Most small businesses end up choosing between Wix, WordPress, and a custom build. None of them is the right answer for everyone. They sit at different points on the same scale: how easy it is to use versus how much control and headroom you get. Here is the honest version.
Wix
Wix is the easiest way to get online.
- Drag-and-drop, with no technical skill needed.
- Everything in one place: hosting, templates, support.
- Cheap to start.
The trade-offs show up later. You are locked into their system, performance is limited, and it is hard to make a Wix site look like anything other than a Wix site. Great for a simple presence, limiting once you want to stand out or grow.
WordPress
WordPress runs a huge share of the web, and for good reason.
- Hugely flexible, with a plugin for almost anything.
- You own your site and can move it.
- A massive ecosystem of themes and developers.
The catch is maintenance. Plugins need updating, things break, security needs minding, and the flexibility means it is easy to end up with a slow, bloated site if it is not built carefully. Powerful, but it asks for upkeep.
A custom website
A custom build is made for your business rather than assembled from parts.
- A brand-led design that looks like no one else.
- Performance and SEO you control.
- Any feature built properly, nothing bolted on.
- Full ownership of the code.
It costs more up front and needs a developer to build and maintain it. In return you get a faster, more distinctive site with no platform ceiling.
How to choose
- Just need to be online, simple needs, tight budget: Wix.
- Want flexibility and a big ecosystem, with someone to maintain it: WordPress.
- Competing on brand, focused on growth, or you need something specific: a custom build.
A rough rule: the more your website is meant to win you customers rather than just exist, the further toward custom it pays to go.
Where we sit
We build custom, because that is where we add the most value for businesses that want to stand out and grow. We will also tell you honestly when Wix or WordPress would serve you better for now. If you are weighing it up, send us a line about your business and we will give you a straight steer.