WordPress Alternatives! Use These 3 Easy Website Builders Instead in 2024
If you’re looking to create a website in 2024, you’ve probably heard that WordPress is the way to go. After all, WordPress powers over 40% of all websites on the internet. However, while it is popular, WordPress comes with a pretty steep learning curve that can make website building confusing and time-consuming for beginners.
Luckily, there are several user-friendly website builders available today that make creating a professional website easy – no technical skills are required! In this post, we’ll compare the pros and cons of three top WordPress alternatives: Squarespace, Shopify, and Webflow.
Why You May Want to Avoid WordPress in 2024
Don’t get us wrong – WordPress is an extremely powerful content management system (CMS) that can be used to create almost any type of website. However, it does have some significant downsides, especially for beginners looking to create their first website:
- Steep learning curve – WordPress is open-source software with thousands of plugins. Finding the right combination of plugins and learning how to use them takes time.
- Security risks – Plugins and outdated software can expose WordPress sites to hacking and malware. Maintaining security requires vigilance.
- Ongoing maintenance – WordPress sites need regular updates, backups, and optimizations to stay fast and running smoothly. This can get tedious over time.
- No built-in e-commerce – Selling products on WordPress requires installing and configuring additional plugins like WooCommerce.
For many first-time website owners, WordPress ends up being overly complex. A simpler website builder makes more sense in 2024.
Website Builder #1: Squarespace
Squarespace is an all-in-one content management system that makes it easy to create a beautiful, professional website without needing to code. Here are some of the main benefits of using Squarespace:
- Intuitive drag-and-drop editor – Easily build pages using Squarespace’s intuitive editor and a large collection of templates. No coding is required.
- Optimized for Mobile – Sites made with Squarespace look great on all device sizes. Mobility is crucial for SEO in 2024.
- Built-in e-commerce – Sell products, book services, and accept online payments without installing third-party plugins.
- Scheduling and mailing list tools – Useful features like appointment scheduling, email marketing, and donor management come built-in.
- 24/7 customer support – Squarespace offers exceptional customer service when you need help or have questions.
Overall, Squarespace strikes an ideal balance of being easy to use yet powerful. It’s a great choice for personal sites, small business websites, online stores, and more.
Website Builder #2: Shopify
If your main goal is to sell products online, Shopify is arguably the best e-commerce CMS available today. Key advantages include:
- Optimized checkout – Shopify offers a beautifully designed, mobile-friendly checkout process that helps drive sales.
- Robust inventory management – Built-in tools allow you to easily manage product variants, inventory levels, and order fulfillment.
- Strong SEO capabilities – Optimized URLs, built-in site search, and blog integration help pages rank high in search engines.
- Marketing integrations – Connect your store to platforms like Facebook and Instagram for streamlined ad campaigns and selling.
- Scalability – Shopify stores are built to handle huge amounts of traffic and sales volume right out of the box.
Top brands like Kylie Cosmetics and Allbirds use Shopify for their e-commerce superpowers. It’s the top choice for any merchant selling online.
Website Builder #3: Webflow
For designers and developers who want total creative control over their websites, Webflow is the clear choice. Here’s what makes it stand out:
- Visual web design – Create entire website designs visually – including animations – without coding.
- Interactive elements – Animate buttons, menus, images, etc. to create stunning effects as visitors scroll.
- Responsive by default – Sites made in Webflow are natively responsive and adapt seamlessly to mobile.
- Developer flexibility – Webflow sites can be exported to host anywhere. You can also add custom code.
- E-commerce capabilities – Build online stores complete with secure checkouts without plugins or third-party apps.
Webflow gives creatives the freedom to make production-quality sites on their terms. The learning curve is a bit steeper than Squarespace or Shopify, but the possibilities are endless.
The Bottom Line
While WordPress powers a large chunk of all websites, it isn’t necessarily the best choice for every website owner in 2024 – especially if you’re new to web design. Solutions like Squarespace, Shopify, and Webflow make it simple to create a site through drag-and-drop editing and thoughtful templates.
When choosing a website builder, think about your skills, website needs, and goals. Squarespace is the easiest all-round option. Shopify is best for e-commerce stores. Webflow gives the most design flexibility. Any of these options will likely save you time and headache compared to using WordPress!
Did you find this comparison helpful? Let me know in the comments if you have any other questions!
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