Do NOT Use WordPress For Your Small Business Website In 2023 (+ best alternatives)

IMPORTANT NOTE: The arguments and reflections in this post are based on developing relatively straight forward informational websites (for now).

This post is for you if you need a website for your small to medium-sized business, and want another perspective on Wordpress and some of the current more modern and lightweight alternatives.

This post is also written with frustrated agency and project managers in mind, who could use some ammunition to convince their clients and prospects that Wordpress might not be the best solution for their website right now.

When I say "relatively straight forward websites", it's mostly about functionality. Like if you need to integrate your site with custom backend systems, you're in the wrong place. Learn more about how you can "do anything" with Sanity CMS here.

Anyway, platforms like Webflow are developing and will be able to handle more and more advanced websites in the time to come.

Who am I to talk?

Hey! My name is Øyvind (Ø...I know...Norwegian...just call me Owen). I've been designing and developing for the web since 2000 and have gone through 6 years of design education on the way. For the last 15 years, I have been managing Represent. 

I have been knees deep in frontend and backend development for so long and loving it. But during the last years, my love for efficiently creating the right thing has moved my agency and me toward a "no-code" approach and away from WordPress and other similar platforms.

If you're curious, you can learn more about me at the end of the post.

If WordPress is the old school way of making a website - what's new?

Come on; it's 2023. You should not have to worry about servers, development environments, deployments, and outdated code anymore if you’re building a basic website. Seriously. There are way better services to build and host your website. Webflow is my platform of choice. Or you could go with Squarespace for low budget simple sites. Other no-code platforms to mention are Wix and Weebly. Some times, like in this article, Wix is rated above Squarespace. But for a simple website, I think it has a bit too much freedom and options.

Coming from a background in both development and design, I have been through everything from personally developing an elaborate PHP based CMS (including e-commerce) at the beginning of the century, to being blessed with the amazing tools we as designers and developers have today. Somewhere in the middle of this journey, WordPress was a solid candidate for the typical small business website. But not anymore in my opinion. A bit further down, I will outline a few reasons why people still sell you the idea of a WordPress website in 2023.

The (incredibly tough!) transition to the "age of no-code" for web development

"WordPress, it's not you, you just happen to be a victim of a paradigm shift". First of all, this is not really about WordPress and also not really about the better alternatives that I'll cover. It's about a paradigm shift from having to relate to code, servers, plugins, security updates, development environments, and all that headache, to the “age of no-code”.

“No-code” web development refers to working with platforms that generate the code for a website automatically in the background, while the website builder offers visual tools to create the structure and content. So writing HTML, CSS, and JS is not required. But it’s often possible to add custom code in a no-code website builder to add functionality that is not included out-of-the-box.

Being both a developer and a designer myself, I made an educated decision about six years ago to gradually steer away from the old school ways of making websites. Since then, content, design, and user experience has gotten the focus it deserves, while the code has been written automatically in the background. The age of no-code is absolutely amazing. There's just no turning back. 

I'll get into a couple, but I will argue that the best visual no-code website builder out there is Webflow. They have been kicking ass for about nine years. A few years ago they raised a $72M Series A round of funding, and they are ramping up to let people build better websites and even web applications visually. If you're in the mood for some inspirational eye candy, check this "Welcome to the age of no-code" :)

How does the transition to no-code web development affect the business?

Imagine for a minute you manage a successful web agency. You have three designers and six developers, all WordPress experts. One day, you come across Webflow. You realize that you can make 80% of the sites you're selling to your clients in half the time at half the price. No code, bugs, server management and optimization, none of that - it's all automated. Ok great! We save time. The client saves money. Let's fire Jeff, Bill, and Stacey from the development team, train our designers in Webflow and cut our revenue in half. Fun times! No wonder most WordPress agencies are going to keep convincing themselves and clients that WordPress is the way. They have to double down. The alternative is unthinkable for most.

Been there done that

I'm speaking from experience. Tough, tough, really tough experience. During 2016-2019, I took my agency from a lucrative business based on code, servers, and all that, through a rough transition to the age of no-code. Our revenue went down drastically, and we have had to downscale our team. It hurt, but honestly, I can't sell our clients the wrong thing, just because it's easier for me. 

Time to evolve

About six years ago, I had a chat with my full-time frontend developer Peter, who had mainly been working on HTML/CSS and WordPress/Craft CMS. "Your line of work is gradually going to fade away in the coming years, so it's time for you to start acquiring new skills." He went both directions. Deeper into code, to be able to work on frontend Javascript-based applications, and further away from code, becoming a Webflow expert. The transition is not over, but it has played out how we predicted. Coding a business website from scratch was our bread and butter business 5-10 years ago, and now it almost doesn't happen at all.

It's not always going to be pretty, but it's time for many WordPress developers and agencies to pivot before they become obsolete. Even if it may be an almost impossible choice to make. We have seen many other forward leaning agencies make the same move from WordPress to Webflow, like Tension Design (click here to read their article).

