What is a website platform?
A website platform is essentially the underlying software, tools, and infrastructure that you use to build, manage, and host your website.
Think of it as the foundation and the set of tools you need to construct and operate your online presence.
These platforms provide various features to streamline the website development process, making it accessible to individuals with different levels of technical expertise.
They can range from user-friendly drag-and-drop builders for beginners to more complex content management systems (CMS) that offer greater flexibility and control for developers and larger websites.
In short, a website platform is what empowers you to create and run your website without needing to code everything from scratch.
Key Questions to Ask Yourself Before Choosing a website platform
Before diving into specific platforms, take a moment to reflect on your needs and goals. Ask yourself these crucial questions:
1. What is the primary purpose of your website?
Is the website for a personal blog, an online store, a business website, or career portfolio? Deciding on this will determine the website platform that meets your specific need.
2. What is your technical skill level?
Are you a coding whiz or a complete beginner? Are you familiar with and skilled in the technical side of the website? Or you will need some drag and drop feature and functionality to get by?
3. What is your budget?
Often times, only the upfront fees are asked about but you have to consider both the initial setup costs and ongoing fees in your overall budget to avoid getting stuck in the short or long term.
4. What features do you absolutely need now?
Would you be needing just one simple landing and converting page or several pages? Will you be needing contact forms? Or an image gallery? Your needs will determine the website platform to choose.
5. What features might you need in the future?
Based on the primary purpose of needing to create a website, you may likely need more features in the nearest future or in the long run to scale your business. For instance, e-commerce capabilities, membership areas, advanced analytics and so on.
6. How important is customization and control?
Do you want granular control over every aspect of your site? That is, the ability to manage access to data, features, or permissions at a highly detailed level, allowing for precise customization of access permissions for individual users or groups. Or a broad general access that enables you to define specific permissions for each user, feature, or data point?
7. How much time do you have to dedicate to building and maintaining your website?
Do you have the luxury of time to dedicate to creating your website from the very foundation and consistently maintaining it each step of the way? This is where we come in to help you save precious time you need to focus on your business in order to deliver great products and valuable services. Get in touch with us now!
Popular Website Platforms
A. Website Builders (Drag-and-Drop Simplicity)
Examples: Wix, Squarespace, Weebly.
Best For: Beginners, small businesses, portfolios, simple online stores.
Pros: Extremely user-friendly, no coding required, all-in-one platform (hosting included), visually intuitive.
Cons: Limited customization compared to other options, can be less flexible for complex needs, may have platform-specific limitations.
B. Content Management Systems (CMS) – Powerful and Flexible
Examples: WordPress.org (self-hosted), Shopify (e-commerce focused)
Best For: Blogs, businesses of all sizes, e-commerce stores, websites requiring more customization and scalability.
Pros: Highly flexible and customizable through themes and plugins, large community support, excellent for SEO, scalable for growth.
Cons: Steeper learning curve than website builders (especially self-hosted WordPress), requires managing hosting and security (for self-hosted), can become complex with many plugins.
C. Headless CMS (For Developers and Highly Custom Experiences)
Examples: Contentful, Strapi, Sanity
Best For: Developers, complex web applications, omnichannel experiences, websites requiring highly customized front-ends.
Pros: Maximum flexibility and control over the front-end, allows for building unique user experiences, integrates well with various technologies.
Cons: Requires significant technical expertise and coding knowledge, not suitable for beginners.
D. E-commerce Platforms (Built for Selling)
Examples: Shopify, Etsy, WooCommerce (WordPress plugin), BigCommerce
Best For: Online stores of all sizes, from small shops to large enterprises.
Pros: Built-in e-commerce features (product listings, shopping carts, payment gateways), often include marketing and analytics tools.
Cons: Can have transaction fees, may be more expensive than basic website builders, focus primarily on selling products.
Making Your Final Decision
Choosing the right platform is a crucial first step in your website journey. Carefully consider your answers to the questions above and weigh the pros and cons of each platform type.
Here’s a simplified guide:
- For absolute beginners with simple needs: Start with a user-friendly website builder.
- For bloggers and businesses wanting flexibility and control: Explore self-hosted WordPress.
- For dedicated online stores: Choose a dedicated e-commerce platform like Shopify or WooCommerce.
- For developers and highly custom projects: Consider a headless CMS.
Don’t be afraid to start small and scale up later if needed. Many platforms offer migration options, although it’s always best to choose a platform that can accommodate your future growth from the outset.
Read more: The Best Practices to Master Web Development
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