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Should I still use Squarespace?
Should I still use Squarespace or another builder platform to create my website? The answer depends on your brand and your needs.
Benefits of builder platforms
In our current digital age, a functioning website is crucial for all brands to have. Without a digital presence, your brand feels incomplete and outdated–and risks seeming untrustworthy or illegitimate to customers. Website building platforms–think Squarespace, Wix, Weebly, and the like–feature pre-made themes, designs, and elements so anyone can create a website in a matter of minutes.
For some brands, a templated website is perfect because it allows them to create and maintain a functioning website quickly, cheaply, and without much difficulty. This type of website is ideal for brands with a simple offering, only needing a landing page for basic descriptors and contact information.
Finding a middle ground
Webflow is a platform that breaks the mold of traditional builder platforms. With Webflow, designers and developers have the flexibility to build with custom code inside a premade builder.
As a web studio, we are client-centric, meaning we work closely with all clients to find the fit that is best for them–whether that is through a builder platform or custom site.
Here are some examples of client sites made with Webflow.
Benefits of custom websites
While platforms like Wix, Squarespace, and Weebly have all the capabilities needed for some brands, other brands need customizable sites to truly showcase their products and services.
A custom website, built with specifically created code, allows you to make your website as individualized as need be. Unlike template websites which only allow you to customize certain fields, a truly custom approach allows you to define and create all the necessary elements for your website.
The bottom line with custom sites is that you are guaranteed full control. Why does that matter?
1. You have more customization options:
- A template site can only be customized within the constraints of the template.
- “Template-based websites simply do not afford you the level of personalization necessary to design a site that is a reflection of your brand’s unique personality, identity, and positioning.”
- A custom site gives you the flexibility to personalize and adapt your website for the best user experience.
2. You can direct the design:
- Template websites have parameters for design, whereas a custom site can push the limits of great web design. Because everything is rooted in code, the opportunities are far greater for creating a stunning website that genuinely represents the look and feel of a brand.
- By avoiding the standard themes available on building platforms your website already stands heads and shoulders above the competition - clearly identifying your brand as different from the rest.
3. You have more control over responsive design:
- Template sites are not always automatically optimized for all devices, orientations, and browsers.
- Custom websites allow for specific optimization, ensuring a better user experience across all devices. According to Iron Paper Marketing, “62% of companies which designed their website(s) for mobile platforms increased their sales and 64% of companies that designed their website for tablets increased sales.”
4. You get to take advantage of SEO:
- While some builder platforms are incorporating aspects of SEO into their offering, they still have limitations on what you can and cannot do.
- Custom-sites are built to be SEO-friendly, using specific SEO techniques that generate higher rankings on search engines.
5. You have complete ownership:
- A custom site is not owned by a secondary platform, or at risk for ending with a year long subscription. Custom-sites are entirely owned by their respective brands, ensuring control of what messages a brand is putting out.
6. You have greater security:
- Custom sites don’t exist on a shared platform where data breaches could compromise multiple sites at once.
- By creating proprietary source code, custom-sites have a stronger sense of privacy and protection and are less likely to be easily hacked or breached.
Here are some examples of sites we’ve custom-built for our clients.
A custom build gives your brand the freedom to create a website that is specifically catered to your brand, with customization and personalization as the highest priority. Template sites allow your brand to quickly create a functioning website, but lack the features to make your brand stand out from the crowd. Webflow provides you with the best of both worlds, giving you customization while keeping things easy to use with the builder.
Whatever solution works best for you, we’re ready to help you build something inspiring.