Choosing the right platform for business blogging can be challenging. If you're unsure whether Google Sites or Wix is the best fit, this article will compare both platforms to help you decide based on your blogging goals.
Feather’s platform can streamline this decision-making process, offering tools to guide your choice and seamlessly take your notion to blog setup to the next level.
Google Sites vs Wix at a Glance
Google Sites shines with its straightforward, no-nonsense approach when considering website building. It’s perfect for those who want to get a site up quickly without fuss. The integration with Google Workspace is a huge plus, letting you easily embed your:
Documents
Spreadsheets
Presentations
On the other hand, Wix offers a more robust design experience with hundreds of templates and customization options. It’s ideal for creating a visually stunning site.
Template Tussle: Customization vs. Simplicity
Google Sites keeps things simple with a limited range of templates. This is great if you want to keep things clean and efficient. It’s all about getting the essentials right without overwhelming you with choices.
In contrast, Wix takes customization to the next level. With its drag-and-drop editor, you can tweak every detail to match your vision. It’s like having a digital canvas where your creativity can roam free.
Integration Ease: Google’s Got Your Back
One of Google Sites’ standout features is its seamless integration with Google Workspace. Need to embed a Google Doc or Sheet? It’s as easy as pie. This makes it a fantastic choice for businesses already using Google’s suite of tools. Wix, while not as tightly integrated with Google, does offer:
Wide array of apps
Third-party integrations
This makes it versatile for those who want to explore beyond Google’s ecosystem.
Hosting Heroes: Reliability and Speed
When it comes to hosting, both platforms have you covered. Google Sites leverages Google’s robust infrastructure, ensuring your site is secure and reliable. Wix also offers cloud hosting, which promises fast loading speeds and reliability. Regardless of your chosen platform, your site will be in good hands.
User Base: Who’s Winning the Popularity Contest?
Wix has a massive user base, with over 200 million registered users. This is a testament to its appeal and effectiveness as a website builder. It’s a go-to choice for many, from bloggers to small business owners.
Meanwhile, Google Sites has its own dedicated following, particularly among those who value simplicity and integration with Google’s tools. Each platform has carved out its niche, attracting users based on their specific needs and preferences.
What Is Google Sites?
Google Sites is a free platform for creating websites. It started in 2008 after Google bought JotSpot for its website-building tech. Google revamped it in 2016, making it simpler and more streamlined.
A Flexible Tool for Various Websites
Google Sites isn’t just for blogging. It lets you create various websites:
If you’re already using Google Workspace, Google Sites is super convenient. It’s great for internal sites and teams using Workspace. You can control who sees your site, your team or the general public.
Not Widely Adopted
Despite its benefits, Google Sites isn’t widely used. Only 0.1% of all websites use it.
Pros: Easy and Integrated
You don’t have to install or update software to use Google Sites. It’s available to anyone with a Google ID or Google Workspace. The editor is easy to use, though it only offers basic features. Google Sites integrates easily with other Google products. You can also use Google Analytics to track your website visitors. It’s free, though you must pay for Google Workspace and a domain name.
Cons: Limited Features and Customization
Google Sites has limited features, and you can’t add more using plugins. It offers fewer themes and customization options than platforms like WordPress. It doesn’t offer built-in monetization tools.
Wix is a go-to for anyone looking to build a website without diving into code. Its drag-and-drop builder is intuitive and perfect for those who want to get creative without fussing over complex design tools. With over 800 templates, it offers plenty of choices, though it might not match the finesse of platforms like Squarespace or WordPress.
A Versatile Platform for Diverse Website Needs
Wix’s app store gives you access to many features, making it adaptable for different website types. While its blogging tools are more essential than Feather and WordPress, the starting price of $17 monthly makes it a budget-friendly choice.
What Makes Wix Stand Out?
Wix’s strength lies in its ease of use. You can customize over 500 templates and use built-in SEO tools to enhance your site’s search engine rankings. Plus, with more than 300 app integrations, you can add complex features without writing a single line of code. The free plan, albeit limited, still lets you explore most of the platform’s offerings. But be aware: support isn’t as personalized as you might hope, and there’s no one-off pricing.
