XsitePro vs Wordpress - What is the best software?

By Simon Slade
XsitePro vs Wordpress - What is the best software?

 

Here is the latest video that has been posted to YouTube. If you want to receive all of our future Ask Mark and any other videos that we post, you should subscribe to the Affilorama YouTube Channel.

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This weeks question from Stefan: What is the best software for building an affiliate website - XsitePro or Wordpress?

Mark recorded a quick video explaining the differences between XsitePro and Wordpress and what site building platform is the best for affiliate websites. Enjoy!

What platform do you use for building your websites? Let us know in the comments below.

42 Comments
Parker 14 years ago
I agree that in internet marketing world, wordpress still rules them all. I personally like to use joomla, but had a great experience with wp too.
Christopher Morris 14 years ago
I like XSP. HTML is simple. It has no database. It uses less bandwidth. I don't have to worry about the hosting company complaining about the resources I am hogging on the shared system my sites are on. I don't have to worry about database hacks. I don't have to worry about plugins or upgrades. I can schedule posts with XSP just like WP. Blogs are dynamic. Static sites are not. Therefore I continue to believe that blogs are seen as platforms that should be active. Static sites..are static. They are not necessarily expected to move.

I use both, but I prefer XSP, particularly if I am not going to actively maintain the site. I'm no newbie but I love XSP. My best performing sites are all XSP.
Brian Prows 14 years ago
Mark, as always, I appreciate your candor and expert opinion.

One of the downsides to Wordpress, however, is the theme (not yours!). I've been using Thesis for some time now. DIY Themes recently released version 1.7 that caused problems with Google Analytics and its Webmaster tools. Another problem was duplicate title tags.

Despite the ease of updating Wordpress and its functionality, I'm wondering if they're fewer server and file structure issues with xSite Pro which I own. Have you noticed, using your theme or another one, problems with SEO, title tags or Apache web hosting file structures?

Matt Closson 14 years ago
Hey Mark,

Great video! I do appreciate your truthfulness, But I would have to put my vote in for Xcite pro. I guess you could call me a noobe having only been in IM world about 9 months now. I have tried both formats and I was able to get up to speed 10X faster with Xcite pro and their costumer service ROCKS!
Xcite Pro
14 years ago
I use wordpress and I have not really had any problems. I have encountered a few glitches here and there and quite a bit of testing is required to see which plugins and themes work together, but nothing major has ever come up. Considering that wordpress is free to use, it really is a bargain.
I also have xsitepro but I prefer wordpress as I find it easier to set up websites with wordpress. With wordpress, I could get websites up and running in as little as 20 minutes, provided the domain has propagated, of course.
charlie boakye 14 years ago
i'm newbie with no knowledge of html and other tech knowledge.how easy will i be able to use wordpress to build my sites?
ampie_g 14 years ago
@thepusher4u I find Wordpress easy to use. You don't really need to know html but it helps if you'd like to make some changes on the look of your site. If you sign up for Affiloblueprint, it comes with a theme that will make it easier for you to build an affiliate site. Also, the course is presented in step-by-step lessons so it's great for newbies.
Sunil @ My Membership Empire 14 years ago
I am very happy with Wordpress. I can set up affiliate pages in a matter of a few hours and get good rankings by using some basic SEO and optimised SEO themes like SEOPressFormula.

Once you learn the basic winning formula, you can roll it out again and again!

Sunil.
scott bibbs 14 years ago
Hello can you use exsite pro for a blog, I bought exsite pro but I may try wordpress for a blog in the futre
CoffeeBean 14 years ago
What about Artisteer? I like using Wordpress mainly because I have spent the most time getting to grips with it and all the plugins, but I have not used Xsite Pro so I cannot comment between the two.

Anyone have any comments about Artisteer? Am really tempted to try it.
Philippe ZAMOR 14 years ago
I tried WP and I have WP sites but I like Xsitepro Way better. I find it so easy to use and so custommable. I would recommend XsitePro especially if you are a newbie.

