If you are a small business owner and you are looking to create a website, you are probably wondering which platform is the best fit for you.
My two preferred platforms designing sites for my clients are WordPress using Elementor Pro and Squarespace. And I recommend both to small businesses that are going the DIY route – depending on their objectives, experience and budget.
There are pros and cons to both, and you need to weigh them up in terms of:
- what do you need your website to achieve?
- how much flexibility do you want in terms of design creativity.
- what functionality do you require (now and in the future)?
- are you are designing it yourself or outsourcing?
- your budget now and in the future.
- do you want to make updates yourself moving forwards
Ease of Use
The reason that these are both great options is that Squarespace and Elementor both offer drag-and-drop interfaces to create websites without any coding experience.
In most circles, Squarespace is considered easier to use as it provides ready-made templates with simple customisation options that make it straightforward to build a website.
Elementor is more advanced and provides more flexibility to design a website. It has a steeper learning curve but offers much more freedom for customisation.
Personally, I think that if you are willing to learn the platform, designing a site becomes far easier with Elementor given the level of customisation options that are available.
But if you are willing to stick to the template and more rigid design options, then Squarespace is certainly easier.
Pro tip: whichever platform you choose, both are going to have a steep learning curve. I highly recommend you plan some time in both playing and experimenting before making any commitment and way before starting your own site.
Screenshot of Elementor Pro Page Builder
Pro Tip
Whichever platform you choose, both are going to have a steep learning curve. I highly recommend you plan some experimenting time in both platforms. Get free trials and play and experiment before making any commitment and way before starting your own site.
Features
Squarespace provides most of the essential features a small business website would need, such as built-in analytics, e-commerce tools (not in the basic package), and the ability to optimise your site for mobile. Within the templates, there are predesigned blocks that you can add for things like product galleries, service lists, testimonials, your team, portfolio etc. If you are happy with the look of the template, these are easy to add your business details into.
Nevertheless, if your business is looking for more functionality, Elementor Pro offers more than 100 widgets that add additional features, including pop-ups, forms, and countdown timers. For a small business, they have every design feature incorporated that you would need. And the beauty of WordPress is that if Elementor doesn’t have what you need, then there are WordPress plug-ins for pretty much everything you could need.
Screenshot of Squarespace Builder
Flexibility
As mentioned, Squarespace is designed to work within its predetermined templates; thus, customisation opportunities are limited. The selling point of Squarespace is that if you stick to the exact look of their templates, then you can’t go wrong. But what I find is that when a business owner goes in and adds their own content, it never quite looks as good as the original template based on a fictitious business case. So you will need a bit of design flair and time to make it work exactly for your business.
Meanwhile, Elementor allows small business owners to gain maximum control over their website’s design and modify any element they want within the page builder. It provides more flexibility to alter the layout and design, resulting in highly custom websites. But if you aren’t confident with design, then this complete flexibility can become overwhelming. If you choose Elementor, then I recommend purchasing a template to use that resembles the look and feel of your brand and the site you desire. You can stick to the template, but if you need to make changes that suit your business, it is possible with Elementor.
Price
Squarespace and Elementor each have a different pricing structure.
With Squarespace, pricing plans start at $12 per month for website builder plans and $26 per month for e-commerce websites. And then up to $52 per month for additional functionality.
Elementor has a free version and a premium version that is around $180 AUD per year, providing additional features like integrations, form builders, and theme builder.
Keep in mind that with Elementor, you will also require a website host. Elementor offers one, but I would recommend going with a reliable host such as Siteground or VentraIP. Siteground currently have a special on for $2.99 per month.
Which option is right for you?
Squarespace and Elementor provide users with different levels of website-building experience. Squarespace dominates features like quality templates, ease of use, and security, which suits small businesses looking to create a straightforward website with minimum effort. On the other hand, Elementor’s unlimited customisation capabilities and wide range of widgets cater to SMEs who seek greater flexibility and control over their website design. Regardless of the platform you choose, crafting a website entirely depends on your business’s specific goals and unique features.
Next steps
I highly recommend watching some YouTube videos on both platforms, as well as having a free trial of both and having a play to see which feels more intuitive to you.
If you are still confused, book a chat with me and I’d be more than happy to look at your individual businesses needs and make a recommendation.
I hope you found my blog post on the DIY vs Designer debate helpful! If you’re still on the fence about which option is right for you, I encourage you to check out my free lead magnet, “DIY or Designer: Should I design my website myself or hire a designer?” It’s packed with even more information to help you make an informed decision.
Don’t forget to reach out to me if you have any questions or if you’re interested in learning more about my DIY website course or professional website design services.
Trying to decide whether to DIY or hire a Designer for your website?
Check out my free no bias guide, “DIY or Designer: Should I design my website myself or hire a designer?” It’s packed with advice to help you make an informed decision.
Don’t forget to reach out to me if you have any questions or if you’re interested in learning more about my DIY website course or professional website design services.