Why Feather Is the Smarter Choice for Blogging
Feather is the way to go if you want a more streamlined and SEO-friendly blogging experience. You can write your content in Notion and publish it directly to your blog; no coding needed.
A Powerful Platform for Custom Blog Management
Feather allows you to set up a subfolder blog, which is better for SEO, and manage everything from your CRM to your blog management through Notion. Want to change up the design? Custom CSS has got you covered. Collecting emails and sending newsletters directly from Notion is a breeze.
Run your blog and newsletter with Feather today! Create a new account and send emails from Notion, or go from notion to blog in minutes!
Google Sites vs Wix: Detailed Feature Comparison
Templates: The Building Blocks of Your Website
Wix offers over 800 responsive templates suitable for industries like travel and business. These templates are organized into categories, making it easy for users to find the right fit. All templates are customizable, allowing users to adjust content and design elements freely. Wix's drag-and-drop interface ensures that users can modify templates without limitations. Using stock images from Unsplash or Pexels can further enhance the design.
Google Sites, on the other hand, provides only nine basic templates, with titles like:
Portfolio
Team
Project
These templates are more suited for small-scale or internal projects than businesses looking to showcase products or services. While these templates can be tweaked to some extent, the customization options are more limited than Wix. Google Sites is ideal for users who need a basic website for simple tasks, such as:
Team collaboration
Documentation
The Editor: Crafting Your Digital Space
Wix’s drag-and-drop editor is intuitive and similar to software like:
PowerPoint
Keynote
Intuitive Design and Customization with Wix
Users can visually edit their website in real time, making changes by simply clicking on elements. Wix provides total design flexibility, with a highly visual interface allowing easy adjustments. For those with little to no technical expertise, Wix is an ideal choice as it simplifies the design process while offering robust customization tools.
Google Sites’ editor is designed with collaboration in mind, resembling Google Docs regarding real-time editing. Users can:
The editor is clean, clutter-free, and minimalistic, allowing for a distraction-free design process. It’s beneficial for internal or collaborative projects where multiple people need access to make updates.
Ease of Use: How Effortless Is It?
Wix is tailored for beginners, making it simple to create a professional-looking website with minimal effort. The platform provides users with a comprehensive package, including hosting and a domain name, eliminating the need for external services. However, once a template is chosen and customized, it cannot be easily changed without starting over, which could be a limitation for some users.
Google Sites is exceptionally straightforward, offering a minimalistic approach to website building. It’s perfect for users who need a simple site without advanced features and integrates seamlessly with other Google services. This makes it an ideal option for quick and basic website projects, especially when complexity isn’t necessary.
Ecommerce: Turning Your Site Into a Storefront
Wix includes eCommerce functionality in three premium plans, starting at $25 monthly. These plans provide everything needed for a primary online store, such as:
A Solid Choice for Small to Medium-Sized eCommerce
While Wix’s eCommerce tools are robust, they aren’t as advanced as dedicated platforms like Shopify, making Wix better suited for small to medium-sized stores rather than full-fledged eCommerce businesses.
Limited eCommerce Capabilities
Google Sites is not designed for out-of-the-box eCommerce, though third-party tools can be embedded to enable essential online selling. The platform’s limited functionality means it’s not ideal for users serious about running an online store.
Features: What Can You Do?
Wix is an all-in-one platform with multiple ways to build websites for more advanced users, including:
ADI builds a personalized website for users based on their answers to a few questions, making it perfect for beginners. The Editor is highly customizable, with features like:
This makes it a powerful tool for creating fully-featured websites. Additional apps from the Wix App Market enhance site functionality, from SEO and eCommerce to customer engagement.
Google Sites offers a minimalist feature set. It’s best suited for small, simple websites that don’t require complex features. While it integrates well with other Google services and is easy to use, it lacks advanced tools like:
SEO
eCommerce
App integrations
Google Sites is a basic website-building tool for creating informative or collaborative websites rather than a full-scale web development platform.
SEO: Getting Found Online
Both platforms are optimized for search engines, allowing users to create SEO-friendly websites. However, Wix has more advanced SEO tools, such as Wix SEO Wiz, which guides users through optimizing their website for search engines. Wix is better suited for users who want to focus on SEO, while Google Sites is more basic but still functional for small-scale projects.
