It can be a daunting task to know where to begin when you first start creating a website. There is a lot of technical information that, if you have no experience, will bewilder you. Also, depending on what you need from your website and what it will be used for, it will have to be built in different ways.

Webflow and Wordpress are two of the biggest and most popular site builders on the market. They both have different strengths and weaknesses that will help you decide which one best suits your website needs. Making the right decision will save you a lot of problems in the future if you decide that you want to switch your CMS.

Webflow

Webflow is a website builder based within the cloud and, like most other website builders, it allows users to build websites without having to write lines of code. The strength of WebFlow really comes down to the customization options it has, on many other site builders.

WebFlow is a popular choice for web designers because the higher degree of customization. Web designers have more experience working with websites and get excited by the variety of choices made available, compared to beginners who tend to feel a bit overwhelmed in trying to make everything perfect.

 Webflow Pros

• Drag and drop page builder functionality
• Intuitive editor
• Work directly with CMS data
• eCommerce site
• Responsive page designs
• Work with reusable CSS classes
• Work with Flexbox
• Define global colour swatches 
• Publish straight to the web
• SSL and ISO 27018
• The complete platform which integrates marketing tools and data collecting.    
• Export code for download
• Code editor, add your own code if required
• Create scroll based animations
• Zapier Integrations

The Benefits of using Webflow

• Webflow gives you the freedom to create completely customized websites without the need for any coding
• The drag and drop page builder lets you build and customize your pages in any way you want
• You can easily create animations and interactions with no need to use code
• Websites are SEO friendly
• Make edits to your page directly on the page, so you can  see exactly what your page will look like before you hit publish
• Invite editors and collaborators to add and review content on your website
• Powerful hosting with minimal downtime for your visitors
• SSL certificate included

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Webflow Cons

There is a bit of a learning curve when it comes to using Webflow, especially if you have never done any web development before. Also, compared to open source software like WordPress and Woocommerce, Webflow can be quite a bit more expensive. That said, they do have a growing library of video tutorials.

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Webflow eCommerce

The platform offers a wide range of features optimized for eCommerce. You will appreciate a set of marketing tools for the creation of the audience, store promotion, and business development.

Webflow eCommerce has included the basic workflows of modern sellers, such as shipping, taxes, order processing, purchases on Instagram, integration with Zapier, and more. With Webflow eCommerce, you can customize the checkout process, improve the shopping cart experience, and integrate the store into your blog (or vice versa).

Users are happy with complete control of the layout, customizable interactions and animations, freedom of payment methods, etc.

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Webflow Pricing

Basic

• This model is great for a person that doesn’t need a CMS and just wants a simple website. It costs $12 a month.

CMS

• For $16 a month, this package is great for blogs or websites with lots of content. This price package will support 100,000 monthly visitors, 1000 form submissions and 2000 cms items 

Business

• This package costs $36 a month and is best suited for high traffic websites and blogs.

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WordPress

WordPress is without a doubt the most popular way to build a website, and it currently powers an astonishing 34% of the internet. WordPress is an open source software which means it’s completely free for anyone to use, you just need to pay for your hosting. You can use WordPress to build blogs, websites, build an online store, display your portfolio, and much more.

WordPress Pros

• Customizable Designs
• SEO friendly (search engines)
• Mobile responsive sites
• High Performance
• Mobile apps for managing your site on the go
• High security
• Powerful media management
• Easy and accessible
• Over 54,000 WordPress plugin options, allowing you to customize your website
• Huge community

The Benefits of Using WordPress

• WordPress is free to use, you just need to pay for hosting, making it a very affordable option for anyone just starting out.
• WordPress is completely customizable, giving you full control over your site and all of your data.
• There are thousands of extensions and plugins to choose from, so the possibilities are endless when it comes to building your website.
• WordPress is very easy for anyone to use with no need for coding if you don’t want to, meaning that even a complete beginner can have a great looking website up and running in a matter of hours.
• Due to WordPress’s popularity, there are already thousands of integrations available for WordPress, so no matter which tools you are using to run your business, chances are high that they will work seamlessly with WordPress.
• WordPress lets you create SEO optimized websites (many third-party plugins with optimal SEO settings) and it’s mobile-friendly, so it’s a great option for anyone who wants their website to rank well in Google

WordPress Cons

While WordPress is easy for anyone to use with templates and themes, if you want a completely customized design you will need to code it yourself or hire a developer. Since your WordPress website is owned and managed by you, you are responsible for all updates and maintenance to your website, unless you take advantage of managed WordPress hosting. WordPress is also an outdated platform that is continuously getting less and less updates, so it may not be the best long-term solution.

WordPress eCommerce

eCommerce on the basis of a WordPress site is a powerful enterprise with many advantages. Install the necessary plugins, connect the necessary payment options, add products. In addition to thousands of WordPress themes, there is a massive library of plugins designed to simplify and automate the entire sales and purchase process. 

WooCommerce is the most popular WordPress eCommerce plugin. It features a large number of extensions, which are ideal if you want to expand the functions offered by your online store or eCommerce site. Other plugins will allow you to create a powerful and one-of-a-kind online store.

Pricing

The actual service of WordPress is free. This is where some people can get confused, you will still need to pay to get your site live. The minimum is to purchase a hosting package, however certain domains, themes, plugins, and services will have to be purchased as well if they are needed.

For more information on WordPress Pricing, check out this link: https://wordpress.com/pricing/

WordPress and WebFlow are great options to build a website. For people with more experience in web design and want a completely customizable site, WebFlow is a good place to start if you can afford the higher fees. There is an obvious reason why WordPress is the most popular site builder, it offers great functionality at a reasonable price. Take the time to make a decision, but consult with a digital marketing agency to see all of your options and what will truly pay off in the end for you and your business.