Which website platform is right for you? Take this quick quiz to find out!

Image Source

Quiz Questions

1.
The most important thing first! What do you sell? (If you have a couple different products/services select your #1 revenue generator.)
- A.
  Image Source
  Physical Products (clothing, jewelry, furniture, etc.)
- B.
  Image Source
  Digital Products (downloads, PDFs, access to files, etc.)
- C.
  Image Source
  Services (contractors, lawyers, interior designers, etc.)
- D.
  Image Source
  Bookings (consultations, appointments, scheduling, reservations)
- E.
  Image Source
  Classes, Lessons or Workshops
- F.
  Image Source
  Memberships (either virtual or IRL)
- G.
  Image Source
  Events (ticketing, registration)
- H.
  Image Source
  Real Estate or Rentals
- I.
  Image Source
  Donations (one time or recurring)
2.
How many total products (or service options) do you provide?
Image Source
- A.
  Just a few (small inventory of physical products or just one or two service options, generally less than ~5 items total)
- B.
  A medium amount and I don't expect that to change (approx. 10 - 20 items total)
- C.
  A medium amount (~10-20 items) now but I expect that to grow as I expand and I test out what sells best
- D.
  I will have a large inventory of products (from dozens to hundreds) ready to go at launch
3.
Focusing on how complex your products are, which sounds most accurate?
Image Source
- A.
  All of my products/services are very simple. Most don't have any variations or add-ons that need to be taken into account.
- B.
  My products themselves are all very similar but I offer a few different variations of each (ex: different colors for merchandise or different session lengths or add-ons for bookings)
- C.
  I have products that I would say belong in several different categories (ex: shirts, shoes, handbags for a clothing store) and each of those products also has several variations (ex: size, color)
4.
Obviously getting you paid is the first goal of your website! What are your other goals? (Select all that apply)
- A.
  Image Source
  I just want to have a web presence in general and have a site to link my social media with.
- B.
  Image Source
  I want to provide basic information and educate potential clients with things like About and FAQ pages.
- C.
  Image Source
  I plan on blogging regularly to share my industry thoughts and expertise.
- D.
  Image Source
  I need to showcase a portfolio or gallery of my past work.
- E.
  Image Source
  Selling is all that matters!
5.
When you envision the layout or navigation of your website, how simple/complex is it?
Image Source
- A.
  The navigation is very simple with just a few options at the top and bottom for pages like Shop/Book, About & Contact
- B.
  Pretty basic navigation with a couple drop down menus so that people can get to more in-depth pages like FAQs or jump to certain shop or blog categories
- C.
  I have a pretty complex product or service that requires alot of explanation and information and I want to make sure that people can learn everything they need to know to purchase.
- D.
  I have lots of content that will require both main categories (Women's, Men's, Kids) and sub-categories (Tops, Shoes, Bags) to help people get around my site.
6.
How important is a completely custom look & feel to you?
Image Source
- A.
  It doesn't matter much. My branding and products speak for themselves so I'm happy to use a template and just customize it where I can.
- B.
  They are somewhat important but I think of my website as just one part of my marketing arsenal so it doesn't have to be completely custom, it just has to do it's job: sell.
- C.
  Very important. I know that lots of the base functions of a website will be very similar but extra touches and custom embellishments matter alot to me.
- D.
  I am a unicorn! Everything must be 100% custom to suit my unique aesthetics and I don't want my site to look or feel anything like anyone has ever seen!
7.
When it comes to editing your website on your own, you feel...
- A.
  Image Source
  Like that's never gonna happen. Either because tech and you are NOT friends or you're just too busy to take it on.
- B.
  Image Source
  Like you could do the bare minimum if you had to (such as adding a blog post or changing a product price).
- C.
  Image Source
  That you're eager and willing to learn how to do most things yourself but would want to lean on an expert to handle more technical or complex things.
- D.
  Image Source
  Like this was your second calling. You speak HTML, CSS and Javascript fluently.
8.
Let's talk money. Where are you at when it comes to the investment cost of a website?
Image Source
- A.
  I don't have a big budget but I know I need a web presence. I know I may not get everything I want up front but it will be a great start.
- B.
  I have a moderate budget for upfront design & development but I don't have a ton of money set aside for ongoing support or maintenance.
- C.
  I have a decent budget for upfront design & development as well as ongoing subscription fees for things like apps and extra features that I know will really set me apart from my competitors.
- D.
  Money doesn't grow on trees but I know I need to invest whatever it takes to launch and grow my online business. Based on my projected revenue, I know the investment will pay off.
9.
Thinking about the extras & features you're looking for, which sounds most like you?
Image Source
- A.
  I'm not looking for anything too fancy and feel like whatever features I need should be built-in to my website without needing any further investment.
- B.
  I'm willing to commit to spending a small amount for select apps or plugins but I'd cut features before I raised my budget.
- C.
  I have a rough budget for ongoing monthly expenses related to apps and extras but I need help optimizing it so that I can get the most bang for my buck. I like ALL the features, after all!
- D.
  "Automation" is my middle name. If there's a feature out there that makes my site look slick and cool, I want it. I have a large store and it's going to take whatever it takes to compete.
10.
Flash forward three years. What's your website like and how has it changed from now?
Image Source
- A.
  It's mostly the same as when I launched. I've updated some pricing but that's about it.
- B.
  It's a little bigger / more complex. New pages have been added to support my growing business and I've added to my product/service offerings.
- C.
  It's a lot bigger and way more complex. When I launched, I was still testing the waters and once things took off my site grew like crazy!
- D.
  It's completely different. As in, it's a new website. The one I launched with was just meant to be temporary and I upgraded as soon as I could.

