Which platform do I use to build a website

That’s a great question. It’s even better if a client asks me before they decide which one to go with. The reason? There are so many and many of them are wonderful, they just might not fit your budget and needs, either now or in the future.

One site or system doesn’t fit all. When a client asks me that question, I have a long list of questions in return, and those help inform my recommendation. I am very aware of the capabilities and limitations of each system at this point, and it is still not an easy choice.

Building a website though, is a key foundational piece in your marketing. It is something that you need to own and maintain control over. I always recommend that whichever system you do decide to go with, that you at least buy your own domain in you or your company’s name, even if it means opening your own account on a service like GoDaddy, at least you can login and change things should you decide to move website services later on.

Admittedly I do love WordPress, and with reasonable hosting plans through trusted sites like Hostgator and Bluehost, it can be an affordable option to setup and host your own website. However, when you host your own website you do need to consider other factors and costs, including:

• Website development costs (if you are not doing it yourself)
• 3rd party costs (payment processors, newsletter services, premium plugins, support subscriptions)
• Hosting costs
• Domain purchase and setup
• Is your site secure?
• What happens if the website / hosting service goes down?
• What happens if the website gets hacked?

Will you have enough know-how to manage, or do you need to hire someone? If so, what is your budget? It is all a consideration.

And yes there are many very legitimate sites like Squarespace, GoDaddy, Shopify and even now Mailchimp offer website builders that make it even simpler and will even host your website, plus provide you with support to help you through. Here’s the kicker… even though these things are supposed to be easy, I have many many many clients that pay me to navigate these platforms for them. So is it worth it to go with an ‘easy’ website builder? Again, it really depends on your goals, your growth and how comfortable you are with what you will be able to do. Often clients get part way through and realize that they can’t do it on their own and reach out to me. Sure, I can fix it or maintain it, but it’s so much better to be in with them when they begin it.

So if you are thinking about developing a new website or business, feel free to reach out and I’ll give you a few recommendations based on what you need to do to get started and ensure you have a growth plan for your website too.