In a lot of ways, building a website has never been easier. There are a number of content management systems (CMS), or platforms, available that make the creation and management of a website affordable and practical, even for those with no advanced technical or coding knowledge.
However, that isn’t to say the process is completely free of issues. The first, and in our opinion, one of the most critical issues you face is the decision of what platform to use to build and manage your site. Many turn to WordPress, and there are a number of good reasons for that.
WordPress is a free, open-source website creation platform and is one of the most popular content management systems (CMS) on the market today. In fact, 43% of all websites online today run on WordPress.
WordPress began as a tool that people could use to publish a blog online. In the many years since its creation, WordPress has evolved into a platform on which you can create just about any kind of website you can dream of. Cost, portability, and extensibility are some of the key factors that have made it so popular today. There are additional reasons, however, why you might choose WordPress to build your site:
Because WordPress is open-source, many developers contribute to the community by creating themes and templates on which websites can be based. This is great if you are not super picky about design. Because while the templates are ready to use out-of-the-box, you would need to work with a developer if significant changes to the template is required. For this reason, if your brand requires specific designs, the available templates on WordPress might stifle you.
A selling point of many content management systems is that they provide an intuitive and easy-to-use interface for updating site content. This is definitely true of WordPress, to a point.
WordPress was originally created as a blog platform, and for that reason, it can be great for managing content-driven sites (a la, a blog). However, as WordPress has grown over time, the complexity of the tool has increased to support the management of sites that go beyond simple features like a blog.
If you have broader content requirements and don’t require a WYSIWYG editing experience, WordPress may work for you. However, keep in mind that there will be a bit of a learning curve in getting up to speed with certain features beyond simple page layouts like a blog.
One central selling point for WordPress is that it is an open-source platform. This is great because the product can grow and evolve with the larger WordPress community contributing to its success.
On the flip side, if something goes wrong on your site, because nobody owns WordPress, per se, you cannot simply pick up the phone and call customer service. Many hosting providers make setting up a WordPress site very easy. However, most cannot help you with any technical issues specific to your installation.
Yes, the WordPress community is expansive, which means that there is no shortage of potential resources out there (think freelancers) who may be able to help you in a pinch. The challenge with this is it’s often difficult to find technically capable and reliable resources (among the many available) when you need them.
Another key advantage of the WordPress platform is that it is a “portable” system. You can build a site and host it with one provider, and then pick it up and move it to another hosting provider in the future should you need to do so. In this respect, you can pick and choose where your site is hosted, and you are never permanently bound to a single provider.
Some hosting companies even have tools available that facilitate the migration of a WordPress site from one host to another. Keep in mind, however, that tools like this are not foolproof, and you may need migration assistance from a professional with technical know-how to successfully move the site.
As an open-source platform, anyone can download the WordPress software for free and create a site. Depending on your requirements, you might even be able to find a free template for your site. You can also choose a hosting provider that fits your budget.
But this is also an area to be very cautious. While you CAN get up and running for minimal spend, beware of the longer term total cost of ownership of running a WordPress site. Consider things like security and maintenance updates (for WP core software and any plugins used), developer fees (should anything ever go “wrong” on your site), storage and backup fees, not to mention the cost of the mental stress that all of the above may impress on you.
Our friends over at Impulse Creative wrote a great blog that examines the true cost of running a WordPress site that is worth a read if you are considering using WordPress for your site.
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If you find that the above situations do not apply to you, there are definitely other great options out there for hosting and managing your site. Our preferred platform for building websites that help businesses grow, and are also easy to manage, is HubSpot.
Unlike WordPress - which, as an open-source piece of software, needs to be installed and configured to run on servers (i.e. a hosting provider) of your choosing - HubSpot is a cloud-based content management system. Which means there’s nothing for you to install or really manage.
For a set monthly cost, you get access to the HubSpot content management tools as well as a host of other benefits. Included in this set monthly cost, you also get hosting & security features, regular maintenance and updates to the tool, and access to support.
Further, because HubSpot is - at its core - a marketing platform, you can also leverage those additional marketing features (like email marketing, live chat, etc) that come as part of the HubSpot CRM platform.
When compared to WordPress, there are many benefits of creating your site on the HubSpot CMS Hub platform.
Cost-certainty
HubSpot is SaaS (Software as a Service) based software and has a recurring cost you pay monthly or annually. This payment allows you to access HubSpot's tools and premium security and hosting features, support via chat, maintenance, updates, etc. There are no hidden costs, you get a CMS, coupled with cloud-based hosting, built on top of a CRM system for one price.
Maintenance
As a managed solution, there is nothing you need to do to maintain the underlying CMS tools, or hosting infrastructure. HubSpot takes care of all of that for you. You also have access to the HubSpot support team via chat, email, or phone.
Performance
The HubSpot hosting infrastructure was designed with performance in mind. The HubSpot CMS is built on a global Content Delivery Network (CDN) infrastructure that loads fast no matter what device visitors are using or where they're located.
Security
For every business, the security of their website is a major concern. Again, HubSpot - as a managed solution - handles this for you. Beyond the free SSL certificate included with your subscription, HubSpot also employs 24/7 threat monitoring and a web application firewall to protect your site and your data.
Reliability
A website that is down, or is not performing, can be damaging to a business. For most companies today, that means lost revenue or at least lost opportunity. HubSpot understands this and has a team dedicated to constantly making websites hosted on their platform faster, more secure, and more reliable … resulting in 99.999% uptime.
There are a number of options out there for creating and hosting your website. WordPress is one of the most popular choices available and may just be the right solution for your company. However, before you make that leap, be sure to do your research to ensure that WordPress is, in fact, the right choice for your business
If you need help deciding if WordPress is the right choice for your situation, please reach out, and let’s chat about it. We have experience building and running sites on WordPress and are happy to offer our insight based on that experience.
Before you can figure out where you're going, you need to determine where you're at. Book a call for a free website assessment. We will see how your site stacks up, and show you what to fix.