Best Website Platforms for Small Businesses [2022] with Hilary Quinn

Choosing a website platform for your online empire can feel like a daunting task, especially if you are just starting out. I’m here to tell you although, yes, this is an important decision, it doesn’t have to be something you agonize over and it definitely shouldn’t stop you from starting to grow your business.

In this week’s podcast episode, I have an amazing chat with my friend Hilary Quinn of Proximos Web and we talk all about the different options currently available and what to consider, including:

• Cost

• Usability 

• Scalability

• Support + Security 
  

We want you to walk away from this episode feeling empowered and excited to launch your online website.

Listen to this podcast episode below:

Watch this episode here:

Notes from this episode:

Here are some of the pros/cons we discuss during the episode, although there is much more detailed information.

Wordpress

Pros

• Ownership of content 

• Library of free plugins 

• Control over site structure/URL structure

• Themes (+ drag and drop) to easily update content 

• SEO tool to take ownership of   

Cons

• Ongoing web developer support (installing updates, security, etc)

• Vulnerability + Security

• Plugin Security 

• Site speed (plugin conflicts + order of loading) 

• Some design sense required (even if using templates) 

Squarespace 

Pros

• Self reliant / no web developer

• Pre-made designed

• Fast up and running time 

• Hosting included + purchase domain directly from the interface 

• Security team 

• Comes with additional functionalities like email, membership platform, domain purchasing

• SEO values available to add 

Cons

• Don’t own your content space ??

• URL structure is set 

• Some SEO functions are limited 

Wix

Pros

• Self reliant / no web developer

• Pre-made designed

• Fast up and running time 

Cons

• Don’t own your content space

• Some SEO functions are limited 

Textpattern

Pros

• Ownership of content 

• Control over site structure/URL structure

 Cons

• Technical knowledge/support required 

• Ongoing web developer support 

What to consider when choosing a platform

• Industry + business 

• Long term goal + functionality

• Scalability

• Budget

• Team 

• Availability around team (will you be able to interact with the Web Developer/Web Designer?) 

• Phases

Switching website platforms is always an option at the end of the day. Here is the podcast episode that talks about specific things to consider when it comes to migrating from one platform to another: https://digitalbloomiq.com/podcastepisodes/seo-migration-tips

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Hilary’s Bio:

Helping small/medium sized businesses to grow is my passion. I discovered many years ago that business websites had untapped reach, and unlimited potential when it came to non-paid search engine traffic if they had a website with search engine optimisation (SEO).

I founded Proximo Web Design in 2007 to provide business owners with search engine optimised, accessible websites that would grow their businesses. I have been trusted by some of the most respected brands in Ireland, and together we have increased traffic to their websites, in some cases by over 1000%. 

I perform SEO workshops for various networking and business communities locally, including the ‘Bite the Biscuit’ creative community of over 9,000 members, with incredibly positive feedback from attendees.

Most recently I have created my own community around Web Design & SEO via the Clubhouse audio app and a podcast. With 1.3k followers as of 2021, my hope is to grow this community with the aim of informing, educating and improving web standards as they apply to websites, SEO and user experience (UX).

Connect with me!
Website: https://www.proximowebdesign.ie

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hilaryquinn/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/proximowebs

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/proximowebdesign/

Podcast: https://anchor.fm/webdesignseo

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What website platform are you currently loving and why? Please make sure to share with me by tagging @digitalbloomiq on your favourite podcast episode.