Written By: author avatar Chipo
author avatar Chipo
A self described devotee of WordPress, Chipo is obsessed with helping people find the best tools and tactics to build the website they deserve. She uses every bit of her 10+ years of website building experience and marketing knowledge to make complicated subjects simple and help readers achieve their goals.

|  Updated on December 19, 2025

I Finally Discovered the Best Software to Make a Website

When you decide to build a website for your business, the first question you ask is usually, "Which platform is the best?" It’s a simple question that leads straight into analysis paralysis. You’re immediately bombarded with hundreds of options—WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, and a dozen AI tools promising to build the perfect site in 60 seconds.

I’ve been building and optimizing websites for over a decade, and I can tell you the honest truth:

the best software to make a website isn't the one with the prettiest templates or the flashiest TV ads. It’s the one that aligns perfectly with your business model, your growth goals, and your tolerance for technical complexity.

My goal here isn't just to list tools; it’s to help you make a strategic decision. We’re going to cut through the marketing hype and look at what these platforms actually do for your bottom line—whether that’s generating leads, selling products, or building authority.

If you’re running a serious online business that relies on content, conversion, and long-term flexibility, WordPress paired with a conversion-focused suite like Thrive Suite remains the most powerful and strategic choice. However, if you run a small service business and prioritize simplicity above all else, a hosted builder like Wix or Squarespace might be a better starting point.

If you're curious about what makes our tools the gold standard for conversion, you can always check out an honest Thrive Themes Review.


Table of Contents


TL;DR – Quick Picks for the Best Website Software

This section is for the skimmers who need to know which platform to research first. The right tool depends entirely on your primary goal.

Website Software Comparison: Goals vs. Flexibility

Platform

Use Case

Starting Price

Free Plan

Ease of Use (1-5)

SEO Control (1-5)

Ecommerce Support

WordPress + Thrive

Content, authority, funnels, advanced business

$15/mo (Hosting) + $25/mo (Thrive)

No

3

5

Excellent (WooCommerce)

Wix

Service businesses, beginners, simple sites

$17/mo

Yes (Ad-supported)

5

3

Good

Squarespace

Creatives, portfolios, design-led businesses

$16/mo

No (Trial)

4

3

Good

Shopify

Dedicated online stores, product-heavy

$29/mo

No (Trial)

4

2

Excellent

Elementor

WordPress power users, agencies, visual builders

$59/year (Plugin)

Yes (Basic)

4

5

Excellent (WooCommerce)

HubSpot CMS

Businesses needing deep CRM integration

$25/mo (Starter)

Yes (Free tools)

3

4

Fair

Framer

Modern, fast, design-focused portfolio sites

$15/mo

Yes (Basic)

4

3

Limited

Rating Key:

  • Ease of Use (1-5): 5 means zero technical knowledge is required, and the editor is fully visual and intuitive. 1 means significant coding or technical setup is required.
  • SEO Control (1-5): 5 means full, granular control over canonicals, schema markup, header code injection, caching, and clean URL structures. 1 means control is limited to basic title tags and meta descriptions.

What this table should tell you is that there’s a clear trade-off between Ease of Use and SEO Control/Flexibility.

The platforms that are easiest to start with (Wix, Squarespace) often limit your control over advanced SEO, funnels, and complex integrations later on. The platforms that offer the most control (WordPress) require a slightly steeper learning curve but pay dividends in the long run.

Who This Guide Is For (and Who It’s Not For)

Choosing the right platform starts with understanding your business model. You wouldn’t use a screwdriver to hammer a nail, and you shouldn’t use a portfolio builder to run a complex membership site.

I’m writing this guide for people who are serious about generating income online. If you just want a personal blog for sharing recipes with grandma, you can probably stop reading and just pick the free version of Wix.

But if you are building an asset that needs to convert visitors into leads, subscribers, or customers, you need a strategic tool.

If you’re a service provider, coach, or consultant

Your website needs to do two things: establish authority and capture leads. You need a platform that handles professional design, integrates seamlessly with booking tools (like Calendly or Acuity), and makes it easy to set up compelling lead magnets (like a free PDF download).