4 reasons why people TELL YOU WordPress is the right fit for your business

The reasons may be many. Below are the top 4 reasons why I think people feed you WordPress. The first one is delicate and scary.

5 reasons why you might THINK your business should be using WordPress

Sometimes you don't need anyone to sell you WordPress, as you already know that is what you need. We have plenty of clients telling us they need a WordPress website. Some clients even require WordPress in their project brief. This post might allow me to have a nap instead of explaining to yet another client that no, they really don't :) Here are the typical reasons why, and why not.

8 of my main concerns with WordPress

Here are a few of the concerns I have with WordPress, that I typically raise with potential customers to guide them toward a brighter future.

Last but not least, more often than not, it’s just no point hosting a website yourself in 2023. You don't need to be responsible for the server, code, SSL certificate, and all that heavy lifting. With modern web development tools and services like Squarespace and Webflow, you no longer have to. Unless of course, you have specific requirements that are not met by these no-code alternatives.

The smarter, no-code way of building for the web changes everything

Again, this post is not really about specific platforms. It's about the paradigm shift from code to no-code web development. But anyway, I'm going to tell you about my favorite no-code platform. Webflow is the best tool to transform the way we build our websites right now, in my opinion. The platform is 100% hosted, meaning you never touch any code. The code for the website is produced automagically in the background, while we keep our focus on that matters; amazing content and user experience!

Bye-bye code, servers, development environments, deployment scripts, security updates, ...HELP!

Through all my years managing web teams at Represent, technical infrastructure and maintenance have been what kept me up at night. I had been keeping a close eye on Webflow for years. It represented a potential savior from the hassle that comes with building and hosting with platforms like WordPress. And when they finally launched CMS functionality (clients can log in and edit content right on the page) late 2015, I couldn't be more excited! 

Since then, we have built almost exclusively on Webflow, gradually replacing old sites and shutting down servers at Rackspace and AWS. And life keeps getting easier and easier :) Also, our clients couldn't be happier. Even our developers finally admit Webflow is a fantastic tool, despite "coding" in a visual interface a lot of the time.

"Content first" web development is a total game-changer

With Webflow, we can build websites content first. No joke, we often have clients working with real content in the CMS only a few days after our initial startup workshop. The client adds CMS driven content while we are shaping the structure around it. Then when it is time to apply the visual layer, most of the content is already in there, as opposed to building a site on hypothetical Lorem Ipsum content. Here is an example of an early-stage content prototype in Webflow, where the client could already login and work with the copy. It took about an hour to make based on a wireframing kit we made for Webflow.

Build from scratch at lightning speed, or start with a template

We have only done a couple of Webflow sites based on a template, but there are hundreds of great free and paid Webflow templates to choose from. So, we can have your amazing business website ready in about an hour based on a template, and tune it from there. Or like we most often do, develop a solid strategy for communication and content, then develop the ideal solution in a matter of days.

It's worth mentioning that a Webflow template is not like a WordPress template. It does not have a fixed set of options, and if you want something different, you have to fiddle with code or plugins. It's more like we get a starting point, and we can still build and edit as quickly as when building from scratch without touching code.

Building in Webflow from scratch requires a basic understanding of HTML/CSS principals

If you are building your own business with no cash to spend on a website, Webflow might not be for you. If you need a clean and simple do-it-yourself website, go with Squarespace. Or, if you have some time and want to build your site exactly how you want it, do the Webflow 101 crash course. The course is a series of 42 videos (1h 58m total) that also includes fundamental HTML and CSS principals.

12 reasons why Webflow is the best no-code website builder in 2023 

I'm not married to a single platform, but again, Webflow is my #1 no-code website builder as of now. It’s worth mentioning that Webflow is not a “drag-and-drop” website builder like Squarespace, Wix, and Weebly that lets you build your website with readymade blocks without any prior knowledge of how to structure websites with HTML and CSS. You need to know basic HTML/CSS, as you're building websites using similar techniques as coding. The huge difference is that you don't have to write code, rather create the elements and styles from a graphical user interface, like Photoshop.  

So I guess you could say that Webflow has smaller building blocks that you have to know how to piece together, while Squarespace has large blocks that anyone can figure out how to build with. That said, it is super easy for a developer to build with Webflow and shave 50-80% off their development time. And for a designer, you should be able to get by after a couple of hours of training - start with this Webflow 101 crash course.

If you are a business owner without any experience designing or developing for the web though, I would recommend reaching out to a designer or developer you know and request Webflow specifically. Or, build a site yourself in Squarespace with less freedom and control, but doable on a lower do-it-yourself budget.

Ok, let’s get into why Webflow is awesome. Note: I have no affiliation with Webflow, I just freaking love it :) As do all the designers and developers I have introduced to the platform.

How I pitch Webflow with its current limitations

When I help my clients evaluate Webflow, I lay some truth upon them: We will be able to make 80% of your dreams come true, using half the time and money. Are you down? Also, that 80% will keep growing. Whenever we meet a roadblock in Webflow that is not mission-critical,  no problemo - they were warned and prepared :) As long as we have done our research and planning right, we will avoid mission-critical surprises.

