As of 2021, more than forty percent of all websites found on the internet are powered by WordPress. Thus, WordPress is certainly one of the serious names that come to mind when building websites. But there is a flip side to this success story. As easy and good as WordPress is known to be, many businesses have been moving to other website builders. And this becomes quite apparent once we begin to see the actual reasons behind its recent decline in numbers.
Though several marketers still think WordPress is a good option to build their website, web developers do not as much. This is because, once we get into the logistics of front-end development, back-hand development, and overall website management, most developers tend to face several difficulties. Some of the biggest known problems faced by developers are out-of-date templates, faulty plugins, complicated tools, and a boring user interface.
In this article, we will see why WordPress may not be for everyone – both poets and engineers – along with the best alternatives one can use instead of it. But before we jump into the article, students should also remember to keep all their academic work in check.
Oftentimes, students who study (English) Literature may face a lack of inspiration and depth in their daily classwork. In such cases, they can easily turn towards some of the most famous writers to broaden their educational horizons. Reading some of the best works of well-known figures can also help them perform better in their lectures, homework, and tests.
Why WordPress May Not Be for Everyone
Although WordPress powers the highest majority of websites on the internet, it may not be for everyone. This is because today’s business climate is such that no one product can fully fulfill every single need. No matter how great or widely used a product is, there are also several alternatives that offer useful features. And, the same principle applies to the niche of website building.
For example, several businesses today have moved to directly sell products to their customers online – E-commerce. And while WordPress may be one of the best for publishing content and serving SEO purposes, it is not the best for setting up shop and selling products. Today, there are several alternatives to WordPress that can serve businesses better in this aspect. Some of them are BigCommerce and Shopify – which we will discuss in the list below.
A few other reasons for a change from WordPress are as follows –
- Availability of easier website builders.
- Availability of better website themes elsewhere.
- Availability of better payment, permission, and security features elsewhere.
- Availability of better customer and website support elsewhere.
- Most web developers have already moved on from WordPress.
- WordPress can be more expensive than one initially thinks.
- WordPress can sometimes have slower loading speeds – depending on the website type.
- WordPress Themes are not fully customizable.
- Business owners don’t wish to create or manage their own websites.
The Best Alternatives to WordPress
In no particular order, here are 6 (alternative) things to do if you get tired of WordPress.
1) Wix – The Easiest & Best Website Builder
As of 2021, Wix powers over a hundred and ten million websites on the internet. This figure proves that it is easily one of the most used website builders today. The platform also offers AI technology to help users create better-performing websites according to their tastes. Wix also offers easy SEO tools to improve one’s overall page and website rankings. Because of its highly customizable creation tools, Wix is widely regarded as the easiest and best website builder.
2) Squarespace – Some of the Best Website Designs & Templates
Squarespace’s main focus is to deliver cool, funky, and whacky website designs. But the platform also has several clean and more professional-looking designs. Squarespace has also received a lot of praise for its mobile optimization of websites and its customer support. Although, the platforms’ website building interface may not be as easy and good as Weebly and Wix. Overall, Squarespace can be highly beneficial to small and medium-sized businesses.
3) Gator by HostGator – Website Building & Hosting
HostGator is one of the best website hosting companies and services in today’s market. And, their website builder – Gator – reflects much of the same value they bring into the website building space. Gator provides its users with several pre-made designs or templates to choose from. Furthermore, they also provide drag and drop features to make the whole process easy and user-friendly. Gator also provides E-commerce features, free domains, free SSL certificates, and a lot more.
4) Weebly – Probably the Most User-Friendly Website Builder
In terms of overall accessibility, ease, and user-friendliness, Weebly ranks second only to Wix. As of 2021, Weebly powers over fifty million websites on the internet. Weebly’s vast success in a short time is largely attributed to its easy DIY features that have helped several small and medium-sized businesses. Compared to its competitors, Weebly’s free plan offers several useful features to its users. Weebly is perfect for all those who want a great website with lesser investment in effort, money, and time.
5) HubSpot Website Builder – Perfect for Content & Inbound Marketing
HubSpot has found a lot of success mainly because of its in-built CRM and content marketing tools. Additionally, the company also focuses on content & inbound marketing which has a high value for success in today’s digital climate. Most of HubSpot’s website templates are created to fulfill various purposes like customer conversion or SEO optimization. However, some of HubSpot’s best features are its analytics capabilities, blogging features, email marketing, SEO tools, and customer support.
6) Shopify – Great for Getting Started with E-commerce
Shopify is considered to be the best platform to get started with a business’s e-commerce or e-tailer needs. The Shopify platform is very easy to learn, understand, and execute one’s online store requirements. The interface to build one’s store is highly user-friendly and effective. However, one of the biggest benefits of using Shopify is its unparalleled content and customer support from start to finish. Users get constant help with all aspects of setting up their online stores.
Here are some honorable mentions for more website builders –
- GoDaddy
- Zyro
- Web.com
- Shopify
- BigCommerce
- Duda
The Bottom Line
Although some may still find it difficult to believe that there certainly are better alternatives to WordPress, several businesses have already found success elsewhere. However, all types of users, including those for personal or business purposes, should thoroughly gauge their needs before finalizing a website service. Doing so will help them gather all the necessary data essential to finding the right amount of success in the digital world.
