What website platform is right for your business?

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Whatever your industry, your business’s success depends on your reputation. But there’s more to maintaining an excellent reputation than your products, services, and customer experience. According to Stanford University research, 75% of users judge a company’s credibility based on its website design.

Your website is critical to your business reputation, but when was the last time you updated its content or reviewed your website performance? In a report from Adobe, 39% of people said they stop engaging with a website if its images won’t load or take too long to load, and 38% said they stopped engaging with a website if they don't find the content or layout attractive.

Making updates is critical, but is it easy for you to do so? If the answer is no, then maybe it’s time to reevaluate whether your website platform is right for you. But with so many options available—each with its strengths, interfaces, and pricing models—it can be challenging to decide which platform best suits your business needs.

This post will examine the features, usability, and pricing of some of the most popular website platforms available today, including some we’ve used for client projects. We recently switched from a self-hosted site on Statamic to a hosted Webflow site, and we’ll highlight the differences between these two options.

Making a move to Webflow

You launch a new website, and before you know it, five years have passed. At least, that’s how we felt earlier this summer during one of our monthly marketing reviews. We launched our current website in September 2019 on a hosted WordPress instance and then moved to a self-hosted Statamic instance in the summer of 2020.

Our website messaging is updated throughout the year, but our blog is the most significant and impactful work. Sharing what we’re learning and how we’re applying that to our work is a core part of our relationship with our clients (and hopefully new clients).

As we reached the four-year mark with Statamic, we started to experience a few challenges. The platform itself has the right combination of features and usability that our team needs. But as a self-hosted solution, using Statamic meant we had to make several process changes to ensure we were meeting the strong cybersecurity protocols and processes we have across our infrastructure.

The challenge

While Statamic provides robust flexibility through its Laravel-based backend, it comes with some challenges. As a self-hosted platform, it requires continuous maintenance, including server management, security patches, and updates—adding technical overhead for the team. The lack of native plugins compared to platforms like WordPress means that building custom functionality can require more development effort.

Additionally, non-technical users might face a steeper learning curve, especially when managing dynamic content or complex layouts. These factors can slow down workflows, making Statamic better suited for teams with strong developer resources but less ideal for marketing teams seeking agility and ease of use.

Hosted solutions are website platforms where the provider manages hosting, maintenance, and security. This means you can focus on building your site without worrying about server management or updates. Examples include Webflow, Wix, and Squarespace—tools that offer a streamlined experience right out of the box.
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Self-hosted solutions give you complete control over your website’s server environment, allowing for greater customization and flexibility. You’re responsible for managing the hosting, updates, and security, which can offer more power but also more responsibility. Popular platforms like WP Engine and Contentful fall into this category.

The solution

We knew that a hosted solution would meet our marketing and security requirements. Over the years, our team has developed and deployed multiple hosted WordPress sites using WP Engine, giving us a deep understanding of the features and limitations of the setup.

This time around, we wanted to use a hosted solution we hadn’t worked with much. After deep diving into a few solutions, we decided to move to Webflow. Released in 2013, Webflow quickly stood out as the ideal platform for our next evolution. It offers a powerful combination of a visual design tool, CMS, and hosting solution, making building and managing websites fast and intuitive.

We were drawn to Webflow’s no-code capabilities. These allow us to rapidly prototype and iterate without sacrificing the control we need over the finer details. Its flexibility lets us design custom experiences while streamlining the handoff between our designers and developers. By choosing Webflow, we can enhance our entire workflow, which we expect many clients to value for their teams.

The result

The transition to Webflow has allowed us to maintain all the functionality we had on our previous Statamic setup without compromise. But more importantly, it has significantly improved how we manage and update the site. Changes that once required editing Statamic templates and content models can now be handled effortlessly through Webflow’s intuitive GUI. We can log in, make the desired updates, and publish them directly—no coding required.

Deployment has become equally streamlined, allowing us to publish updates with a single click. The ease of pushing changes directly from Webflow has saved us time and made our workflow much more efficient, giving our marketing team more time to focus on content and less on technical processes.

Choosing the Right Platform for Your Business

Finding the right website platform for your business isn't just about design—it's about balancing ease of use, flexibility, and scalability. Whether you need a solution that simplifies the setup process or gives you total control over your site's architecture, the right platform can make all the difference. We looked closely at the strengths and weaknesses of some of the most popular options to see how they stack up in pricing, customization, and business suitability.

From no-code platforms to developer-focused CMSs, this comparison will help you decide which tool aligns best with your goals.

