Need a Temporary Website Fast? Squarespace is Fine. For Now.

If you need a simple website within days, use Squarespace, Wix or Weebly or other drag & drop website builders — and then quickly move on to better platforms, like WordPress. Here’s why and what steps to take to make it happen.

One of my colleagues needed a portfolio website up and running within a few days to show his work to a potential employer. “So, where do I start?” he asked me in a panic. “I don’t know how to code, and I’ve never built a website before! What platform should I use? Squarespace or WordPress?”

Have you ever asked yourself the same question?

Here’s my answer: When you need your first one-page or small website launched quickly, have no experience and have no time to get creative, choose simple drag & drop builders like Squarespace, Wix and Weebly. But don’t rest there. If you want to brand yourself and stand out, you eventually will need to move on to a more customizable platform.

Your goal is to prepare the ground to move to WordPress as soon as your simple portfolio site is live. Squarespace/Wix/Weebly templates are adequate for the beginning but won’t give you much room to experiment and fine-tune your site. And you need to customize your design to stand out.