Shopify, WordPress, Wix, Squarespace? Here's how to choose without the headache.

Emily Barnes

1d (edited) • ☕ The Menu Board

One of the most common questions I get is this: which platform should I actually build my website on?

Honest answer? It depends entirely on what you want to use it for. So let me break it down simply.

💥 Choose Shopify if you sell products, physical or digital.

Shopify is built for commerce first, everything else second.

The checkout and payment system works straight out of the box. Nothing too fiddly.
It handles physical inventory brilliantly, but it's equally strong for digital products. Selling an ebook, a template, or a downloadable file? Shopify delivers it automatically the moment someone pays.
The app store lets you add almost any functionality without touching code.

If your business model is "someone pays for something and receives it," Shopify is hard to beat.

💥 Choose WordPress if you're playing a long game with visibility and SEO.

It's the most search-friendly platform available. Plugins like Yoast give you real control over how your content is read by Google and AI systems.
You can build almost any kind of site. Blog, service business, portfolio, membership, course platform. It adapts to your needs rather than the other way round.
You own your data completely. WordPress is self-hosted, so you're not at the mercy of another platform's pricing or policy changes.

There's a slightly steeper learning curve (a step-by-step to build your Wordpress will be on here soon, I promise!). But for long-term visibility, it's the strongest foundation available.

💥 Choose Wix if you need something live quickly and technology feels stressful.

The drag-and-drop editor is the most beginner-friendly of all the main platforms. What you see is what you get.
For local service businesses with straightforward needs, it does the job cleanly and without overwhelm.
Hosting, security, and maintenance are all handled for you behind the scenes.

Worth knowing: SEO control is more limited than WordPress, and migrating away later if your needs grow can be a pain. Think about where your business is heading before you commit.

💥 Choose Squarespace if design and first impressions are central to how clients judge you.

The templates are genuinely beautiful. Some of the cleanest-looking sites of any platform, without needing a designer.
It sits in a useful middle ground. More polished than Wix, more approachable than WordPress.
Hosting and maintenance are managed for you, so it stays relatively low-maintenance once it's up.

SEO is more limited than WordPress but has been improving. A strong choice for creatives, service businesses, and personal brands where visual credibility matters most.

Not sure which one fits?

Drop your question below.

Tell me what your business does and I'll help you work it out.

5 comments