Quiz Outcomes

1.
Squarespace Template or Design Kit
Image Source
You should go with: A Pre-Made Squarespace Template or Design Kit If you're down to do some (ok, ALL) of the heavy lifting, a pre-made Squarespace template or design kit can let you hit the ground running fast. Pros: Fast, minimal investment and could help you learn a little about how it all works along the way. Cons: There are lots of sources out there so make sure to do you research and check their reviews. Golive, StationSeven and Big Cat Creative are some of the biggest names in this category but other, smaller shops may offer more unique layouts for your specific niche or industry. When it comes to eCommerce, these are best for very small shops that focus on booking simple services and scheduling appointments since those things are less complex for the typical DIY user to get setup on their own. If you go this route, you'll also want to make sure your branding is pretty strong so that your site doesn't look exactly like the template ;)
2.
Custom Squarespace Website
Image Source
You should go with: Squarespace A custom Squarespace website is a great choice for small-to-medium shops that prioritize design and have lots of additional content to share as well. Pros: With a moderate upfront investment and low ongoing costs, Squarespace is a budget-friendly option for lots of online businesses. You can easily sell a wide range of products and services and with everything you need built-in to the platform you'll be able to hop on and manage your budding online empire from one place. An expert designer/developer will help you make sure your site is completely custom which means there are very few design limitations and the final look & feel won't be anything like a template. Once your site is launched, most people find Squarespace easy to maintain and edit themselves, including managing the back end of their store and orders. Cons: Squarespace is working (slowly) on improving their Commerce functionality but it's still not the best bet if you have a very large, complex store that requires multiple levels of navigation, complex product variations, advanced support and access to apps that make things run smoothly behind-the-scenes. If your plan is to grow your store quickly in the short term, you may be better off starting on Shopify even if it seems like overkill at the start.
3.
Shopify Website
Image Source
You should go with: Shopify A Shopify website says "I mean business" when it comes to eCommerce! Shopify can manage large stores and small shops with ease with templates that are designed with selling in mind. Pros: There are tons of apps available to highly customize the shopping experience for your target audience and many of the features – such as auto-categorization of new items – can make complex, large inventories less of a headache to manage. Even if you're starting small to test the waters, there's tons of room for growth on Shopify and you'll have access to all the same tools and features that the "big guys" use. This means you'll be able to provide a user experience that is on par with some of the biggest names in eCommerce. Cons: While managing orders and customers is easy, editing website content can be more difficult and confusing. Some templates can be very limiting design-wise so you'll definitely need to work with a trusted pro who can do the heavy coding and dirty work for you and possibility be willing to compromise on design in favor of functionality. Also, while all the apps are cool and definitely help improve the experience for both users and customers, most come with monthly subscription costs that you'll need to budget for.