Priority: Lead generation, authority building, simple booking integration.

To make sure those lead magnets are actually compelling, make sure you're using the Best Lead Magnet Tools available.

If you’re building an online course, membership, or digital product business

This is a complex use case. You need robust features for payment processing, content protection (gating access), recurring billing, and marketing funnels. You’ll likely need deep integration with email marketing and specialized learning management systems (LMS).

Priority: Funnel building, content security, payment processing, integration depth.

If you're serious about the LMS route, you'll want to read my hands-on review to find the Best LMS Plugin for WordPress that fits your needs.

And if this complex use case sounds like you, we have an ultimate guide on How to Create a Membership Site on WordPress that walks you through everything step-by-step.

If you’re launching an ecommerce brand

Your site is your store. You need industrial-strength inventory management, flexible shipping calculations, secure checkout, and easy integration with fulfillment providers. While you can sell a few things on any platform, if products are your primary revenue source, you need a dedicated ecommerce solution.

Priority: Product catalog management, scalability, checkout process, inventory control.

If you just want a simple personal site or portfolio

You need speed and visual polish with minimal maintenance. You don't need complex funnels or advanced SEO tools. You want to showcase your work and provide contact information.

Priority: Design quality, speed, low maintenance.

How to Choose the Right Website Software for Your Business

The mistake most people make is starting with templates. They scroll through the "pretty designs" and pick a platform based on aesthetics. That’s like choosing a car based only on the color of the paint.

You need to start with your business goals.

Instead of focusing just on aesthetics, learn How to Build a Website That Doesn’t Look DIY by focusing on strategic design and conversion.

Decide what you need your website to actually do

Before you look at a single platform, write down your top three conversion goals.

  • Lead Generation: Do you need visitors to fill out a contact form, download a guide, or book a call? If so, you need excellent form-building tools and landing page capabilities.
  • Sales: Are you selling physical products, digital downloads, or courses directly? You need robust shopping cart and payment infrastructure.
  • Content/Authority: Is your primary method of attracting business through blogging and SEO? You need a platform optimized for content structure, speed, and long-form writing.

If your platform can’t easily handle your primary conversion goal, it’s the wrong platform, no matter how cheap or easy it is.

If content/authority is your main goal, you should also be thinking about structuring your site strategically using Smarter SEO Silos for Traffic and Conversions.

And if lead generation is your top goal, you should follow our blueprint on How to Create a Complete Lead Generation Funnel from start to finish.

Hosted website builder vs WordPress

This is the central decision point, and it boils down to convenience versus control.

Hosted Builders vs. Self-Hosted CMS (WordPress)

Feature

Hosted Builders (Wix, Squarespace)

Self-Hosted CMS (WordPress)

Setup & Maintenance

Extremely simple; hosting, security, and updates handled for you.

Requires choosing a host, installing software, and managing updates yourself.

Ease of Use

High. True drag-and-drop editing, minimal learning curve.

Moderate. Steeper learning curve, but massive flexibility once mastered.

Customization & Control

Limited to the platform's ecosystem and features.

Unlimited via plugins, custom code, and themes. Full ownership.

Cost Structure

Predictable monthly fee, often higher for advanced features.

Lower base cost (just hosting), but costs can add up with premium plugins.

Scalability

Good for small to medium scale; platform limits can be hit eventually.

Excellent. Can handle millions of visitors and complex databases.

You could try a hosted builder if convenience is your absolute priority and you don't anticipate needing complex funnels or highly specialized integrations. You'll want to use WordPress if you value long-term ownership, SEO performance, and the ability to customize every aspect of your conversion path.

This whole debate often boils down to the fundamental choice between owning your platform (WordPress) and renting it (SaaS), which is why we wrote a detailed comparison on SaaS vs. WordPress: How to Choose the Right Platform for Your Business.

And if you’re ready to commit to the WordPress conversion path, read more about How to Build WordPress Funnels and set yourself up for lasting success.

The Critical Role of Hosting (Especially for WordPress)

When you choose a hosted builder like Wix, the hosting is invisible—it’s baked into the monthly fee. When you choose WordPress, you have to select and pay for hosting separately.

