The comments below contain bias they are however also our subjective opinion and apparently the opinion of many people on the Reddit and other social media platforms. These are recent complaints of the SaaS community. Of course you could go to other WordPress forums and find some complaints. Read them and take them or leave them, hopefully at the end of the day you understand the severe restrictions and limitations of SaaS platforms, they are for some people. Call us to upgrade your site to a non-SaaS solution.
Website redesign or re-platform. What does that mean?
If it involves a business, it might mean repainting, putting up new signs, getting new decor, and trying to attract new clients by making the old new. It’s true that websites can become outdated and eventually need to be retired. However, the content on those websites might still be valid for a business. What a business aimed to achieve 10 years ago could still be relevant today.
It’s worth considering whether the strategy should change when refurbishing and redesigning a website. Is your audience more likely to engage with new messaging, or was the original message from 10 years ago still effective? Our Refurb Refresh service for websites offers a cost-effective solution that allows you to update your site with a fresh, contemporary look without a hefty price tag.
Creating a new website involves a lot of work. You need new content, photos, structures, strategies, and tactics. The process includes developing a content strategy, re-analyzing the business, and conducting competitor analysis to identify new market opportunities. These steps are crucial and time-consuming but can lead to significant results that go beyond a simple refurbishment and redesign. It’s comparable to moving your business to a new location and having to start everything from scratch. The outcome could attract a new audience and be more impactful than just polishing what you already have.
However, the cost of completely redoing your website might not always be affordable. It’s still better to have a website built on a scalable, open-source platform that you own, rather than using a SaaS solution like Squarespace or Wix. While these platforms might seem cost-effective, the ultimate goal is to drive traffic and have a site that you can update and edit yourself. Achieving the initial goals set when you first built the site is what really matters.
Most SaaS designers might say if you use WordPress and not Wix, SquareSpace or Webflow then your stuck 10 years ago and need to move on. Perhaps they may even be as bold to say you only want to run WordPress to collect ongoing’s fees for maintenance. The reality is you can pay the big corporate SaaS companies as much as you pay someone to manage maintenance for you.
On top of this below is the proof from social media, it doesn’t take much of a search to realise those with experience with any one of the SaaS platforms could be problematic. If you don’t want to beleive me, believe the masses if disgruntled customers. My favourite one is the Redit Sqaurespace group.
There’s also other things to consider like the fact that any of these platforms controlling your online presence could one day decide they need to charge you way more and reduce your features. I’ve seen this lots and lots on Shopify but now on Webflow.
And then this one from August 2024, massive technical and support issues for SquareSpace users.
What’s your website goal and business goal
That brings us back to the goal. The goal is crucial, and if it has changed in the last 12 months or 10 years, then the strategy might need to change too. It could be a minor change, like adding a photo of a new audience or a recently launched product line. These considerations are important when deciding between a refurb and redesign or a complete rebuild of your site.
Build websites from scratch ideally
Don’t get me wrong, I fully support building new websites from scratch to achieve the best possible results. However, customer budgets, especially in tough times like 2024, might not always allow for this. Clients need to prioritise their spending based on expected results. Your website is your online hub and brand; it’s central to your marketing efforts. You should prioritise your website over other marketing channels like Facebook and Instagram. While other marketing efforts are effective, the control you have over your website is significantly different from what you can achieve with a Facebook ad.
