"Can't I just have a WordPress site?"
You can. Here's why your developer might suggest something else — and what it's like to run your site day to day.
What you actually want
When people ask for "a WordPress" or "a Webflow", they usually mean three things: a site that looks good, one they can update themselves, and one that doesn't cost a fortune to keep running. That's exactly what this is.
How you'll edit your site
You open Orbit, an app on your computer, and pick your site. Each page appears as a simple form — a box for the heading, a box for the text, a button to choose an image. You change the words, press save, and see how it looks before anyone else does. When you're happy, you publish it.
There's no code and no website admin to log into. If you change your mind, every past version of every page is kept, and you can bring an old one back yourself.
Edit the words and the data — not the design
Your developer designs the site; you look after what it says. Orbit lets you change text, images, prices, team members and the like, but it won't let anyone accidentally drag the layout out of shape. Your site still looks the way it did on launch day, a year later.
Why your developer chose this
- It's fast. Sites like this are usually built ahead of time as plain web pages, so they load quickly — which visitors and search engines both like.
- Less to go wrong. There are no plugins to update and no admin page for someone to break into. Most of the security worries that come with WordPress simply don't apply.
- It's cheap to run. Sites like this can often be hosted for very little, sometimes nothing. Orbit itself is free for editing one site.
- You own it. Your site and all its words live in your own account, as ordinary files. You're not renting it from a platform, and any developer can pick it up later.
Questions people ask
Do I need to learn anything technical?
No. If you can fill in a form, you can edit your site. Your developer sets everything up once, and you get a short list of sections to look after.
Can I add new pages?
Yes. Blog posts, news, products, events, team members — anything your developer has set up as a section, you add yourself: press New, fill in the form, publish. Each one gets its own page, laid out like the others.
For a brand-new kind of page with its own design, you ask your developer — that's what keeps the site looking right.
What if my developer moves on?
Your site is built with widely used, standard tools and kept in your own account. Another developer can take it over without starting again.
Can more than one person edit?
Yes. Several people can edit, and your developer can set it up so changes are checked before they go live.
What do I need?
A Mac (Windows and Linux versions are on the way) and access to your site, which your developer will set up for you.
When is WordPress or Webflow the better choice?
If you need a full online shop with stock, orders and customer accounts, run memberships, or want to design new page layouts yourself, one of those platforms may suit you better — and a good developer will say so. If you want a site that looks great and that you can keep up to date, this is built for you.
Are you the developer? See Orbit for developers & agencies.