Top Reasons for SMEs to Choose Squarespace or Shopify over Wordpress for Building a Website
We have been making websites for Small and Medium sized businesses for 15 years, and in many cases the business owner already has a website set up through Wordpress. Although Wordpress is very powerful and has the highest market share of 62.8% and growing (as of 2024), we are receiving a growing number of clients looking to migrate to have better control and to be less reliant on developers and their fees. For larger companies with IT support Wordpress (WP) makes more sense, as long as a developer is on hand to ensure updates and security. In fact, we are huge fans of Wordpress and work with many WP sites. However, we also have seen first hand the issues when smaller businesses engage companies who only build on Wordpress, and they are left without knowing how to carry out updates and security checks or how to engage a developer to make changes. The lack of website updates and ‘know how’s’ often leads to broken, unoptimised websites.
In this article we explain why people choose to migrate away from Wordpress and the top reasons why we encourage small and medium sized, service or product based businesses to choose Squarespace or Shopify.
People migrate away from using WordPress for various reasons, such as:
Limited design flexibility compared to other platforms.
Security vulnerabilities leading to potential hacks.
Regular updates and maintenance can be time-consuming.
Plugins and themes may not always be compatible with each other.
Difficulty in scaling websites for high traffic volumes.
Desire for a more user-friendly interface for content management.
Seeking better customer support and assistance from alternative platforms.
Looking for more specialised features not readily available on WordPress.
Concerns over data privacy and ownership on the platform.
Preference for a platform with more advanced SEO capabilities.
Overall, individuals and businesses choose to migrate away from WordPress in search of solutions that better align with their specific needs, offering improved functionality, security, and ease of use. Tellus Media specialise in migrating small and medium sized businesses away from Wordpress to offer a more manageable system using Shopify or SquareSpace as prefered website platforms.
So why choose Squarespace?
User-Friendly Interface: Squarespace offers a more intuitive and user-friendly interface compared to WordPress, making it easier for beginners to customise their websites without the need for coding knowledge.
All-in-One Platform: Squarespace provides everything you need to manage your website in one place, including hosting, design templates, e-commerce tools, analytics, and customer support, eliminating the hassle of dealing with multiple third-party providers.
Beautiful Templates: Squarespace is known for its stunning and modern design templates that are fully responsive and mobile-friendly, giving you a visually appealing website that stands out from the crowd.
Reliable Hosting: Squarespace offers reliable cloud hosting with unlimited bandwidth and storage, ensuring fast loading speeds and high performance for your website visitors.
24/7 Customer Support: Squarespace provides 24/7 customer support via email and live chat, so you can get help whenever you need it, ensuring a smooth website building experience.
Integrated E-Commerce: Squarespace offers a seamless e-commerce platform with built-in features for selling products, managing inventory, processing payments, and calculating shipping costs, making it easy to set up and run an online store.
Regular Updates and Security: Squarespace takes care of software updates and security measures, keeping your website protected from cyber threats and ensuring that you have access to the latest features and enhancements.
Scalability: Whether you're a small business just starting out or a growing enterprise, Squarespace offers scalable solutions to meet your needs, allowing you to easily expand your website as your business grows.
In conclusion, Squarespace is a preferred choice over WordPress for those looking for a user-friendly, all-in-one platform with beautiful design templates, reliable hosting, excellent customer support, integrated e-commerce capabilities, regular updates and security, and scalability for future growth.
When deciding between Shopify and WordPress’s (WooCommerce), there are a few key reasons why Shopify may be the preferable choice for your e-commerce needs:
Ease of Use: Shopify is known for its user-friendly interface, making it easy for even beginners to set up and manage an online store without much technical knowledge.
Hosting and Security: Shopify is a fully hosted solution, meaning you don't have to worry about finding separate hosting or dealing with security updates. This can save time and provide peace of mind.
App Ecosystem: Shopify offers a wide range of apps and integrations to enhance your store's functionality, from marketing tools to inventory management, helping you customise your store to fit your specific needs.
Customer Support: Shopify provides 24/7 customer support via chat, email, or phone, ensuring that help is available whenever you need it.
Scalability: Shopify is built to scale with your business as it grows. Whether you're just starting out or experiencing high sales volumes, Shopify can accommodate your needs.
Overall, while both platforms have their strengths, Shopify's ease of use, dedicated support, and robust features make it a compelling choice for many e-commerce businesses.
When comparing the costs of WordPress, Squarespace & Shopify for building a website, it's essential to consider various factors to make an informed decision.
WordPress costs:
Wordpress website build and design: Freelancers typically charge anywhere from £250 to £10,000 for their services. Small agencies, with teams ranging from 3 to 5 staff members, tend to charge between £2,000 and £15,000. On the other hand, larger agencies, consisting of 5 to 10 staff members, often quote prices ranging from £5,000 to £25,000. It all depends on the companies requirements.
Hosting: You can choose from a range of hosting providers, including shared, VPS, or managed WordPress hosting. Costs can vary from £4 to £25+ per month.
Domain Name: Typically costs around £10-£20 per year.
Themes: Free themes are available, while premium themes can range from £20 to £100+ as one-off fees.
Plugins: Many free plugins are available, but premium plugins can cost around £20 to £200+ as one-off or annual fees.
Developer fees: If you are not tech-savvy, you will have to pay from £40- £150+ per hour
Squarespace costs:
Squarespace website design and set up: Freelancers and agencies typically charge between £500 to £5,000 for building a website on Squarespace. Costs vary depending on the complexity of the website, customisation needed, number of pages, e-commerce functionality, and additional services required such as SEO or content creation. It's important to discuss your specific requirements with the freelancer or agency to get an accurate quote tailored to your needs.
Subscription Plans: Costs range from £10 to £30+ per month, including hosting.
Domain Name: Free for the first year if you subscribe annually.
Templates: All included in the subscription price, with no additional fees.
Plugins: Limited compared to WordPress but included in the subscription cost.
Shopify Costs:
Shopify store website design and set up: The costs for Shopify design and set-up by freelancers and agencies can vary depending on factors such as the complexity of the design, the number of products, custom features required, and the level of support needed.
Freelancers:
Basic Package: Freelancers may offer a basic Shopify design and set-up package starting from around £500 to £2000.
Standard Package: For more intricate designs and additional features, freelancers may charge between £2000 to £5000.
Premium/Custom Package: Complex designs with custom functionalities can range from £5000 upwards, depending on the project scope.
Agencies:
Basic Package: Agency prices for Shopify design and set-up typically start at £2000 and can go up to £8000.
Standard Package: More comprehensive design and set-up services might fall within the range of £8000 to £15000.
Premium/Custom Package: Tailored packages with advanced features could cost £15000 or more, depending on the specific requirements.
Further costs include:
Basic Shopify: £29 per month
App Purchases (like plugins): Free up to £100’s
Templates: Lots of free templates with option of premium themes from £20 to £100+ as one-off fees.
Remember, these are rough estimates, and it's advisable to obtain quotes from multiple freelancers or agencies to find the best fit for your budget and project needs.
Also, all platforms charge transaction fees for each sale processed through the platform. These fees vary depending on the plan you choose.
In summary, WordPress can provide more flexibility in terms of costs depending on your hosting choices, themes, and plugins, while Squarespace and Shopify offers a more streamlined approach with their all-inclusive subscription plans. Depending on your needs and technical skills, you can weigh the costs and benefits to choose the platform that best suits your requirements.
Looking to migrate or set up a new website through either Squarespace or Shopify? Get in touch for a quote.