[Hidden-tech] Squarespace/Weebly vs. WordPress

[GLP]

They all have a learning curve. I certainly don't consider SquareSpace all that simple for end-users. That said, I don't have any issues with someone using SquareSpace or Weebly if it does what they need. The ones I worry about are things like Godaddy's page builder or something much more limited in scope. That is the kind of thing that has disappeared before. By the time you add a maintenance contract to a WordPress site, the client is paying the same as they would (maybe more, if there are paid plugins or they're getting gouged by the maintainer) for a hosted platform. SquareSpace and Weebly are multi-million-dollar companies and unlikely to disappear. And it's their sole/core business (unlike Adobe Business Catalyst). I would feel much more comfortable setting someone up on SquareSpace or Weebly than Joomla in terms of future support and compatibility.

Greg



> On Aug 10, 2021, at 9:04 PM, Shel Horowitz via Hidden-discuss <hidden-discuss at lists.hidden-tech.net> wrote:
> 
> Hi, folks.
> 
> I have a client who is really set on using a web designer who works on these proprietary platforms and doesn't do WordPress. I expressed concern about these sites' lack of portability and got back this response:
> 
> None of the platforms I work on can be independently hosted; they must be hosted on their proprietary platforms. WordPress sites can be hosted independently, but I chose not to work on WordPress because I find it hard to design on and hard for those who want to maintain their sites themselves. Most of my clients are ok with adding minor updates like new text on these platforms, but usually come back to me for adding new pages. With that said though, I chose Squarespace and Weebly (and Square Online, which runs on Weebly) because I deemed these were the easiest website builders for non-tech people to use after testing a number of products.
> 
> To which I replied (relevant excerpt)...
> I know [Client] really wants to work with you, but I have deep concerns about building on a platform that the client can't control. If WordPress disappears, sites built in (but not hosted by) WordPress are fine, though they became more difficult to update.
> 
> I don't know if one can display the code from a Weebly or Squarespace site, copy it, and bring it to another host. If that is possible, if there's a way to strip out the parts of the code that are platform-specific and leave a functioning HTML page, I would be a lot more comfortable.
> Having seen Facebook first encourage and then sabotage FBML, and having seen properties like Plaxo and some of the early free webhosts go defunct and leave their users utterly stranded, I am not keen on building a site that can only be hosted by one specific host.
> -- 
> She is, of course, right about WordPress. When it first came out, it was very easy to use, but now it often drives me nuts. I have one WP site that's built in building blocks that I can't seem to locate, and have had to go back to the designer (who is now unavailable) for very simple changes. But I think nobody has to use those features unless they want to, and it should be possible to design a site in less-fancy WordPress. And the big thing for me is how nervous I am about not having more than one hosting option.
> 
> What would you do in my shoes?
> Shel Horowitz - "The Transformpreneur"
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