I get asked quite frequently from potential clients, why they should choose Squarespace over a free service like Wordpress. To those on the outside, it is a very valid question. So, instead of having to explain things again, I will write my response here and be done with it.

1. Hosting.
Wordpress has two options, hosted for free with the wordpress name in your url or find your own hosting solution. Since there is no free version of Squarespace, I wont counter that point. For the find your own hosting option, there is some dirt cheap hosting options out there, seriously scary cheap hosting like $3 dollars a month. This, to some, seems to good to be true, and it is. Shared hosting, which is what you are getting on the cheap is like trying to fit 5,000 kids into a small cafeteria built for 50, then trying to serve them hot food in a timely matter, only there is one cook and one line to get that food. People underestimate how important hosting is, IT IS WHAT KEEPS YOUR WEBSITE LIVE. Not something I would consider a minor point. But none the less, a major reason so many people choose wordpress. Squarespace on the other hand is a self hosted service. So what does that mean exactly? Well it means this. For those of you too lazy to click the link and read the article, it basically says that Squarespace is hosted on a clustered, redundant, backed up, solely for the purpose of running squarespace, melt the face off of a huge digg traffic spike server. Squarespace maintains that server full time, it is their job. Who's job is it to manage your server when you run Wordpress? Oh, that is yours, have fun with that. The main point I see here is that you have other things to be worrying about for your business then hosting and server maintenance. Let Squarespace deal with that, the price you pay is minute in comparison to the piece of mind you get from not having to ever, ever think about it.

2. Development.
Wordpress has a great online community. They push development at a great pace. This in return helps everyone grow the system. Squarespace also has a great development push, the software is always advancing, upgrading, and pushing the envelope. The benefit for Squarespace here is that the Squarespace team is building all these upgrades themselves, they test them, they make sure they work, they polish them. There isn't the risk of downloading a plugin for your site, like in wordpress, and having it be buggy and take down your site.

3. The Back End.
A huge advantage for Squarespace is in the backend and usability of the system. Wordpress isn't, in my opinion, a great pleasure to use and develop on. When you are building a site, you need to make sure the tool you are using is easy to use, and intuitive. From all the CMS systems I have used over the years, Squarespace's back end is years ahead of others and just plain drop dead gorgeous to boot. This might be more of a designer thing, but I like things that look good AND work good.

4. Support.
A great online community is often times the best resource to find support. The only problem is when that is your ONLY means of support. There is no guaranteed turn around times or for that matter the piece of mind that your support is even the right support. With Squarespace, support is built into every site. It isn't just any support either, it is great support. Squarespace experts answer your every question, no limit to how many support tickets you can create either. It is amazing, you are never without support. I am not sure you can even justify not having this option, support is crucial and GOOD support is mandatory.

5. Features.
Squarespace offers amazingly complicated features that even my grandma could implement. All of the features are just a click away from adding. Dynamic google maps, multiple blogs, photo galleries, forum, the list goes on. Check out the feature list on their site for more details. Squarespace makes it ridiculously easy to add this dynamic content. There is no scripts or coding to add, ever. Everything is accessible to all users in a straight forward interface. With Wordpress you often times run into plug-ins that require some hacking, that isn't fun, why do you think they named it after coughing things up? Features are being added all the time to Squarespace which always keeps you ahead of the game and keeps your website fresh.

6. The Package.
So, where does that put us? Each system has it's strengths and weaknesses, and this is in no way a comprehensive review, but when it comes right down to it, I think Squarespace is far superior as a package. You can be up and running in minutes and look good doing it. The stability of Squarespace's system is second to none. You can always count on it, there are people who make sure of that, and for that, every penny of their costs are justified in my opinion. Building around the stability you have a web app that just works. There are no surprises, everything is tested and true. Some people will like open source software better, but on a day to day basis and if my business's website is counting on it, I want stability and reliability. When you buy a Squarespace account, you are buying a team. A team who is dedicated to the system and is equally passionate about it. I like teams, they make me feel warm and fuzzy, which, i bet, is what a website would feel like if you could touch it.

If you are thinking about signing up for a Squarespace site help support me and sign-up via this link.

If you some insight to add, feel free to comment.