The opposition: “Why WordPress Is The BEST Platform To Build Your Business or Startup Website On”

If you search “should I use WordPress for my business website”, you will get a sweet mix of YES and NO articles. Here is the most in-depth YES article I could find in the top 10 results: https://medium.com/swlh/why-wordpress-is-the-best-platform-to-build-your-business-or-startup-website-on-df3fe932fad7

I gave it a read, and can’t find any arguments that outweigh what I have discussed in this post. At a high level, the following is the author's main points. I’ll add my comments.

WordPress is open, and you can do anything you want with it

Yes, and if you need these infinite possibilities so much that it outweighs all the issues in this post, go for it. If you can cover your needs with Squarespace (do it yourself) or Webflow (for designers and developers), do that instead.

It’s cheap

Sure, WordPress is cheap, even free. In theory. But, both my agency and my peers who have done projects on WordPress and Webflow/Squarespace, find that WordPress often gets pricey after all. The accumulating cost includes everything from the cost of plugins to maintenance cost to developers. Here is a video that breaks down the cost, and showcases a side-by-side speed comparison of the same site made in Webflow and WordPress:

WordPress crushes other well known CMS platforms like Joomla and Drupal

Well yes, I wouldn’t touch Joomla or Drupal with a ten-foot pole. Being better than those two does not mean WordPress is the right tool for our job.

Wordpress scales better than Wix because of Wix’s limited functionality

Sure, you might be limited by Wix at some point if you were to use that no-code website builder. I have never even bothered using Wix though, for the simple reason that I have never been recommended that platform by any of my peers or tech role models ever! And I have no desire to eat shit to figure out what it tastes like. Ok, that was harsh, but he does not cover the obvious better alternatives; Squarespace and Webflow (I’m getting tired of those names too by now, sorry). 

Wix might be ok, and it might also be a good WordPress alternative in the age of no-code. But the extreme freedom of being able to place endless elements anywhere on the page might very well leave you with a mess and poor user experience for your visitors unless you know exactly what you’re doing.

Wix is kind of in-between Squarespace and Webflow:

• Webflow - Build with total freedom, like you would have coded it, but visually. Skills required. Acquire them here.
• Wix - Build with more constraints and more ready-made elements, but place elements freely on the page. Some skills required.
• Squarespace - Get a simple and pretty website with as little build work as possible. Almost no skills required.

I think we can say Wix is like Microsoft’s PowerPoint - you can do almost anything, and most of the time that ends up looking pretty ugly unless you’re a designer. And Squarespace is like Apple’s Keynote. You have very limited options, but it always ends up looking beautiful!

Endless plugins and integrations

Yes for sure! But that also comes with all the challenges outlined in My main issues with WordPress specifically. In my experience with Webflow so far, I have very rarely come across a challenge that I cannot solve fairly easily, without the equivalent of a Wordpress plugin. 

The author mentions e-commerce with WooCommerce. E-commerce comes with Webflow. He mentions membership sites with paid subscriptions. This is super well integrated with Webflow using https://www.memberstack.io/. Generally, a lot of the really cool services out there, like Mailchimp for email marketing, integrate with just about any platform. This is because both the service providers and the platform managers share the incentive to work together.

WordPress vs Squarespace vs Webflow

I have personal experience with all these 3 platforms, but honestly, I can’t be bothered to write a detailed comparison between the 3 right now. There are plenty of other good side-by-side comparisons out there, so I’ll rather link you to what you’ll find in the top of the search results :)

• Wordpress, Squarespace or Webflow? - #1 Webflow, #2 Squarespace, #3 WordPress
• Webflow vs Squarespace - #1 Webflow, #2 Squarespace
• Webflow vs Wordpress - #1 Webflow, #2 WordPress
• WordPress vs Webflow - #1 Webflow, #2 WordPress

To conclude, those with in-depth experience with all the platforms, generally leave WordPress on the losing side.

You can also have a look at the (obviously very biased) comparisons Webflow made themselves vs Squarespace and WordPress.

About the author

Hey again! If you didn't catch it in the intro, my name is Øyvind (Ø...I know...just call me Owen). 

• Born in 1980 in Oslo, Norway. 
• Started playing around with design back in the early '90s on a Macintosh Classic II. 
• Programmed games on my Casio graphical calculator in school in the '90s - thug life. 
• Bought a Compaq Presario laptop in 2000 and started teaching myself design and web development, to earn back the $2000 it cost me. 
• Sold my two first websites to my pro snowboarder buddies for $1000 and $3000 later that year. 
• I got myself a year of graphic design education and a 5-year master's degree in industrial- and interaction design alongside my work, for a solid theoretical design foundation. 
• By the time I graduated in 2008, the client base was already pretty solid so I went on to partner with another designer and hired a couple more to start Represent.
• Never looked back and I have been building businesses, brands, identities, and websites ever since - through my agency Represent for the last 14 years.