(If you’re new to this whole WordPress thing, don't sweat it—we have a simple guide on How to Install WordPress and Set Up Your Website step-by-step.)

This choice is critical because your host determines your site's speed, security, and reliability. Choosing the wrong host is the fastest way to make WordPress feel slow and complicated.

Beyond hosting, you'll want to check out our full WordPress Site Speed Optimization Guide to make sure your site is blazing fast.

Shared Hosting (Budget Starter)

This is the cheapest option, where your site shares server resources with hundreds of others. It’s fine for a brand-new site with low traffic, but performance can suffer dramatically during traffic spikes or if your neighbor's site is resource-heavy. Cost: $5–$15/month.

Managed WordPress Hosting (The Smart Choice)

This is the sweet spot for most serious businesses. Providers like SiteGround, Kinsta, or WP Engine specialize in WordPress. They handle security, automatic updates, daily backups, and performance optimization for you. This reduces the technical complexity of WordPress significantly and ensures speed. Cost: $25–$50/month.

VPS or Dedicated Hosting (High Scale)

If your site handles millions of visitors, complex databases, or membership portals, you need a Virtual Private Server (VPS) or dedicated hosting. This gives you maximum power and control but requires more technical expertise to manage. Cost: $50+/month.

If you choose WordPress, don't skimp on the hosting. Investing in quality managed hosting is the single best way to ensure your site is fast, secure, and easy to maintain. (Site speed is so important that Google measures it directly, so if you're struggling with performance, here's How to Fix Core Web Vitals Issues for beginners.)

WordPress Hosting Comparison

Hosting Type

Typical Cost

Best For

Key Advantages

Main Trade-Offs / Risks

Shared Hosting

$5–$15/month

Brand-new, low-traffic WordPress sites

Cheapest entry point; simple to set up; usually 1-click WordPress installs

Slower performance, especially during traffic spikes; “noisy neighbor” issues

Managed WordPress Hosting

$25–$50/month

Most serious small–mid sized businesses

Optimized for WordPress; security, updates, and backups handled for you; fast and stable

Higher monthly cost than shared; you’re more limited to WordPress-specific environments

VPS / Dedicated Hosting

$50+/month

High-traffic, complex, or membership sites

Maximum power, control, and scalability; resources reserved for your site

Requires more technical expertise to manage; overkill for small/simple sites

Think 12–24 months ahead, not just launch week

A common, expensive mistake is choosing a platform that works perfectly for your current needs but completely fails when you want to launch your next product.

If you launch with a simple portfolio site on Wix, but six months later decide to sell a sophisticated online course with drip content, you’ll likely hit a wall. You’ll end up paying for a separate LMS platform and trying to awkwardly glue it to your Wix site, or worse, you’ll have to migrate your entire site to WordPress. Platform migrations are painful, expensive, and stressful.

Choose the platform that can comfortably handle the business you plan to have two years from now.

Budget beyond the headline price

The advertised monthly price is almost never the real cost.

  • Hosted Builders: Look out for transaction fees (especially on lower-tier ecommerce plans), forced branding (if you don't upgrade), and the cost of necessary third-party integrations (like advanced analytics or booking tools).
  • WordPress: The base cost is cheap hosting, but you will likely need premium plugins for essential functions like security, backups, advanced SEO, and—crucially—conversion tools (which is why I recommend a suite like Thrive).

Always calculate the cost of the plan that includes the features you actually need to generate revenue.

How These Website Builders Were Tested (Review Process)

I didn't just look at the marketing pages for these tools. Every platform listed here was evaluated using the same practical, real-world criteria.

My standard testing process involved:

  • Building a Simple Business Site: I built the core five pages (Home, About, Services/Offer, Blog, Contact) to evaluate the workflow from template selection to final publishing.
  • Evaluating the Editor: How flexible is the drag-and-drop experience? How easy is it to maintain brand consistency (colors, fonts)? Does the editor break when I try to do something slightly custom?
  • Reviewing Template Quality: Are the templates just pretty, or are they structured for conversion? Are they mobile-responsive out of the box?
  • Checking SEO Basics: Can I easily customize title tags, meta descriptions, alt text, and robot indexing instructions? How easy is it to set up a clean URL structure?
  • Performance Tests: I ran basic speed tests to see how quickly a standard page loaded without heavy optimization. A slow site kills conversion and SEO.
  • Marketing & Growth Tools: I looked for built-in tools for opt-in forms, A/B testing, landing pages, and analytics integration.
  • Comparing Pricing: I assessed the likely real-world cost for a small business that needs a custom domain, email marketing integration, and no platform branding.