Domains & Emails: Managing Your Online Identity
Wix offers an all-in-one solution. Users can register a free domain name and integrate it seamlessly with their website. Email and other services can be purchased as part of Wix’s premium plans.
Google Sites doesn’t provide domain registration as part of its service, and users must purchase a domain separately. However, it integrates smoothly with Google Workspace, making email setup and domain management relatively simple for Google users.
Customer Support: Who Has Your Back?
Wix has a strong reputation for customer support, with:
Its Trustpilot reviews are generally positive, highlighting helpful and responsive customer service.
Limited Support Options
Google Sites offers limited support and no live chat or phone options. Users must rely on support documents and community forums, which can be less helpful for those needing immediate assistance.
Plugins and Integrations: Expanding Functionality
Wix has over 500 apps in its App Market, covering a wide range of functionalities such as:
Integrations with tools like Google Analytics, Mailchimp, PayPal, and Zapier further enhance the platform’s flexibility.
Limited Integrations
Google Sites offers more limited integrations, mainly through Elfsight and Common Ninja. These integrations allow for some basic functionality, such as embedding social media feeds or PayPal buttons, but they don’t match the depth or variety of Wix’s app offerings.
Portfolio & Blogging Features: Showcasing Your Work
Wix offers templates for creating blogs and portfolio websites. It includes categories like:
Personal blogs
Food and travel
Arts
Business
Fashion and more
You can write your blog and publish it to your viewers. You can also integrate with social media like:
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
It also has many built-in and third-party apps for blogging.
Google Sites makes it challenging to create blogging websites. There is no template for that. For the portfolio, there is one template available. But customization options are minimal. If you want to create a wholly different or customizable template, you must create from scratch.
Security: Keeping Things Safe
While Wix prioritizes security with secure servers, encryption, privacy regulation compliance, and features like two-factor authentication and regular security audits, it falls slightly behind Google Sites in overall security due to the broad nature of Google’s infrastructure. This makes Google Sites the more robust choice for security-conscious users.
User Reviews: What Do People Say?
Wix receives high marks for being user-friendly and customer service-oriented. Many users appreciate the platform's support team and its simple design interface, which makes website creation accessible even to those without any prior experience. It’s trendy for personal and small business sites that don’t require complex features.
Google Sites users consistently praise Google Workspace, particularly Google Sites, for its:
This makes it a go-to solution for various professional and educational needs. The platform’s simplicity and user-friendly interface are lauded, enabling effortless website creation and information sharing within organizations.
Google Sites vs Wix: Pricing Comparison
Wix Plans: A Buffet of Options
Wix offers a delicious selection of plans for every appetite. You can start with a free plan to get your feet wet, and when you’re ready to dive in, upgrade to a paid plan. The standard shoes are like comfy shoes—they fit just right for personal use.
Pricing Plans and Features
The Combo plan, at $13 per month, offers free hosting and domain name connection minus the pesky ads.
Unlimited plan at $17 per month offers 10 GB of storage.
The Pro plan costs $22 per month and includes Google Analytics and a couple of hours of video storage.
The VIP plan at $39 per month gives you a professional logo and first-priority support.
Wix Business Plans: Get Down to Business
When it’s time to get serious, Wix’s eCommerce and Business plans roll out the red carpet. The Business Basic plan at $23 per month lets you accept online payments, a must for any business. For $27 per month, the Business Unlimited plan throws in unique apps and business development tools to help you grow.
Premium Plans and Features
The Business VIP plan at $49 monthly offers unlimited video storage and bandwidth. And if you’re aiming for the stars, the Enterprise plan at $500 per month gives you the maximum amount of tools and functionality. Whatever plan you choose, you can connect your domain for free and get a 14-day money-back guarantee.
Google Sites: The Freebie Option
Google Sites is like that friend who always has your back. It’s free for anyone with a Google account, and there’s no cost for hosting or maintenance. But you'll need a paid G Suite subscription if you want to add some bells and whistles, like a custom domain name.
Domain Name Registration and Google Sites' Limitations
Depending on the extension, you can buy a domain from GoDaddy or Namecheap for $10-$20 per year. While Google Sites is a great choice for those who don’t want to spend much, its feature set is limited, and it’s not suitable for building a scalable website.
