities to do whatever you want to do with your website. Starting a blog? WordPress is the best blogging platform out there, too!
And the winner is… WordPress!
WordPress is the ONLY platform that gives you total control over your website, supports your longterm growth, and is most likely to give you results when it comes to SEO rankings (truly the holy grail of online business). WordPress is the only platform I can fully endorse.
While you may be tempted to go with what feels easier up front (Wix or Squarespace), those benefits come at a cost. According to ahrefs:
In my Six-Figure Blog Academy and 21 Days to Impact courses, I encourage (okay, pretty much require) that all my students use WordPress. To be honest, there’s really no point in starting a blog (that you want to be profitable) unless it’s on WordPress. I beg you–don’t get enticed by those other platforms.
It will be so much harder to migrate everything to WordPress later on if you start with Wix or Squarespace (or Weebly or Shopify or Blogger or any other platform out there these days), so it’s best to roll up your sleeves in the beginning and start embracing WordPress. You’re going to need to understand at least the basics if you’re serious about monetizing a blog, or really growing ANY profitable online business for that matter!
(Please note: I don’t make a single penny for recommending WordPress. There is no affiliate program for WordPress. I am 100% truly recommending it because I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that it is the very best choice for you.)
In summary: in the long run, if you’re blogging as a business, you will regret going with such a limiting system as you’ll miss out on organic search traffic, the best support and functionality, and advanced tools and features.
If you’re following my advice and going with WordPress, you’re going to need to buy hosting for your domain name.
Hosting is like renting space online to display your website. There are dozens of hosting services out there, but the best, cheapest and easiest option for beginning bloggers is Bluehost (plus, they give you your domain name for free if you decide to host with them!).
Bluehost also has a one-click WordPress installation, saving you a step and making this process even easier, whoop!
They’ve got a few different plans, but I recommend just starting with the Basic Plan for just $2.95/month (this is a special deal for Kate Kordsmeier readers; normally it’s $8.99/month). The basic plan will provide everything you need when just starting out, and you can always upgrade to a more robust plan later as needed.
I also recommend choosing the 36-month plan, which will help you save money, too.
Here’s why Bluehost is my recommendation:
Get started here with Bluehost for just $2.95/month!
If you’re ready to learn how to start your blog from scratch the RIGHT way, get started now with my free video series!
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Get free instant access now to How to Start Your Blog from Scratch…The RIGHT Way!
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