The goal was to determine practical, real-world usefulness, not just theoretical capability.

Quick Answers: Best Website Software for Beginners, SEO, and Small Business Needs

WordPress (SEO Control: 5/5) is the undisputed champion for SEO and content marketing due to its superior flexibility, clean code structure, and the availability of powerful plugins like Yoast SEO or Rank Math. Hosted builders often struggle with advanced SEO needs.

For small service businesses that need lead generation and booking, Wix or Squarespace offer excellent simplicity. For small businesses focused on scaling content and building long-term authority, WordPress is the smarter investment.

If selling physical products is your primary business function, Shopify is the specialized tool you should choose. It handles inventory, shipping, and payments better than any general-purpose builder.

The most affordable professional option is WordPress running on quality shared hosting (around $10–$15/month). This gives you maximum control for a low monthly cost, provided you use free themes and plugins initially.

AI builders are excellent for generating a starting point or a basic wireframe quickly. However, they almost always require significant human intervention to achieve brand consistency, conversion optimization, and unique design—they are speed tools, not strategy tools.

Best Website Software by Use Case (Shortlist)

Here are my high-level recommendations, matching the tool to the job.

Recommended Tools by Use Case

Use Case

Recommended Tool

Why It’s a Good Fit

Best overall for serious online businesses

WordPress + Thrive Suite

Maximum control over design, funnels, and content, with a scalable setup that isn’t locked into a closed system.

Easiest drag-and-drop builder for beginners

Wix

Fastest path to a professional site with hosting baked in and a very simple, flexible editor.

Best design-led templates for creatives

Squarespace

Sleek, modern templates ideal for photographers, artists, and designers who prioritize visual polish.

Best platform for full-fledged online stores

Shopify

Built specifically for ecommerce with strong inventory, shipping, and payment tools for larger product catalogs.

Best visual builder for WordPress power users

Elementor

Powerful drag-and-drop builder on top of WordPress, combining design freedom with WordPress flexibility.

Best “all-in-one” for site + CRM

HubSpot CMS

Website, CRM, email marketing, and landing pages live in one ecosystem, ideal for coordinated marketing teams.

Best quick one-pager or link-in-bio site

Canva Websites

Extremely fast, simple, and free option for one-page sites, link-in-bio pages, and event or promo pages.

Best modern, designer-centric builder

Framer

Modern, responsive, design-first builder with excellent performance, great for high-end marketing sites.

Simple all-in-one for basic business sites

GoDaddy Website Builder

Straightforward builder tied to GoDaddy’s domain/hosting, good for local businesses needing a basic presence.

Best overall for serious online businesses → WordPress + Thrive Suite

This combination gives you the ultimate control over design, conversion funnels, and content structure, allowing you to build a powerful, scalable asset without being locked into a proprietary system.

Speaking of the bottom line, if you want to know exactly how to optimize your customer journey, we’ve got 13 actionable strategies for How to Improve Your Funnel Conversion Rates.

Easiest drag-and-drop builder for beginners → Wix

If you need a professional site live this weekend and don't want to think about hosting or plugins, Wix offers the simplest, most flexible editing experience.

Best design-led templates for creatives → Squarespace

Squarespace excels at visual polish and sleek, modern design, making it the top choice for photographers, artists, and designers who prioritize aesthetics over complex functionality.

Best platform for full-fledged online stores → Shopify

If you have more than 20 products and need serious inventory, shipping, and payment management, Shopify is the industry standard for dedicated ecommerce.

Best visual builder for WordPress power users → Elementor

Elementor is a powerful page builder plugin that layers a drag-and-drop interface onto the WordPress core, giving you the best of both worlds: WordPress flexibility with visual editing ease.

