Free Website Builders: You Get What You Pay For
“I missed leads because of this buggy plugin.” That’s an actual quote from a review of Wordpress. Other plugin reviews: “Stopped working.” “Does not work with Recaptcha.” “Doesn’t work.” “Broken.”
Wordpress may be the most popular Content Management System on the market. Certainly, it’s a tempting product, like a late-night infomercial. “It’s Free!” “It’s Easy!”
And in one sense, that’s true. I’ve built sites in less than an hour with free online website builders. Simple, easy, pretty – and free. But be careful — you get what you pay for.
These freebies can be clunky on some mobile phones. Sites act weird on certain web browsers. And while a site can be reasonably intuitive to put together, the pieces can be difficult to bend to your will if you’re not a web developer.
You get hacked. Over one weekend, I got 100 red alerts from Wordpress, flagging the site for security issues. Ugh.
Plugin Overload?
At LRS, we hear this all the time: businesses have a love/hate relationship with their content management systems. “It was easy at first,” they say, “But then, we had to pay for plug-ins.” And later, “Their customer support is bad. When I have a problem, it takes a long time to get it fixed.”
AJ, one of our developers put it this way: “Plugins are a huge target for vulnerabilities. They can’t be updated, due to lack of technical support. Updating plugins could break the whole site. More plugins can make your site less secure.”
The LRS Antilles Content Manager Solution
That’s why the group of web developers at LRS Web Solutions wanted to build our own content management system. The result: LRS Antilles Content Manager.
What’s better with LRS Antilles? Here’s the short answer: It’s easier to use, it’s more flexible, and delivers better experiences for you and your website visitors.
LRS Antilles CMS is our baby. We care and feed it every day so it continues to evolve. And we’re always making sure the performance is flawless.
Beau, the “father” of LRS Antilles, puts it this way: “LRS Antilles was created because other website solutions were difficult to use and not customizable. Every aspect of Antilles was built from the ground up with ease of use as a requirement.”
A CMS Faceoff
If you’re not convinced that you should try LRS Antilles, take a look at the chart below to see how well LRS Antilles stacks up against Wordpress in the battle for the best content management system:
| Wordpress |
 LRS Antilles CMS |
Who Built It?
Templates and plugins are cobbled and patched together by hundreds of unknown web developers with varying skills and abilities. (That's too many cooks in the kitchen!)
|
LRS Antilles CMS is built and maintained by an established LRS team. We take pride in our product.
LRS Antilles’ visual, intuitive and user-friendly interface makes it easy to use.
|
Compatability:
Plugins and widgets may not be compatible with each other and are maintained by individuals who may not update them at all
|
Modules are made to work together and maintained by the LRS team. We continually care for and enhance our modules – and add new ones that work seamlessly in LRS Antilles.
|
Help:
Need Help with WordPress? Good luck. You’ll submit a ticket to different software developers, usually via public forums. You may or may not get a reply. You’re waiting… Support is not readily available for Wordpress and most of the free plugins. Premium plugin support is generally limited.
|
Quickly submit a Helpdesk ticket to a real, live person at LRS Web Solutions for a fast turnaround. You can also call for even faster service. We strive to build strong working relationships with our clients.
|
Upgrades:
Upgrades to Wordpress itself are frequent but plugins may or may not be upgraded to work with the latest version
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Frequent upgrades to LRS Antilles ensure that all modules work smoothly.
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Costs:
You’ll pay for premium plugins with yearly licenses and still limited support
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No hidden fees. We build the site you need now. You pay for what you want when you want it.
|
Templates:
Templates aren’t very flexible unless a site builder is used. These usually inject unneeded markup and can be difficult to maintain.
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We talk with you and build a site that fits your vision. Predefined templates are available to save time and budget.
|
Security:
Security issues exist and is targeted by hackers searching for security vulnerabilities.
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ASP.NET has more built-in security features in its core. With an additional SSL, your site is even more secure.
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Plugins:
Pick from an overwhelming number of plugins, but none are catered specifically to what you need.Often, plugin management is hidden within submenus or confusing locations.
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Need a specific module or app for your company? We can build that.
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Language:
Built with PHP and MySQL
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Built with ASP.NET and SQL Server |
Training:
On your own with online tutorials and public forums
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Get live, in-person training with LRS Web Solutions' developers. Ongoing training is available anytime tailored to your questions.
|
Whew! That’s a lot to take in. To simplify, remember how Beau sums up the benefits of LRS Antilles CMS: “We not only developed LRS Antilles, but we provide the website integration, ongoing guidance, and training. It’s better to have the same company build, maintain and deliver your CMS. You’ll have a better experience.”
“We not only developed LRS Antilles, but we provide the website integration, ongoing guidance, and training. It’s better to have the same company build, maintain and deliver your CMS. You’ll have a better experience.”
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Source: capterra.com