WIX vs SQUARESPACE: WHY I MOVED
As stated in my previous post, the switch in mindset I had undergone in regard to the content I wanted to put out required a physical manifestation in the form of a website redesign. Rather than work alongside each other, my visuals and written pieces were to function independently which, if anything, called for a simpler and more minimalist design.
I had originally built my site a few years back on the Wix CMS, but after a continued frustration with how my rebuild was turning out I soon began to look elsewhere. After hearing many good things, and admittedly being ‘influenced’ by other creators, I made the jump to Squarespace and frankly haven’t looked back since.
In this post I’ll outline why I feel working with and on the Squarespace platform is more advantageous than the former for someone like myself. Nevertheless, it’s important that I emphasise this is not necessarily a comprehensive review of both systems but rather an evaluation of my experiences with the two.
For Creatives, By Creatives
One of the selling points of Wix is its ability to cater for a wide range of services with a multitude of templates, whereas on the flipside Squarespace’s branding focuses on sleekness of design that makes it a great fit for portfolios or other needs that seek to impress aesthetically rather than perhaps simply ‘doing the job’ of displaying a functional and easily navigable site.
This notion of aesthetic appeal was apparent when creating my galleries or generally adding photos to the site thanks to the level of sharpness at which they’re displayed. Not that any digital site or system should require such a large file size, but with a maximum allowance of 20MB, as opposed to Wix’s 25MB, I was initially dubious to the platform’s celebration by visual artists – especially as I had been influenced by photographer Evan Ranft’s sponsored series based on utilising Squarespace to exhibit one’s work. Upon review though, it would appear that Wix’s larger limit is somewhat illusory given its compression of uploads and subsequent mediocre resolution. In contrast, despite a smaller limit, the quality of images on Squarespace is much truer to the original and therefore the no-brainer if, like me, you’re looking for an online means to present your best photos.
When it comes to the initial design though, it appeared to me that the Squarespace workflow operates on the premise that its users know what they want, hence its template designs often being slight variations of each other that allow for a sense of fine-tuning before any customisation has even taken place. Conversely on Wix, despite its templates being categorised, the designs for the most part are fairly distinct from one another – something which can definitely be argued as a positive. By using Wix in the first place I was able to settle on the style I felt would work best for my needs, with Squarespace providing a design that resembled more of a complete iteration of that vision.
The Significance of Rigid Design
As with any switch there is bound to be a learning curve when getting to grips with how something looks and works, and this was evident in my experience upon realising that Wix seemingly offers its users more freedom than its rival platform. On the surface this could be seen as a clear drawback for Squarespace, as we often draw negative connotations from a sense of restriction, however ultimately these ‘limitations’ make for a better workflow both physically and mentally while constructing a site.
Despite stating the opposite when it came to style, the level of control Wix gives its users when formatting pages would assume that person knows exactly what they want their site to eventually become. Contrastingly, I am a fan of Squarespace’s more mature approach in recognising why an individual would make use of a ‘drag and drop’ platform in the first place and henceforth acknowledging one’s limits when it comes to web design and development.
One of the key elements of Squarespace’s functionality is its division of pages into sections, in which users can add content-based templates ranging from simple images and text to galleries and input forms. Although of course the ability to customise these sections does exist, the minimalist approach demonstrated by categorising things like margin height and width into ‘Small/Medium/Large’ options emphasises a key point – that the developers of a website building platform know how to build a better website than you.
Squarespace’s approach of ‘taking the reigns’ therefore is not only advantageous for getting the job done, but it is simultaneously educational and informative for its users – or at least those open and interested to learn more. Rather than having to set time aside to research rules regarding functional design and subsequently implementing them on a more open platform like Wix, Squarespace’s content templates demonstrate what works best by operating within parameters set by those who have taken the time to do said research.
Whilst not overtly apparent, one of the biggest lessons one can learn using Squarespace is the importance of rules when it comes to the process and end result of web design. The implementation of universal fonts and colour themes demonstrates the platform’s clear integration of CSS coding, allowing users to quickly achieve a coherently formatted site that appeals visually. Although Wix does offer the ability to set font types (for example Heading 1/Heading 2), users have to go out of their way to do this – seemingly in-keeping with their approach of providing a true sense of freedom.
Freedom isn’t free
By providing predetermined dimensions and designs, users are not only equipped with the means to construct an aesthetically pleasing and functional website, but they’re relieved of a particular burden I have previously written about – the paradox of choice. Although Wix can be commended for taking the idea of ‘drag and drop’ to its limits, its focus on freedom can quickly lead to an anxiety over the most minute details that subsequently elongates the process. Having an almost infinite array of options can certainly be overwhelming and could lead to the website ‘project’ superseding the creative pursuit it was originally intended to promote.
Furthermore, strangely, there were instances when this freedom would come to a halt given the formatting of the platform. A prime example of this being the requirement for the site to have a footer regardless of whether it held any content or not, rendering my full screen image layout ineffective for the sake of a block-coloured strip placed at the bottom. Additionally certain features are only applicable for certain themes and designs, again, disrupting the creative process as it can force users to reassess their plans and veer away from the site they had primarily envisioned.
Of course Squarespace is no mind-reader nor is it the perfect solution, yet its CSS input system is easy enough for anyone to use in order to implement features perhaps considered a step up for the average user. Although it might help, there’s no reason to have any coding experience as the platform has a great community with several forums, websites and YouTube channels providing the necessary commands to simply copy and paste akin to a cheat code.
Conversely Wix’s support channels only compounded the frustration of not being able to access certain features, as their official forums oddly acknowledge their own limitations and issues yet seemingly don’t act upon them until receiving a level of pushback worthy of attention. Naturally one could criticise Squarespace for not having particular features readily accessible from the off, but by ‘hiding’ them it serves the purpose apparent throughout the whole process; to achieve what the user set out to achieve while simultaneously encouraging them to truly establish their vision.
Last Word
It goes without saying then that, at least in my opinion, Squarespace is the better option to go for if you have needs similarly aligning to mine or perhaps even something different its general usability. Of course there are probably many more features and points of comparison that could be discussed, but if you’re simply looking for a means to create your own digital space then it’s a no brainer with the platform mastering the basics but simultaneously providing a sleek, organised finish one would expect of a fully functional website.