Best “all-in-one” when you want CRM + site together → HubSpot CMS

HubSpot is ideal for marketing teams who need their website data, CRM, email marketing, and landing pages to communicate seamlessly from day one.

Best quick one-pager or link-in-bio site → Canva Websites

For a super-fast, simple, and free one-page site or landing page, Canva’s website feature is surprisingly capable, especially for link-in-bio pages or event announcements.

Best modern, designer-centric builder → Framer

Framer is gaining traction among web designers for its focus on modern, responsive design and lightning-fast performance, though it's less suited for heavy content marketing or complex funnels.

Simple all-in-one for basic business sites → GoDaddy Website Builder

GoDaddy offers a very straightforward, no-fuss builder that integrates well with their domain and hosting services, making it a decent choice for local businesses that need basic online presence.

In-Depth Reviews of the Top Website Builders

Let’s dive into the specifics of the platforms that truly matter for conversion-focused businesses.

WordPress + Thrive Suite

WordPress is the world’s most popular CMS, powering over 40% of the internet. Thrive Suite is a collection of conversion-focused tools (Theme Builder, visual editor, quiz builder, landing page builder, etc.) that turns a standard WordPress installation into a lead-generation machine.

At a glance

Type

Self-Hosted CMS (Open Source) + Premium Plugin Suite

Starting Price

$15/mo (Hosting) + $25/mo (Thrive Suite)

Ease of Use

3/5

SEO Control

5/5

Best for

Serious online businesses, course creators, coaches, and content marketers who need maximum conversion control.

Pros

  • Unmatched Flexibility: You can build anything from a simple blog to a massive membership site.
  • Full Ownership: You own your data, code, and site structure, meaning you can migrate hosts or change functionality anytime.
  • SEO Excellence: WordPress is inherently SEO-friendly, and plugins allow for granular control over every optimization detail.
  • Thrive’s Conversion Focus: Unlike builders focused only on design, Thrive Suite provides tools specifically for lead generation, A/B testing, and building optimized funnels.
  • Massive Ecosystem: Thousands of plugins and integrations exist for virtually any function you can imagine.

Cons

  • Steeper Learning Curve: Requires understanding hosting, domains, and plugin management.
  • Self-Maintenance: You are responsible for security, backups, and updates (though good hosts simplify this).

Pricing Snapshot

You pay for hosting first (typically $10–$25/month for quality shared hosting, or more for managed hosting). Then you purchase the Thrive Suite membership (from $299/year), which unlocks all the necessary tools for design, landing pages, and lead generation. The true cost is highly competitive considering the power you get.

Real-world take

 If your business depends on driving traffic and converting that traffic into revenue, WordPress with Thrive Suite is the strategic choice. It’s not the easiest to set up on Day 1, but it prevents costly platform migrations and limitations down the road. For example, if you decide six months in that you need to offer a private membership area with tiered pricing and an integrated forum, WordPress handles this with a few plugins; a hosted builder would force you into an expensive, separate third-party service that may not integrate seamlessly.

Wix

Wix is the poster child for hosted website builders, known for its extreme ease of use and "what you see is what you get" (WYSIWYG) editor.

At a glance

Type

Hosted Website Builder

Starting Price

$17/mo (Ad-free with custom domain)

Ease of Use

5/5

SEO Control

3/5

Best for

Local service businesses, small portfolios, or anyone prioritizing setup speed and simplicity over advanced customization.

Pros

  • Incredibly Easy Editor: The drag-and-drop interface is intuitive and allows for pixel-perfect placement.
  • Zero Maintenance: Hosting, security, and updates are all managed by Wix.
  • Built-in Apps: A large marketplace of integrated apps for bookings, forms, and basic marketing.

Cons

  • Design Lock-in: Once you choose a template, changing it later is difficult, and migrating your site off Wix is nearly impossible.
  • SEO Limitations: While Wix has improved, its code structure can be less optimized than WordPress, and advanced SEO controls are limited.
  • Flexibility Limits: If you need a specialized integration or complex database structure, Wix often falls short.

