Why Choosing the Right Website Platform Matters

And Why I Trust Open Platforms Like WordPress (Mostly)

Building a website feels exciting. You pick a template, slap your logo up, hit publish — done, right?

Not so fast.

Choosing where you build your website is one of the most important — and most overlooked — business decisions you’ll ever make.

And it’s not just about today’s setup. It’s about your future freedom, control, scalability, and costs.

Because while site builders make it easy to get started, some come with strings attached — big ones.

Move the wrong way, and you could end up trapped, paying more, and rebuilding from scratch later.

Here’s why platform choice matters, why I prefer open platforms like WordPress, when closed platforms like Shopify actually make sense — and why you should think twice before trusting a proprietary builder.

🧠 The Problem with Proprietary Platforms

Proprietary platforms often lock you in.

You build your website using their tools, on their hosting, under their rules.

And if you ever want to leave?

You can’t just pick up your website and move it somewhere else.

You often have to start again from scratch.

This means:

• More time rebuilding

• More money spent redesigning

• More disruption to your business

• Potential loss of SEO rankings and customer trust

📋 Examples: Popular Platforms & How “Trapped” You Are

Here’s a breakdown of some well-known platforms and whether they let you export or move your site easily:

• It’s fast to set up

• You don’t need a web designer

But later, you want:

• Better performance

• More flexibility

• Cheaper hosting

• Custom features

You realise you need to move… but guess what?

You can’t just take your CrazyDomains site and move it elsewhere.

You’d have to:

• Rebuild the entire site manually

• Redesign everything

• Pay again for a developer or lose months doing it yourself

What felt “cheap” up front? Now very expensive.

📈 Why Open Platforms Like WordPress Make Sense

Here’s why I love WordPress (and why it powers over 43% of all websites globally):

✅ Portability

You can host WordPress anywhere.

Want to change hosts? No problem. You can take your files and database with you.

✅ Ownership

You control the code, the content, the domain, the hosting.

It’s your site — not a rental.

✅ Flexibility

Need to add ecommerce? Bookings? Memberships?

There’s a plugin (or three) for that.

✅ Scalability

Start simple, grow complex. WordPress scales with you.

✅ Massive Ecosystem

Developers, designers, plugins, themes — endless options.

✅ Export Friendly

Even if you want to move away from WordPress someday, migrating content is far easier than from proprietary systems.

🛒 The Shopify Exception: A Fair Case for Closed Systems

Now, here’s where I’m not dogmatic:

Shopify is a closed platform — but for ecommerce, it’s one of the best choices out there.

Why?

✅ Best-in-Class Ecommerce Features

Built-in payment gateways, inventory management, shipping integrations.

✅ Secure and Stable

PCI compliance, SSL, automatic backups.

✅ Exportability (sort of)

While you can’t move a Shopify store directly elsewhere, you can easily export:

• Product data

• Customer lists

• Order histories

✅ Low Maintenance

No need to manage your own servers or security updates.

Bottom line:

If you’re building a serious ecommerce-first business (not a general brochure site), Shopify’s tradeoffs are often worth it.

📉 Short-Term Convenience vs Long-Term Costs

Site builders like Wix, Squarespace, CrazyDomains, and GoDaddy lure you in with:

• Low monthly costs

• Easy-to-use templates

• Fast setup

And honestly — for personal blogs, side hustles, or MVPs?

Sometimes they’re fine.

But for real businesses?

You outgrow those platforms very fast.

And when you outgrow them, migrating is messy, expensive, and painful.

It’s like choosing a house you can’t leave — even if the neighbourhood gets worse, the plumbing breaks, and the rent triples.

🔥 Real Business Risks of Getting Stuck

Choosing the wrong platform can lead to:

• Forced rebuilds when you outgrow features

• Lost SEO rankings when moving domains or sites

• Wasted marketing budgets driving traffic to underperforming sites

• Brand inconsistency during migrations

• Lost control if the platform shuts down or changes pricing

• Vendor dependency with no way out

🔍 What to Look for When Choosing a Platform

Before you build, ask these questions:

✅ Can I move my website if I need to?

✅ Do I own the content and the code?

✅ Is the platform widely supported?

✅ Will it scale with my business goals?

✅ Can I integrate with other tools (CRM, email marketing, payment systems)?

✅ Is it SEO-friendly from the start?

✅ Does it offer real flexibility, or am I boxed in?

If the answers are “no” or “maybe,” think carefully before committing.

🧠 Final Word: Plan for Growth, Not Just Launch

It’s easy to think, “I just need something online, fast.”

But your website isn’t just a digital business card — it’s the backbone of your marketing, sales, customer support, and brand.

Plan for:

• Growth

• Changes

• Pivots

• Opportunities

A little more thought (and a little more learning curve) now could save you thousands of dollars and months of headaches later.

🚀 TL;DR: Choose Freedom, Not Chains

Building your website on a proprietary, closed platform might seem easy.

But real businesses need ownership, flexibility, and future-proofing.

• WordPress: Open, powerful, flexible.

• Shopify: Great closed-platform exception for ecommerce.

• CrazyDomains / Wix / Squarespace / GoDaddy Site Builders: Risky long-term traps.

Choose platforms that grow with you — not platforms that trap you.

✋ Need a Website That’s Built to Last?

At Bitstream Media, we build sites designed for growth, scalability, and true ownership — with the power of open platforms like WordPress (or Shopify when it makes strategic sense).

📞 Book a discovery call

💬 Chat with us

🌐 Visit bitstreammedia.com.au

Your business deserves a site that’s truly yours.