WordPress

WordPress is known for its incredible flexibility and extensive plugin ecosystem, making it a go-to choice for everything from personal blogs to large-scale e-commerce sites. Its open-source nature allows for almost limitless customization, but the downside is a steeper learning curve, especially for beginners who may find the interface complex.

Pricing: WordPress is free and open-source, but there are costs associated with hosting, premium themes, and plugins. This pricing structure makes it a versatile option suitable for budget-conscious users and large enterprises.
Business Suitability: Ideal for medium to large enterprises looking for scalability, customization, and integration capabilities, WordPress is also a top choice for businesses needing robust e-commerce solutions through WooCommerce, which WordPress also owns.
Hosted vs. Self-Hosted: WordPress is primarily a self-hosted platform. This allows businesses to control every aspect of their site, from server environment to data security, providing maximum flexibility. We have used WP Engine to host WordPress sites, but we're keeping an eye on some issues there.

Webflow

Webflow’s standout feature is its powerful visual editor, uniquely blending design and development into one seamless experience. While it does require some familiarity with web design concepts, it offers extensive customization options for creating dynamic, professional-grade websites.

Pricing: Webflow follows a subscription-based pricing model that offers hosting options for teams of different sizes. While the costs may be higher compared to other platforms, it offers a comprehensive package that includes design, development, and hosting in one.
Business Suitability: Webflow is a great fit for medium to large enterprises that need a scalable, all-in-one solution for building sophisticated websites with minimal reliance on third-party plugins or tools.
Hosted Platform: As a hosted solution, Webflow provides an all-in-one service that covers hosting and site maintenance, allowing businesses to focus purely on design and content.

Squarespace

Squarespace excels in its user-friendly drag-and-drop interface and collection of beautifully designed templates. It’s perfect for those looking to set up a visually appealing site quickly without delving into the technical details.

Pricing: With its simple, tiered pricing that includes hosting, Squarespace is ideal for small—to medium-sized businesses that want predictable costs and ease of use.
Business Suitability: This platform is best suited for small businesses and startups that need a quick and cost-effective setup without sacrificing aesthetics.
Hosted Platform: Squarespace’s fully hosted environment provides an out-of-the-box experience, handling all technical aspects like updates and security for you.

WIX

WIX offers an intuitive drag-and-drop builder similar to Squarespace but with more design flexibility. It also features Artificial Design Intelligence (ADI), which can automatically create a website based on user input, making starting even more effortless.

Pricing: WIX provides a range of free and premium plans, with higher-tier options that offer advanced customization and e-commerce capabilities.
Business Suitability: Perfect for small businesses and startups, WIX is also a strong contender for those looking for flexibility in design without the need for deep technical knowledge.
Hosted Platform: As a hosted solution, WIX manages the technical heavy lifting, including updates and server maintenance, allowing users to focus on their content and design.

Statamic

Statamic is built for developers who value a content-first approach. It leverages Laravel for a flexible and powerful backend. It provides excellent scalability and best suits those who want total control over their site’s structure and data.

Pricing: Statamic requires an initial investment for its self-hosted license, but you should consider server maintenance and potential developer expenses when budgeting.
Business Suitability: Ideal for developers and technical teams within medium to large enterprises, Statamic offers unmatched control and flexibility, making it an excellent choice for custom projects.
Self-Hosted Platform: Statamic’s self-hosted nature allows businesses to manage every aspect of their site’s environment, making it a robust solution for those prioritizing data control and scalability.

Contentful

Contentful operates as a headless CMS, allowing businesses to deliver content seamlessly across multiple platforms with great flexibility. It requires some technical expertise to set up but offers powerful APIs for dynamic content management. We used Contentful as the CMS for Women’s Brain Health Initiative’s BrainFit - Free Habit Tracker mobile application.

Pricing: Contentful’s subscription plans are based on content needs and scalability, making it a more premium option but one that delivers exceptional value for enterprises with complex content strategies.
Business Suitability: Best suited for developers and technical teams, Contentful’s flexibility and speed make it ideal for large enterprises focused on multi-platform content delivery.
Unique Position: Contentful can operate as both a hosted and self-hosted solution, giving businesses the ultimate flexibility to choose the model that best fits their needs.

Have Questions About Webflow?

Choosing the right website builder or CMS platform can be overwhelming, but you don’t have to do it alone. At BitBakery, we've helped countless businesses navigate these decisions and transitions, including our recent move from a self-hosted Statamic setup to a fully hosted Webflow environment.

Whether you need the control of a self-hosted platform or the convenience of a hosted solution, our team has the expertise to guide you through the process smoothly. Reach out to us today, and let’s find the best solution to take your website—and your business—to the next level.

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