Pricing Snapshot

The free plan is unusable for a professional business (Wix ads, no custom domain). Most businesses need the Core plan ($17/month) to remove ads and connect a domain. Ecommerce plans start at $29/month.

Real-world take

 Wix is great for getting started quickly. It's the perfect solution for a local plumber or yoga instructor who needs a professional presence and simple booking integration. However, the biggest hidden pain point is content migration. If you spend three years building up 150 valuable blog posts on Wix and then realize you need the advanced SEO power of WordPress, moving that content is a manual, painful process. You are essentially renting your website, not owning it.

Squarespace is famous for its award-winning, visually stunning templates and structured approach to design.

At a glance

Type

Hosted Website Builder

Starting Price

$16/mo (Billed annually)

Ease of Use

4/5

SEO Control

3/5

Best for

Artists, photographers, designers, and small businesses where visual presentation is the primary selling point.

Pros

  • Superior Aesthetics: Templates are consistently high-quality, professional, and mobile-responsive.
  • Structured Editing: The editor is less free-form than Wix, which prevents you from accidentally creating an ugly or broken layout.
  • Integrated Features: Excellent built-in tools for portfolios, basic commerce, and email campaigns.

Cons

  • Limited Customization: If you want to deviate significantly from the template structure, it requires custom CSS/code.
  • Content Migration Pain: Like Wix, migrating off Squarespace is difficult.
  • Conversion Tools: Lacks the advanced A/B testing and dedicated landing page tools found in conversion-focused platforms.

Pricing Snapshot

The Personal plan ($16/month) is sufficient for portfolios and simple service sites. If you want to sell products, you must jump to the Business plan ($23/month), which still includes a 3% transaction fee unless you upgrade further.

Real-world take

 Squarespace is the choice for professionals whose primary goal is looking good online. It provides a beautiful, stable home base. The trade-off for this visual perfection is rigidity. If you try to run a campaign that requires a custom, high-converting landing page that breaks the standard template structure—say, a two-step opt-in with a video background—you’ll find yourself fighting the platform constantly. It’s designed to look great, not necessarily to optimize aggressively for leads.

Shopify is a specialized, dedicated ecommerce platform built for selling products online.

At a glance

Type

Hosted Ecommerce Platform

Starting Price

$29/mo (Basic)

Ease of Use

4/5

SEO Control

2/5

Best for

Businesses focused entirely on selling physical or digital products, especially those with large catalogs or complex shipping needs.

Pros

  • Best Inventory Management: Robust tools for tracking stock, variants, and suppliers.
  • Seamless Payments: Integrated payment gateway (Shopify Payments) simplifies setup and processing.
  • Scalability: Can handle massive traffic and transaction volumes without breaking a sweat.

Cons

  • Not Ideal for Content: While it has a blog, its content management tools are basic compared to WordPress.
  • Transaction Fees: If you don't use Shopify Payments, you pay an extra fee on every sale.
  • App Costs: Essential features often require paid apps from the Shopify App Store, quickly increasing the monthly cost.

Pricing Snapshot

The Basic plan ($29/month) is mandatory for selling. As your business grows, you'll likely move to the Shopify plan ($79/month) to lower transaction fees and unlock better reporting.

Real-world take

 If you are running a store, use Shopify. It is the industry standard for product sales. Just be aware that the advertised $29/month is usually a minimum. You will quickly find that features like advanced email marketing integration, detailed product reviews, or sophisticated upsells require paid apps from the Shopify App Store. It’s common for a growing Shopify store to spend $50–$200 per month just on essential apps to achieve the functionality that might be included in a single WordPress plugin suite.

10Web is a platform that uses AI to generate an entire WordPress site—including content, images, and structure—in minutes. It then hosts and manages that site for you, combining the speed of AI with the power of the WordPress ecosystem.

At a glance

Type

Managed Hosting + AI-Powered WordPress Builder

Starting Price

$20/mo (Annual)

Ease of Use

4/5

SEO Control

4/5

Best for

Solopreneurs or agencies who need to launch multiple, high-quality WordPress sites extremely fast without starting from scratch.

