If you are getting a website built, or building one yourself, three names come up again and again: WordPress, Wix and Squarespace. Here is an honest comparison for a Kent small business, without the hype, so you can pick the right one.
At a glance
| WordPress | Wix | Squarespace | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost model | You own it, pay for hosting | Monthly subscription | Monthly subscription |
| Ease for you | Editable, needs setting up well | Very beginner-friendly | The easiest to start |
| Speed | Fast when built properly | Can get slow and cluttered | Generally decent |
| Getting found on Google | Strongest, full control | Okay, more limited | Okay, more limited |
| Ownership and lock-in | You own it, move any time | Locked to Wix | Locked to Squarespace |
| Best for | A site you own and grow | Tinkering on a budget | A simple, design-led site |
Squarespace
Squarespace makes good-looking sites and is the easiest to start with. The trade-off is that you are renting: you pay monthly, you are limited to what it allows, and moving away later is awkward. Good for a simple, design-led site if you never need much more.
Wix
Wix is flexible and beginner-friendly, with a lot of features bolted on. It can get cluttered and slower than the others, and again you are locked into their platform and monthly fees. Fine for a basic site, less ideal if speed and search matter a lot to you.
WordPress
WordPress runs a huge share of the web because it is flexible, fast when built well, strong for SEO, and, crucially, you own it. You are not locked into one company, you can move hosts, and it grows with you. The catch is that it needs to be set up and looked after properly, which is where a good web company earns its keep.
What about being found on Google?
Whichever platform you choose, being found locally comes down to your Google Business Profile, your reviews and your on-page local SEO far more than the platform badge. WordPress simply gives you the most room to do that well, with full control over the technical details Google cares about. If getting found in Kent is the goal, that control is worth weighing.
So which should you choose?
- Want the simplest possible design-led site and do not mind renting it: Squarespace.
- Want to tinker yourself on a tight budget: Wix.
- Want a fast, search-friendly site you own and can grow: WordPress.
For most local businesses that want to be found on Google and not be tied to one platform, WordPress is the one we recommend and build with most. But we will always tell you honestly if a simpler option suits you better, we would rather you had the right site than the one that happens to suit us.
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