Start with your business model
- Ecommerce-first: prioritize native checkout, taxes, inventory, and channels (Shopify, Wix, Squarespace).
- Services or bookings: look for scheduling, payments, and intake forms (Squarespace, Wix, or Squarespace Scheduling).
- Portfolio or content: design flexibility, blog tools, and fast image delivery matter most (Webflow, Squarespace).
Feature checklist for 2025
- Core web vitals support (lazy loading, image CDN, clean HTML).
- Metadata controls and structured data presets for pages, products, and blogs.
- App marketplace and automation hooks (Zapier, native webhooks, CRM integrations).
- Multi-channel selling (social, POS, subscriptions) if commerce is part of your plan.
- Role-based permissions and audit logs for growing teams.
Budget & pricing
Map must-have features to plan tiers. Avoid app sprawl by choosing native capabilities first, then add-ons.
Design freedom
Check template quality, responsive defaults, and whether custom code is allowed without breaking updates.
Support & reliability
Look for 24/7 chat or phone support, clear uptime SLAs, and status pages. Verify backup/rollback options.
Scalability path
Confirm you can add multi-language, multi-currency, or additional editors without replatforming.
Decision shortcuts
- Commerce-heavy: Shopify if you need payments, inventory, and omnichannel; Wix for blended services and digital products.
- Design-forward: Squarespace or Webflow for visuals and layout control with built-in SEO tools.
- Speed to launch: Wix AI or Squarespace Blueprint to generate layouts, then swap in your copy and assets.
What to test in a trial
- Build one real page and connect a form or product to ensure the workflow feels smooth.
- Check editing experience on mobile to confirm quick fixes are easy.
- Publish to a staging domain, run PageSpeed Insights, and verify meta tags and alt text options.