Pros

  • Incredible Speed: You can generate a full, functional website draft based on a few prompts in under a minute.
  • Managed WordPress: It handles hosting, security, and performance optimization, removing much of the technical burden associated with self-hosted WordPress.
  • Flexibility Post-Launch: Since the output is standard WordPress (often using Elementor), you retain the ability to customize and expand using the vast WordPress plugin ecosystem.

Cons

  • AI Needs Editing: The AI-generated copy and images are a starting point, not a final product. You still need to spend significant time optimizing for conversion and brand voice.
  • Cost: It is more expensive than standard shared hosting, as you are paying for the AI generation tool and the managed hosting service combined.
  • Vendor Lock-in Risk: While the site is WordPress, the specific hosting and management tools tie you closely to the 10Web platform.

Pricing Snapshot

The Business Starter plan is around $20/month when billed annually, covering one website and managed hosting. This is a competitive price for managed WordPress hosting alone, making the AI generation feature a strong bonus.

Real-world take

 AI builders like 10Web are a major step forward because they solve the "blank canvas" problem. If you know you want the power of WordPress but dread the initial setup and configuration, this is an excellent shortcut. The practical reality, however, is that the AI gives you a generic, well-structured draft. If you ask it to build a site for a "boutique financial consultant," the copy will be bland and interchangeable. You must budget time to inject your unique voice, specific case studies, and conversion-optimized headlines—the strategy still requires human intelligence.

How to Make a Confident Decision (Without Getting Stuck Comparing Tools for Weeks)

Analysis paralysis is real. The best way to beat it is to narrow your focus based on your core business activity.

Decision Pathway Based on Core Business Activity

Your Situation

What to Prioritize

Recommended Decision Pathway

You sell services or expertise

Lead generation, pro design, easy booking

For maximum simplicity and quick launch, choose Wix or Squarespace. If content + funnels matter, go WordPress + Thrive Suite.

You run (or plan to start) an ecommerce store

Inventory management, secure checkout, shipping integrations

If physical products are ~80%+ of your revenue, go Shopify. If products are secondary to content, use WordPress + WooCommerce.

Your main engine is SEO and content

Blogging tools, site speed, structural SEO control

Choose WordPress. Its plugin ecosystem and technical flexibility make it the strongest option for serious content marketing.

You’re testing an idea and want the simplest path

Low cost, speed, minimal commitment

Start with Canva Websites (free) or a simple Wix trial to validate your idea and collect leads before upgrading your stack.

If you sell services or expertise

Prioritize: Lead generation, professional design, and easy booking integration.

  • Decision Pathway: If simplicity and speed are paramount, and you don't plan to blog heavily, go with Wix or Squarespace. If you plan to use content marketing and build sophisticated funnels (webinars, complex opt-ins), choose WordPress + Thrive Suite.

If you run (or plan to start) an ecommerce store

Prioritize: Inventory management, secure checkout, and reliable shipping integration.

  • Decision Pathway: If physical products are 80%+ of your business, choose Shopify. If products are secondary to your content (e.g., selling a few t-shirts on a popular blog), WordPress + WooCommerce offers better flexibility.

If your main engine is SEO and content

Prioritize: Blogging tools, site performance (speed), and structural SEO control.

  • Decision Pathway: Always choose WordPress. No other platform provides the granular control, plugin ecosystem, and inherent structural advantage necessary to compete seriously in content marketing.

If you’re testing an idea and want the simplest path

Prioritize: Low cost, speed, and minimal commitment.

  • Decision Pathway: Start with the free tier of Canva Websites or a simple Wix trial. This lets you validate your idea and collect initial leads without investing heavily in infrastructure.

Launch Plan – From No Website to Live in 7 Days

Regardless of the platform you choose, here is a practical mini-plan to get your professional site launched quickly.

Day 1–2: Choose platform, connect your domain, and pick a starter template

Decide on your hosted builder (Wix/Squarespace) or secure your hosting and install WordPress. Purchase your domain name and connect it to your new platform. Select a clean, conversion-focused template and define your brand colors and fonts.

