For most New Zealand small businesses that want to grow, WordPress offers the best mix of ownership, flexibility and search performance — while Wix and Squarespace trade some of that freedom for simplicity. The right choice depends on what you need now and where you’re heading.
The quick version
- WordPress — the most flexible and powerful, runs a huge share of the web, excellent for SEO and AI search, and you fully own and can move it. Needs proper setup and maintenance (or a provider who handles that).
- Wix — very easy drag-and-drop, quick to start, but you’re locked into their platform and can’t move the site elsewhere.
- Squarespace — polished templates and simple to use, good for straightforward sites, but similarly closed and less flexible as you grow.
The questions that actually decide it
Do you want to own and control your site, and be able to move it? WordPress wins — it’s open and portable. The hosted builders keep you on their platform. Will your needs grow — bookings, e-commerce, custom features, serious SEO? WordPress scales further. Do you want the absolute simplest possible start and never plan to move? A hosted builder can be fine.
The catches to know
The builders look cheap until you add features and the monthly fees climb — and you can’t take the site with you. WordPress is free as software, but you’ll want good hosting and maintenance. The difference is that WordPress costs buy you an asset you own; builder fees rent you one you don’t.
Our take
We build on WordPress because it gives clients ownership, portability and the best foundation for SEO and AI search — then we handle the hosting, security and updates so the “downside” of maintenance disappears. See how we build or ask what suits you.
FAQ
Is WordPress too complicated for a small business?
Not when it’s set up and maintained for you. You get an easy editor for day-to-day changes and a provider handling the technical side.
Can I move a Wix or Squarespace site to WordPress later?
You can rebuild it on WordPress, but you can’t simply export and transfer it — which is one reason to weigh portability up front.
Which is best for SEO?
WordPress generally offers the most control over the technical SEO and structured data that Google and AI search reward.