What Mark was saying about the advantages of having people all over the world add content to you site without having to buy the Software makes total sense but if you are a newbie I don't think that you are there yet and don't need to think about that for now if your plan is to put together affiliate websites.

XsitePro was build for internet marketers in mind and now as something call XcommentPro that allows your website to become interactive like a blog thus allowing people to put comments on your site etc.

Wordpress is obviously awesome but if you are starting go with the program that will help you with building your site and with your onpage SEO, thesaurus, easy movie integration, easy adsence insertion, easy audio file insert etc; learn the basics with the program that was made to facilitate your internet marketing learning first then go to WP... that is just my 2 cents.

Good luck.


Jean Gallagher 14 years ago
I use both xSitepro and WP extensively. You can build a traditional site in xSitepro and integrate a wp blog. Let me know if you need help on how to do it.
Russell James 14 years ago
This is something I am begin to wonder about the bother of wordpress myself . I have Xsitepro and it is a great program once you get the learning curve out of the way you can get a great looking site up and running in no time. As was noted before you do not have to worry about plugins, upgrades, or themes breaking. I just wonder if Xsite is that less effective for SEO as long as you your on page optimization and linking strategies are good..

@ Jeanooo What do you mean exactly by intigrating a WPblog within Xsite

Regards Russell
James Keele 14 years ago
I dislike XSitePro very much. The versatility that WordPress offers is much better. But be on the lookout for a new system that is unbelievable. I have started using this. It is at http://www.besteasywebsitecreator.com and is called Instant Site Launcher... Awesome!!!
Philip 14 years ago
I bought XsitePro for a year now and its real easy to setup and publish, good for newbie, and I think suits an Affiliate with very simple web pages, and on the fast track.

However your comments about Wordpress being free and all that, makes me realise I want to shift gears now to Wordpress.
eaglechick 14 years ago
Hartley, I totally agree with you - X-Site Pro rocks! It is the best investment I've ever made and I've build great sites with it. No problems at all. Much more user friendly and easier than Wordpress. It save me a lot of time and effort.
Gordon Jablonski 14 years ago
Can anyone tell me how to use the wordpress theme 1.2? Do i sign up with wordpress and introduce the theme?
Margene Smith 14 years ago
I use XSite Pro for most of my sites. I currently have two sites using Word Press. I personally can build a site faster with XSite Pro, but that is because I have greater familiarity with XSite Pro than I do Word Press.

I use Word Press when I am building someone else's websites as this allows them to do changes later where with XSite Pro they must have the program plus be up with everything you have done to their site or they will mess everything up.

I also integrate some features available from Front Page into XSite Pro. This provides greater versatility. My knowledge of HTML is very minimal so using WYSIWYG allows me to do things that otherwise would lake me hours.

Both are good systems. It all depends upon what you are the most comfortable with.

mikeantiga 14 years ago
@Keystone: You need to Install WordPress first and then upload the AffiloBluePrint theme via the WP dashboard.
Craig 14 years ago
I have only heard good things about Wordpress but have never used it myself. I have used Xsitepro extensively and have got to say, it's the single best piece of software I have ever bought. I love love love it.
Andy Arthur 14 years ago
I've used wordpress a lot and I've also used XSitePro a lot. I would say that XSitePro is perfect perfect perfect for creating and managing a website whereas wordpress is just blogging platform for people who don't know how to code.