Day 3–4: Build your core pages

Focus on the essentials:

  • Home: Clear headline, primary CTA, and social proof.
  • About: Your story and credibility.
  • Services/Offer: Detailed explanation of what you sell and the transformation you provide.
  • Contact: Simple contact form and location/hours if applicable.
  • Basic Blog Page: Set up the structure even if you don't have posts yet.

Day 5: Add conversion essentials

This is the most important day. Add your lead magnet opt-in form (e.g., a free guide download) to your homepage and sidebar. Ensure your primary call-to-action (CTA) button is prominent on every page. Set up a simple "Thank You" page after form submissions.

Day 6: Check speed, mobile experience, and SEO basics

Test your site on your phone and tablet—it must look perfect. Check your SEO settings: ensure every page has a unique title tag and meta description. Run a quick speed test (like Google PageSpeed Insights).

Day 7: Publish, connect analytics, and send your first visitors

Hit publish! Connect Google Analytics and Google Search Console. Send the link to a few trusted colleagues for final feedback, and start driving traffic.

---

FAQs About Website Builders and Website Software

Security, Backups, and Long-Term Maintenance Considerations

A website is an asset, and like any asset, it requires maintenance.

Security and Updates

If you choose a hosted builder, you pay a premium for the platform to manage security and updates automatically. If you choose WordPress, you are responsible for this. This isn't scary, but it is necessary. You'll want to set up automatic backups (via your host or a plugin like Duplicator) and ensure your plugins are always current to prevent vulnerabilities.

A website is an asset, and like any asset, it requires maintenance—if you want a deep dive into the specific tasks involved, check out our full guide on How to Maintain Your Website .

Website Accessibility (WCAG) Considerations

Accessibility (making your site usable by people with disabilities) is increasingly important, both ethically and legally. Hosted builders offer some basic accessibility features, but WordPress, combined with specialized plugins and thoughtful design (like high color contrast and proper heading structure), offers the most control to meet WCAG standards fully. This is a critical factor for any large business or public-facing organization.

This level of granular control is also crucial when considering compliance and ethics, especially regarding Designing for web accessibility, which is becoming an increasingly important legal and ethical requirement for modern businesses.

Final Recommendation – Why Many Serious Businesses End Up on WordPress + Thrive Suite

There is no single "best" tool for everyone, but there are clear patterns that emerge among businesses that succeed long-term.

Ownership and flexibility as your business evolves

The primary reason serious businesses—those generating revenue from content, courses, and leads—eventually settle on WordPress is the complete freedom it provides. You own your content, your domain, and your tech stack. If your host gets slow, you move. If you need a new feature, you install a plugin. This freedom is priceless when your business hits a growth spurt.

Conversion-focused features instead of just a pretty homepage

A website is a tool for making money, not a digital brochure. WordPress, especially when paired with conversion-focused tools like those in the Thrive Suite (landing pages, A/B testing, integrated forms, scarcity tools), allows you to optimize every step of the visitor journey. Hosted builders are designed to make beautiful pages; conversion suites are designed to make sales.

When another builder genuinely makes more sense

I’m not a zealot. If you are running a pure, high-volume ecommerce store, Shopify is the superior choice. If you are a freelance photographer who needs a stunning portfolio and nothing else, Squarespace is the fastest path to looking professional.

But if you are building a business around your expertise, your content, and your ability to generate leads and sell digital products, you need the power and flexibility of WordPress.

If you're ready to build a conversion-focused, high-performing website that you truly own, I encourage you to explore the power of the WordPress ecosystem and see how a dedicated suite like Thrive can turn your site into a strategic asset. Start by securing quality hosting and installing WordPress—it’s the first step toward building a website that works as hard as you do.

Written on December 19, 2025

  • 0
About the author
author avatar
Chipo Marketing Writer
A self described devotee of WordPress, Chipo is obsessed with helping people find the best tools and tactics to build the website they deserve. She uses every bit of her 10+ years of website building experience and marketing knowledge to make complicated subjects simple and help readers achieve their goals.

Disclosure: Our content is reader-supported. This means if you click on some of our links, then we may earn a commission. We only recommend products that we believe will add value to our readers.

Leave a Comment

{"email":"Email address invalid","url":"Website address invalid","required":"Required field missing"}
>