In “Google Sites vs WordPress: 4 Key Differences,” author Kathryn Lang discusses the 4 main differences between the two platforms and breaks down which platform is better for whom on ithemes.com. Lang begins her article by discussing who each platform is for, continues into customization options, goes on with ease of use, and finishes with overall flexibility.

Lang begins her comparison by stating that WordPress is for everyone as it offers so many options and customizations for people who want to run a blog or magazine-style site, an event site, or an eCommerce site. WordPress itself originally began as a blogging site but has evolved into a “complete content management system.” This means that it is usable by someone with no extra knowledge of html, coding, or other specialized knowledge which has increased its appeal to a growing demographic of users. Lang goes on to say that 40% of all websites are on WordPress. The one downside, she says, is that there is a learning curve in the beginning; this difficulty soon passes as one becomes familiar with the platform.

On the other had, Google Sites can be set up and running very quickly for someone who just a simple and straightforward page builder. While one’s ability to customize the Google Sites is severely limited, it is a good choice for a “on-off site.” This does not make a good long-term site choice for business growth.

Kathryn Lang goes on to discuss customization options which both platforms offer in different ways. WordPress gives one the ability to customize freely with one’s imagination. This can be a difficulty, Lang says, due to the sheer number of different option available in all of the features. For people who like coding, there are even more options. When it comes to customizing Google Sites, there just are not a lot of options. However, Lang says that what it lacks in options, it makes up in ease of use and simplicity. When creating a new page, one sees a page builder load and all options that are available. Easily added are options like text boxes, dividers, images, buttons, other options. Dragging and dropping are the only skills needed.

With ease of use, some users may become paralyzed with the sheer number of options WordPress offers and be asea with where to begin. Once one becomes familiar with the system, however, we realize that everything is there with a bit of learning. Google Sites does not suffer from the same difficulties as it is incredibly easy to use from the moment one begins to create. While Google Sites is incredibly easy to use, WordPress cannot be denied winning based on sheer power.

This power is most evident in WordPress’ flexibility and customizability to create any type of website one could want. While Google Sites cannot compete with this flexibility, it gives the user access to Google’s complete suite to use. And while it cannot be used to publish blogs, one can link to Google’s Blogger platform.

In the final analysis, Lang states that the two platforms serve two very different audiences. Google Sites is a wonderful platform that is easy to set up and is great for new, inexperienced users. It gives one a limited presence on the web. WordPress is definitely for a more business-focused community of users who want or need more versatility in their web site construction and use.

With my limited experience with website construction and limited use for now, this article helped solidify my choice of Google Sites as my collaboration tool. I would like to focus on a more limited area before branching out to something as big and varied as WordPress. However, my recent experience with Edublogs, a subsidiary of WordPress, has me thinking that I may be able to handle something like the latter.

Lang, K., & Kathryn LangKathryn Lang believes it is simple. (2021, October 7). Google sites vs WordPress: 4 key differences. iThemes. Retrieved November 13, 2022, from https://ithemes.com/blog/google-sites-vs-wordpress/