Which website platform should I choose?

Choosing the right website platform can be a daunting task. The team here at Connexxions have been creating websites for SMEs in all stages of their development since 1995. From these early beginnings the way people use the internet has diversified exponentially.  We are all consumers of it and all businesses at some point rely on the web as the source for finding new business as well as checking out the companies they want to do business with. Furthermore, individuals and companies are also turning to new global platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, Etsy and Amazon to set up, promote and distribute their products and services. 

So the questions is, if you're a business wanting to make the most of this,  where should you start? 

Websites built with Wordpress are by far the most common and so has been the preferred platform of this team since 2005. We have also designed, built and researched other website building systems including: Wix, Shopify, Squarespace, Etsy, Drupal and Opencart. Social media are also part and parcel of our toolset when helping companies get online. 

In the summer of 2020, as part of our research to prepare for a presentation to the Curious Lounge community in Reading, we undertook a review of the most common platforms that contemporary businesses are using. 

As you'd expect, there's lots of advice on the web on which platform is best, but 'best' is such a variable point of reference. From our perspective, as producers of a huge variety of bespoke  websites across many disciplines with every conceivable feature, we saw a lot of dubious conclusions out there. Most review were either out of date, plain wrong or planted by vested interests. 

Below you'll find a summary of our research. Enjoy.  

FOR THE FULL PRESENTATION [click here]

SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS

WEBSITE BUILDING PLATFORMS

E-COMMERCE PLATFORMS