Wordpress has long been the ruler of all website editors, but as sites become more feature-rich, and as modern editors climb their way up the rankings, its reign appears to be diminishing. Popular options now include Squarespace, Wix, Wix’s Editor X and Webflow. All these options profess to make it easy for users with even the most basic computer knowledge to create decent websites.
Of course, every website designer has their favourite editor and their support of each can turn quite partisan, so it’s important to do your own research and find out which editor you prefer. This could be down to how easy it is to use or because of certain features you find particularly useful.
A good place to start your research would be itkmagazine.com’s four-part series on this topic. The articles were written by an impartial author, i.e. someone who didn’t owe any support to a specific editor, which meant their opinions were not influenced by ulterior motives.
It’s also important to start your research by being open minded. As humans, we generally form a dislike to change, but how would you know if there’s an editor that works better for you out there, or if an editor has additional features you could take advantage of, if you only ever stick with the same one—how would you ever know? A different editor could take the websites you create to another level or a higher standard. Improvement is something you should always incorporate.
So, go ahead…find your new king or queen of website editing.
For comparison, Greg Devine, the writer of the articles, reviewed Wordpress alongside other popular editors. Having never used the platform before, this is what he thought of the mainstay amongst many users. If you’re reading and running, here’s the short version: he wasn’t that impressed.
The next one Greg tried was Squarespace, which is another giant of a brand. Though he felt it better than Wordpress, a lot of the functionality was kept behind paywalls.
Another editor that featured in his research was Webflow. Greg was suitably impressed with the capabilities and functionality on offer from this editor; however, he did suggest that it wasn’t for the faint-hearted. Admittedly, there is a wide range of tutorials available, but you need to sit down and absorb them—this is one editor that requires your time and attention. That said, it was clear to Greg that great results could be enjoyed if you studied the platform.
Lastly, Greg tried Wix’s Editor X platform. He felt this was the best of the bunch by a wide mile, describing it as ‘the easiest to use in the manner I wanted it to’. This was actually the crux of Greg’s scoring; though other platforms dangled great designs and templates, they didn’t make it easy for him to break from pre-set options to create a website of his own design.
Greg’s findings will not sway hardened Wordpress fans, who enjoy creating their own code and plugins for use on the platform, and who would defend it to their last breath. That’s perhaps the point—if you’re a developer who knows how to code, Wordpress may indeed be the better option for you to design websites that fit your clients’ briefs. For the average Joe, however, to whom these website editors target, not every editor is as easy to understand or master as they suggest.
Even if you find you can manipulate these website editors, you may still lack the creativity and graphic design skills the professionals possess. Your website is one entity you shouldn’t scrimp on, as it says everything about you, good or bad. Professional design may not be as expensive as you think—contact us on 07983 575934 for more information.
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