At Sprout, we understand that every business is unique. For this reason, we offer two different website design platforms: Rapidweaver and Wix. Which is best for your business? It depends. Here’s an overview of the two platforms to help you make your decision. Of course, our team of experts is happy to further discuss your options with you. Whether you’re looking to upgrade your old WordPress website or design a brand new one, contact us for a free, no-obligation consultation.
Rapidweaver Sites with a Mobile-First Foundation Framework
Rapidweaver is a Mac-based application with over 1500 add-ons that enable us to build beautiful, customized websites for businesses just like yours. Unlike other applications like WordPress, the plugins, which provide added functionality, are not held on the server. Instead, they are downloaded locally and only the website files are uploaded to the server. Your business benefits with a leaner, faster-loading website that doesn’t require constant plugin updates and security monitoring to protect you from being hacked. According to WP White Security, an estimated 54% of known WordPress vulnerabilities come from plugins.
We use Rapidweaver’s Foundation add-ons. The Foundation framework enables us to build thoroughly customized websites that display beautifully on any device. Who uses Foundation? A lot of big brands, including Crest, Amazon Jobs, Pixar, Alex & Ani, Bloomingdales, Nissan, Conair, and more.
Check out some of our Rapidweaver sites!
Rapidweaver and A2 Hosting
Many of our clients already have a hosting provider. We have experience working with a variety of providers, including Bluehost, godaddy, Hostmonster, Hostgator, Network Solutions, and many more. However, we recommend A2 Hosting. It is by far the best solution we have ever worked with. Once you set up an account, you can host an unlimited number of websites. Web pages on their Turbo plans (just $10/month) load faster than anything we’ve seen in our industry.
Rapidweaver Website Benefits:
- You’ll get a beautiful, custom website that allows you to compete with the big guys at a fraction of the cost.
- You can easily move your website to another hosting account at any time.
- A CMS editor can be added to specific areas of your website, allowing you to easily make changes without compromising the integrity of your design, brand consistency, and SEO.
- You have the option to incorporate a custom Total CMS blog into your website. Once we design it for your business, you can easily create and publish unlimited SEO-optimized pages for free.
Rapidweaver is best for businesses that:
- want their website professionally designed.
- don’t have the time to maintain their own site.
- want to keep their hosting options open, should they decide to move their website.
- need a website that primarily generates leads.
- don’t need member logins, bookings, built in CRM, or complex applications.
Rapidweaver may not be the best fit if you:
- expect to update your website often and can’t afford to pay the labor costs associated with ongoing website maintenance and updates.
- plan to add more informational and landing pages (beyond blog entries made with the CMS editor).
- would like to have special functions added on, but can’t afford the related expense.
Wix is a leading hosting solution with a built-in website design application. We chose to become a Wix Agency Partner because it offers one of the easiest CMS editors out there. It is very secure due to the fact that the editor is controlled by the hosting provider. According to Wix, they have never had a website get hacked! Wix has been continuously improving and adding features and functionality into the platform. Their SEO tools have also come a long way, enabling us to create websites that come up on the first page in search results.
Check out some of our Wix sites!
Wix Website Benefits:
- A super-easy website editor that you can use to add pages, update menus and pricing, and add photo galleries at no extra cost
- Rock-solid security
- Access to many add-ons, increasing your website’s functionality at a low cost:
- Bookings software for appointment-based businesses
- E-commerce solutions
- Member login solutions
- Several free marketing automation tools built right into the platform:
- CRM
- Web chat functionality
- Lead capture forms
- Autoresponders and automations
- Email marketing
- An all-in-one marketing tool for less. Website hosting plus email marketing and a CRM on 3 different platforms would normally be over $100 a month. Wix starts at just $17 monthly
Wix might not be the best solution for you if:
- can’t afford the monthly hosting fee ($17 and up, depending on your website options).
- want to have the flexibility of being able to move your website to another hosting provider. Wix websites only work on Wix hosting.
- would rather have a design professional manage your website edits to preserve the integrity of your overall design, branding, and SEO.
Expert Rapidweaver and Wix website design at Sprout
When you’re ready to design a new website, talk to the pros at Sprout for Business. Our team of designers, writers, and IT experts will help you select the best website platform for the needs of your growing business.
6 Chenell Drive
Concord, NH 03301
Monday-Friday
9am-5pm EST
We’ll get back to you within one business day.