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