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In today's digital landscape, your website is a lynchpin in your overall business success. And while it's tempting to choose the platform with the lowest barrier to entry in terms of cost, the features you'll need to understand your audience and make the right decisions about what to do next in your marketing and sales efforts aren't as robust or informative on every platform; but having the right features, especially when it comes to the data you'll need to make the right decisions about what to do next is critical to building a successful online presence that ultimately helps you reach our business growth goals. Simply put, if your website isn't allowing you to learn about your prospects as they learn about your business, so that you can meet them where they are in their journey to solve the problems you can help them solve, then, you are missing a huge competitive advantage. With that in mind, I'll compare each of these content management systems through the lense of how well it will enable these insights.
"If your website isn't allowing you to learn about your prospects as individuals, as they learn about your business... you are missing a huge competitive advantage."
Leveraging real user data allows you to make informed decisions, personalize experiences, and drive meaningful engagement that is contextualized to the human on your site. It's the key to ensuring your website is as relational as possible so that you can foster meaningful connections with the people on your site.
When it comes to choosing a website-building platform, aka a content management system, there are several popular options available, each with its own strengths and considerations. Let's explore how WordPress, Squarespace, Wix, and HubSpot CMS compare in terms of gathering and utilizing real user data so that you can foster those meaningful connections.
WordPress
As an open-source platform, WordPress offers unparalleled flexibility for building websites. Users can integrate third-party analytics tools such as Google Analytics to gather insights into user behavior or as we like to call it "digital body language'. While WordPress provides extensive customization options, setting up the tools to gather data is a heavier lift as compared to a platform where they are already integrated, and interpreting real user data may require technical expertise. Another thing to consider here is that without a platform that drops first-party cookies on site users, such as HubSpot or Pardot, you won't know who is on your site or have the ability to understand the common paths that customers take through your content before becoming a customer.
SquareSpace
Known for its user-friendly interface and visually stunning templates, SquareSpace provides built-in analytics tools that offer basic insights into website traffic and audience demographics. While Squarespace simplifies the process of gathering real user data, accessing more advanced analytics may require third-party integrations or premium packages. With these integrations comes the cost to maintain them. Due to the specialized nature of the expertise you'll need to employ for this work, this approach is often far more costly than the investment in a platform that reduces the need for integrations. Squarespace is a fine place to build your first website if a platform like HubSpot or Wordpress isn't an option but Squarespace is not going to scale with your business requirements. This means you will eventually reach a point where you need to choose a new platform. This will require a rebuild of your site as a simple migration from one of these platforms to another isn't a viable option.
Wix
Offering its own analytics dashboard to track website performance and visitor behavior, Wix users can monitor metrics like page views and bounce rates, but deeper analysis may be limited compared to other platforms. Integrating external analytics tools with Wix is possible but may require additional configuration. Similar to Squarespace, Wix isn't designed for the more advanced needs of a scaling business; so, while it's okay to build a starter website on, it's not recommended for a business that expects to scale, especially to an enterprise level.
HubSpot CMS
A stand out for its seamless integration with the broader HubSpot platform, the HubSpot CMS offers powerful tools for gathering, analyzing, and acting upon real user data. Users gain access to comprehensive insights into website performance, user behavior (aka digital body language) and lead generation. HubSpot's built-in analytics and CRM capabilities enable personalized experiences and targeted marketing efforts. Full disclosure, Sauce is a HubSpot Partner and we are incentivized when a customer chooses HubSpot, but even if we weren't, it is hands down the best choice if you can choose to invest in it– especially if you are actively trying to scale your business. If Hubspot is not in the cards for your business at this time, and you aren't building a starter website, we'd recommend Wordpress as the next best option.
Your Investment
Front end cost is always one of the biggest considerations when choosing a platform; however, we highly recommend factoring in the ongoing cost at this juncture as well. When considering initial and ongoing costs, each website-building platform presents a unique set of factors to evaluate.
- WordPress typically offers a lower initial cost since it's open-source software, but users will need to account for hosting, domain and security/malware protection expenses.
- Squarespace and Wix operate on subscription-based pricing models, with tiered plans offering different features and capabilities. While these platforms may have a lower initial cost compared to WordPress, additional expenses can accrue as users opt for premium features or integrations.
- HubSpot CMS at a base level offers far more comprehensive inbound marketing tools and actionable data insights than the others, which means it tends to have a higher initial cost compared to the other platforms as well. However, HubSpot CMS will provide greater value over time with its extensive features, seamless integration with the HubSpot ecosystem, and support for long-term growth and scalability.
It's essential for users to weigh the initial cost against the ongoing benefits and capabilities offered by each platform to make an informed decision aligned with their budget and business goals.
Insider Tips
At the end of the day, the choice of website-building platform ultimately depends on your specific needs, preferences, and level of expertise. Each platform offers unique features and considerations when it comes to gathering and utilizing real user data. Whether you prioritize flexibility, ease of use, integration capabilities, or scalability, carefully evaluate the pros and cons of each platform to determine the best fit for your website and business goals. If you'd like an expert to help you evaluate these platforms in the context of the specific requirements of your business, click here to schedule a Connect Call with a Sauce Growth-Guide.
