If you’re a small business owner, you’ve probably typed “best website builder” into Google and found yourself staring at a list of options: Wix, Squarespace, Shopify, WordPress, Webflow… all promising an easy way to get online.
Here’s the thing: not all platforms are created equal. What works for a side hobby or personal blog often falls short for a growing business that needs speed, scalability, and real marketing power.
At BLNK Creatives, we build custom websites in Daytona Beach using Webflow, and there’s a reason we choose it over the others.
We talk to local business owners every week who are frustrated with their current websites, common issues from struggling to update basic text, stuck with outdated layouts, or paying for WordPress hosting that’s slow and constantly breaking.
Business owners don't want to manage a website, they want to run their business.
That’s exactly where Webflow (and a skilled Volusia County local development team) comes in.
If you're new here, I'm Seth Charles, a one half of the creative team behind BLNK Creatives.
In this Journal I'm going to dive into the ins and outs of web design and functionality. My goal is to bring some clarity to other local business owners about the options out there from one small business owner to another.
Why Small Businesses in Daytona Are Choosing Webflow
- Faster, cleaner websites that load in seconds
- Full design freedom—no cookie-cutter templates
- SEO built in, not bolted on
- Easy-to-use editor for small updates
- Maintenance plans for those who want zero hassle
- Scales as you grow—no need to rebuild later
Speed & Performance
Your website’s loading time isn’t just about user experience. Most of the time it is someone's first interaction with your business and you only have a few seconds for someone to decide if they will trust YOU and YOUR brand. Studies show visitors will leave if a page takes more than 3 seconds to load.
- Wix and Squarespace are template-driven and rely on heavy code in the background. That often translates to slower load times.
- Shopify is strong for e-commerce but not always optimized for service-based businesses without extra customization.
- WordPress sites often depend on cheap hosting and a mess of plugins, which can slow everything down.
- Webflow publishes clean, lightweight code directly to the web. While still heavily template based, the results with a good designer are FAR from a basic template. Faster, smoother websites that keep people browsing (and buying).
When we launched MunizziLaw.com, performance was key. Their high-volume content library loads quickly and ranks well in search results, giving potential clients a seamless experience.
Seo Benefits
It’s not enough to have a website, you need people to find it.
- Squarespace and Wix cover the basics, but they’re surface-level.
- WordPress (with plugins) can be powerful, but plugins break, updates pile up, and security gets messy.
- Webflow has SEO baked in: customizable title tags and meta descriptions, automatic sitemap generation, alt text on every image, and full control over your site structure.
We leverage Webflow’s CMS (Content Management System) to create tons of SEO-optimized pages in a quick and repeatable way. In fact, this Journal is created with using CMS. Doing that on Squarespace or Wix? Pretty much impossible.
If you’re looking for custom websites in Daytona that actually get seen, Webflow makes SEO part of the foundation—not an afterthought.
Design Flexibility
Your brand deserves more than a cookie-cutter template.
- Wix and Squarespace lock you into their pre-made layouts. It’s pretty easy to tell when a site was built on one of these platforms.
- Wordpress needs highly skilled developers to make a site shine, and typically the really good ones are VERY pricey and the only person that knows how to 'fix' an issue on a specific site.
- Shopify themes work for online stores but feel rigid for service businesses. They lack the customization and tailored feel.
- Webflow gives us full creative control. Every button, animation, and layout can be tailored to your brand. There is virtually no limit to what can be created with Webflow.
Take Copperline Coffee. Their e-commerce runs on Shopify’s backend, but the front end design is all Webflow. That combination gave them the flexibility to sell online while keeping their brand identity front and center. For small businesses, that means your site doesn’t just look good, it feels like you.
Webflow vs Wordpress Value
Let’s talk investment. Because a good website is an investment.
- Wix and Squarespace advertise low monthly fees, but you’ll hit ceilings fast.
- WordPress looks free until you add up hosting, premium themes, plugins, and the occasional developer just to keep it running. Be weary of "we build Wordpress sites for $50/month" ads, chances are if it sounds too good to be true, it is.
- Shopify starts higher, and add-ons pile up quickly. It is a great platform for backend managing of orders, inventory, shipping, etc.
With Webflow, you’re investing in a site that’s scalable from day one. No plugins breaking, no template walls, no full rebuilds every time you grow. You pay for quality upfront, and it pays you back long-term. The monthly hosting costs are in line with that of Wix or Squarespace with plans starting at $14/month for smaller self managed sites.
Ease of Use & Maintenance
This is where we hear the biggest frustrations.
Business owners tell us:
- “I just want to change my hours.”
- “I don’t even know where to log in.”
- “I’m afraid of breaking the whole site.”
We get it. That’s why we build in two paths:
- A clean editor inside Webflow where you can easily swap text, photos, or hours. It is accessible from the home page of your website and makes managing simple things a breeze.
- Or, if you’d rather stay hands-off, our maintenance plans give you a turnkey solution. We handle updates, content management, and the works.
We see it all the time: “We build WordPress sites for $50/month.”
That sounds good on paper, but what that actually means is they are using WordPress.org with cheap shared hosting (slow and overcrowded), prebuilt themes that dozens if not hundreds of other businesses are using, and a pile of basic plugins bound to fail.
The result is a slow, fragile, and a site that is nearly impossible for business owners to have updated without "breaking" something.
Scaleability
The real question isn’t “What works today?”—it’s “What still works two years from now?”
- Squarespace and Wix are fine for starters, but most businesses outgrow them.
- Wordpress is highly scaleable, but needs a lot of hands on attention and skilled developers to make any small adjustments. Plugins are constantly being updated and broken or stuck behind hidden paywalls.
- Shopify is great for e-commerce, but overkill for a service business. And even with e-commerce sites Shopify has its aesthetic limitations.
- Webflow grows with you. Whether you’re adding services, products, or a blog, your site evolves without a full rebuild.
For law firms, cafés, and local service providers, we’ve seen first hand how a Webflow site adapts alongside the business. We use a ton of different tools and software that help us run BLNK Studios, our Daytona Beach Photography Rental Studio, and the cool thing is that all of those tools seamlessly embed with Webflow. It has been soooo easy for us to scale, add new services, and expiriment with new ideas for our brand and the ones we work with.
Final Thoughts: Why Webflow Wins
At BLNK Creatives, we’ve tested all the platforms. (Or at least most of them) Here's our verdict:
- Wix and Squarespace are training wheels and if you are serious about your business, you’ll outgrow them.
- WordPress is powerful but a headache to maintain. The negatives rarely outweigh the benefits. A lot of web developers choose this because it is a cheaper platform for them to us, thus increasing their profits... We don't think like that. We want to help you grow YOUR profits, and using high quality tools is instrumental in that process.
- Shopify shines for e-commerce but feels clunky for services. Can be used as a great hybrid Shopify/Webflow System.
- Webflow is the balance: speed, flexibility, SEO, and scalability—all in one.
If you’re a small business owner in Daytona Beach (or beyond) searching for custom web design that actually works, consider reaching out to a reputable local developer that isn't afraid to sit down with you, talk about your business and pain points with your website. Have a little brainstorming session together, if you will.
Ready for a Website That Works as Hard as You Do?
We build more than websites, we build digital foundations for small businesses to grow. Whether you’re comparing Webflow vs Wix, Webflow vs Squarespace, or even Webflow vs Shopify, we’ll guide you to the solution that fits your goals.
📍 Based in Downtown Daytona Beach, BLNK Creatives is here to help you bring your brand online with clarity and confidence.
👉 Give us a call or send a text message today, let us buy you a coffee and talk about how we can help bring your vision to life.