Wix Offers More
While Google Sites is accessible and cheap, Wix gives you more bang for your buck. It has everything you need to launch a professional website, from a wide range of plans to powerful tools and features. So, if you’re looking to build a website that can grow with your business, Wix is the way to go.
Google Sites might be the way to go if you’re after a:
No-nonsense
Simple website builder
It's designed for ease of use and is perfect for smaller projects or those needing a primary site. You won’t get bogged down in design choices or complex features. Everything is clear and direct. Plus, it’s fully integrated with Google Workspace, making collaboration seamless. You can easily pull in files from Google Drive, making it efficient for teams already using Google tools.
On the downside, customization is limited. You might find Google Sites a bit too basic if you desire a unique look or advanced features.
Creative Control and Flexibility with Wix
Wix shines in letting you take the reins on design and functionality. With its drag-and-drop editor, you can tweak just about every element. Do you want to change the color scheme, fonts, or layout? It’s all within reach without a single line of code.
A Feature-Rich Platform with a Learning Curve
Wix also offers many templates to kickstart your design, which are genuinely stunning. If you’re considering eCommerce, Wix has you covered with robust tools to set up shop. Plus, the Wix App Market offers a variety of integrations to expand your site’s capabilities. The trade-off is that it can be overwhelming if you’re unsure what you want or need from your site.
Unify Your Tools: Feather and Notion
If you’re using your site to run a blog or newsletter, Feather offers a unique option by integrating with Notion. Notion is a fantastic organizational tool, and you can use it as a CMS for your blog with Feather. This means you can:
Manage everything in one place
Streamline your workflow
Enhance productivity
A Powerful Notion Integration for Blog Management
If you’re running your business on Notion, this integration is invaluable. You get a seamless experience without jumping between different platforms to manage your content. Feather also brings a professional polish to your blog with features like SEO optimization and analytics.
FAQs on Google Sites vs Wix
Can Google Sites Deliver a Professional Website?
Google Sites is a practical choice for small businesses or teams looking for a simple, cost-effective solution. The platform offers a free, no-frills way to create a site that integrates seamlessly with other Google services.
Limited Design Flexibility with Google Sites
You’ll find a selection of customizable templates designed for quick setup. But don’t expect the same design flexibility or advanced features you’d get with a dedicated website builder like Wix. If you need something more sophisticated, Google Sites might leave you wanting more.
Can Wix Sites Rank on Google?
Wix sites can rank on Google. Over time, Wix has made strides in improving its SEO capabilities to help users optimize their websites for search engines effectively. You can:
Customize meta tags
Add alt text to images
Create clean URLs
All of these are essential for good SEO. Of course, ranking on Google doesn’t depend solely on these features. Quality content, proper SEO practices, and ongoing optimization are critical.
Are Google Sites Better for SEO?
Regarding SEO capabilities, Google Sites generally must catch up to platforms like Wix. While Google Sites can be indexed by search engines and rank with basic optimization, it offers limited SEO tools and customization.
On the other hand, Wix provides a more comprehensive set of SEO features, making it easier to optimize your site. For those focused on advanced SEO strategies, Wix is the better choice.
Go From Notion to Blog With Ease Today With Feather
Imagine skipping the tech hurdles and focusing purely on content. Feather lets you write your blog posts and newsletters in Notion and automatically publishes them to an SEO-friendly blog. You don’t need coding or design smarts to make it work. It’s like having the seamless experience of Google Sites or Wix but with the bonus of keeping everything neatly organized in subfolders. That’s a win for your SEO game.
Want to tweak the design? No problem. Feather offers options for custom CSS. Plus, you can collaborate with your entire team during the publishing process. It’s as easy as writing, publishing, and growing your audience.
Supercharge Your Newsletters
Why juggle multiple tools when you can manage everything from Notion? With Feather, sending newsletters is a breeze. Draft your content, hit publish, and watch your email subscribers engage. This integration keeps your workflow smooth and efficient, like managing everything from a single platform like Google Sites or Wix. Plus, having your blog and newsletter in one spot helps maintain consistent branding and messaging.
Ready to streamline your content operations? Feather’s got you covered.