If you know how to code and design, then wordpress can do more than just blog - but XSP does it all for you so it's a no brainer for me!
Daz Craven 14 years ago
I was introduced to XSP a couple of years ago as a graphic designer getting into design for affiliate sites. Personally I thought it was going to be just some gimmicky rubbish at first and just dabbled a bit but quite quickly I realized just what it could do and how powerful it was in comparison to everything else I'd used. When version 2 came out I grabbed it and found that nearly all of the niggles I'd had with it had been resolved and the general feel, look and effect of the software was a thousand times better. Since then I have taken the online tutorial for XSP and learned much more about what I do than I could have imagined.
If you're looking for an incredibly easy way to really make great looking sites that attract attention, are SE optimized properly and keep themselves that way then I recommend XSP to beginners and experienced alike.
seeker 14 years ago
When I first started Internet marketing I used Front Page for years, and it was great for websites. When XSitePro came out it blew FrontPage away with all the features and what it could do without knowing any kind of programing.

I have used XSitePro for years now and its still the best program for building money making websites. Yes, I do have a few Wordpress sites, and although it is free to use and easy to maintain its just not the better alternative unless you dont have any money to buy XsitePro.

Just go look at the features for yourself and you will be amazed at the depth of the SEO and special features built specifically for affiliate marketers.

You can have both a website and a blog on your domain which will give you some extra traffic, but if its a choice between the two, its XSitePro the hands down WINNER.
Mike Carlson 14 years ago
I love artisteer. Easy, quick. I have put up several sites with Wordpress themes and Blogger themes. Only your imagination limits what you can do. A bargain at $50.
Erik Heyl 14 years ago
CoffeeBean: I use Artisteer and it is a real time saver when coming up with my own them, it is easy to use and fun!. I bought the premium one which is what I'd recommend. They also update it frequently. My advice? Try the demo and see if you like it!
Scott Bernstein 14 years ago
xSitePro = AMAZING
Artisteer = AMAZING

I'm very good with coding and use Dreamweaver often but find myself now using these 2 programs to save myself a ton of time because EVERYTHING is built in

For someone that has no idea how to build a website, NOTHING comes close to XSP. Where else can a newbie click once and have a video added to their website with NO problems as far as html coding, codecs or anything else. The more you play with the software, the more you're blown away at what you're able to do. In less than 10 minutes, without knowing anything, you're building breadcrumb trails, adding audio & video, building perfect site maps, pop ups, navigation menus, even versions of your website for mobile phones, with just a click.

I also own Artisteer and that's just as amazing. One click brings you a perfect sample to use. Another click and you have a brand new sample you can use. You can save the parts you like and with one click pull up new samples of the other webpage areas.

I just started using Artisteer to make layout designs that I've added to the content area of xSitePro webpages. If these programs were only around in the 90's, I'd be so much further along with my Internet businesses.

Last, if you're designing these sites for other people, when you finish, just export them to HTML or "Export to Dreamweaver" and any outside designer can go from there.

Scotty B
The original Rock & Roll Affiliate Marketer
www.ScottBernstein.com
Jeff Taylor 14 years ago
I'd like to hear about how to use a WordPress blog on an XSitePro built website. I already use XSitePro but want to have an onsite blog. If anyone can give info on that I'd be grateful.
Byron R. 14 years ago
I use Xsitepro and WP together. I use Xsitepro because it loads faster when visited and WP for the SEO benefits.
Malcolm Stoddart 14 years ago
In light of all the above, the overwhelming majority vote for XSitePro. So goodbye frustration & $200 and hello contentment & more websites!
Ian Kelly 14 years ago
I started on Xsite Pro then moved everything to wordpress and have now just complete a mass migration back. While Wordpress had some great features, plugins etc I found for affiliate marketing XsitePro to be much better to use, especially on layout and linking.

Also for those that want comments, you can have an add on module for XsitePro called Xcomment Pro, this is an excellent tool and essentially turns your Xsite Pro pages into postings for people to comment on and to bookmark in social networks
Timmy 13 years ago
I can get a website up and running with artisteer and wordpress in less then 1 hour.

