A website relies on three technical components: hosting (server that stores files), a domain name (address typed in the browser), and software that assembles the visible content. Understanding these building blocks allows you to choose the right website creation solution without depending on vague marketing jargon. Current platforms often bundle these three elements into a single offer, but their limitations vary depending on the type of project.
Web accessibility and RGAA compliance: an underestimated selection criterion
Since the gradual implementation of RGAA 4.1 in France, public websites must comply with strict digital accessibility rules. Private professional websites are not yet all subject to the legal obligation, but the trend is pushing towards anticipation.
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Most online comparisons evaluate creation tools based on design or price. None measure the compliance of templates offered by Wix, Squarespace, or WordPress with accessibility standards. A contact form without an accessible label, insufficient color contrast, or impossible keyboard navigation makes a site unusable for some visitors.
Before selecting a tool, check that its templates generate semantic HTML markup (hierarchical headings, alt attributes on images, ARIA roles). A template compliant with RGAA reduces the work of correction after publication. WordPress, thanks to its open-source ecosystem, offers themes audited by the community. Closed platforms like Wix or Squarespace leave less room for correcting the source code.
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To learn more about Programmi Web, the platform gathers resources that help compare these different tools based on concrete technical criteria, beyond just the visual aspect.
AI generator integrated into website creation tools: promises and SEO limits
The majority of platforms now offer an AI website generator. Wix has deployed its AI tool, Squarespace highlights an assisted creator, and Hostinger integrates its own solution called Horizons.
The principle is the same everywhere: you describe your activity in a few sentences, and the tool produces a page structure with pre-filled text. The time savings at startup are real. The limitations are too.
Risk of duplicate content and SEO
Google has strengthened its filters against generated content without added value, particularly through the Helpful Content updates. Text produced by a platform’s AI often resembles text generated for other users in the same sector. Two bakeries created on the same tool with the same prompt end up with nearly identical pages.
Completely rewriting the content generated by AI is essential for SEO. Using the generator as a structural starting point, then replacing each paragraph with original text tailored to your activity, is the only viable approach in the medium term.
Hidden costs when changing web platforms
Free website creation offers attract with their accessibility. They come with rarely documented trade-offs in online comparison guides.
- The imposed branding (platform logo displayed on your site) only disappears with a paid subscription, which harms professional credibility from the first contact with a visitor.
- The custom domain name (yourbusiness.fr instead of yourbusiness.wixsite.com) requires a paid plan and an annual renewal whose price often increases after the first promotional year.
- Migrating to another platform results in a loss of SEO if URL redirections are not managed correctly. On closed tools, content export is partial or nonexistent, forcing you to manually recreate each page.
WordPress.org (the self-hosted version) stands out in this regard: the data remains under your control, fully exportable. Proprietary platforms like Wix or Squarespace retain technical control of the code, limiting your autonomy in case of departure.
Open source CMS or online editor: selection criteria based on the project
The choice between an open source CMS (WordPress.org, for example) and an all-in-one online editor (Wix, Squarespace, Weebly) depends on two variables: the desired level of technical control and the time available for maintenance.
Online editor for simple showcase sites
An online editor is suitable for projects where the content changes little: a craftsman’s showcase site, a photographic portfolio, a presentation page for an association. Hosting, security updates, and backups are managed by the platform. The trade-off is a fixed range of features set by the editor.
Open source CMS for highly evolving sites
An e-commerce site with a catalog of several hundred products, a blog with advanced SEO needs, or a multilingual site benefits from relying on an open source CMS. WordPress powers the majority of websites in the world, and its ecosystem of plugins covers needs as varied as inventory management, multilingualism, or technical SEO optimization.
Maintenance (CMS updates, plugins, server) remains your responsibility or that of a service provider. This recurring cost should be included in the budget forecast, just like hosting.
The choice of a website creation tool commits you for several years. Testing the free version of an online editor costs nothing, but checking the data export conditions before publishing content avoids a technical dependency that is difficult to undo later.