I took me a while to figure it out but once I got it its a breeze. Wordpress is so much more then a blogging platform, especially since wordpress 3.0. You can make regular websites and even membership sites.
Marlene Wheeler 13 years ago
I'm a serious newbie, I've tried WordPress and got lost, confused and had to ask for support several times; so after reading these reviews I'm definately going with XsitePro. The $200 will be insignificant compared to wasting time and hair pulling.
andreas 13 years ago
I tried Wordpress and Xsite Pro. For Wordpress design making you will need extra software such as Artisteer template generator. Xsite pro is OK but too expensive on my opinion. I searched a long time and find another program, called Website X5. That program is under 100€ and is also very good. For me website x5 is my choice
Andrew 13 years ago
I've been using XSitePro since it was first released and for the ease-of-use, it can't be beat. Wordpress is a great platform and can produce stunning websites. Thing is, to use Wordpress to its full potential you have to know a lot of code.

Even with premium themes, getting a website to look exactly the way you want it requires a lot of code in Wordpress.

I tried creating a site using a premium theme in Wordpress. I wanted an image map in the header, which was a pain to get working and flat-out failed to work in IE. About a week of messing around with css and php and refuses to work properly in Internet Explorer. The same site in XSitePro took about 10 minutes to get the header image map working. No code, no browser problems.

With XSitePro, your results are only limited by your imagination. Think up your dream layout, click a few buttons and you're in business.

Not saying Wordpress is bad. Quite the opposite. XSitePro is just easier to deploy and easier to create sites that look and work exactly as you want them to.
joanna 13 years ago
This page and all the fake comments about xsitepro are staged. Notice the times/dates of the posts, the syntax and grammar used. The comments are identical in nature and carefully weigh in Wordpress as the competition with xsitepro being preferred overall .

Xsitepro has seriously flooded the WWW with staged phony content under numerous domains and websites. It's all FAKE. Don't be gullible people!
Joseph Raby 13 years ago
Totally agree Joanna - these are a bunch of fake comments by xsitepro. Really turns me off of them - just another scummy company that will create fake comments. I'm surprised affilorama allows this.
Di Chapman 13 years ago
I am working on a 3 page WP site. I have accreditation in website design and coding from a UK University and have taught it at that level. I have used XSite Pro since it first came out and have had a site in it on the first page of Google (No 2,3 and 5 at the moment) for the selected keyword and it has been there for 10 years - I kid you not.

Back to the WP site. Client wanted the font size changed - CANNOT BE DONE unless I code the .css file and that may well be overwritten by an update.

I have nothing to do with WordPress or XsitePro but my days of spending one week to get a 3 page site OK for the client are over - even the client prefers the XS version.

We are not all moles, each to their own but I have quite a few WP sites that I did everything to apart from pay for traffic that are still in the wilderness - SEO'd and backlinked till I am red in the face.

WP - when they stop upgrading on a weekly basis I will take it seriously - until then XSite.
Kelly Kramer 13 years ago
I currently have about 150 websites running, the first ones were all with xsitepro, the newer ones are on wordpress. So far I would have to say I thought xsite pro was much easier to to build a complete site on. I still have not been able to outrank my xsitepro sites, but time will tell. Also on my wordpress sites I have been using the xheaderpro header creator, works great. The only reason I have been staying with wordpress is because of the autoblogging plugins that I have been using. The only reason I am here now is I have been told wordpress sites should optimize easier and rank faster than anything else, but I am still not sure on that.
Sheldon Lobo 11 years ago
As of my opinion wordpress is best cms. One can't compare it with any other cms It is the best and only trendy cms alive. It can help with keyword optimization and alot other stuff like plugins etc included in wp. Creating a wordpress website as it easy to use.
Amuro Wesley 10 years ago
I used both. XSitepro for info products and WP for e-commerce sites.
Franchesca 10 years ago
I could not resist commenting. Well written!
Edward 10 years ago
With havin so much content do you ever run into any problems of plagorism or copyright infringement? My site has a lot of completely unique content I've either authored myself or outsourced but it seems a lot of it is popping it up all over the web without my agreement. Do you know any methods to help stop content from being ripped off? I'd really appreciate it.