One of the first questions in any website project is whether to build on WordPress or develop a custom solution. Both are good choices in the right situation. Here is how to decide.
When WordPress is the right choice
- You want to update pages, news and images yourself without coding.
- Your site is mainly informational: services, about us, blog and contact.
- You need a store with a standard checkout, which WooCommerce handles well.
- You want a reliable site quickly and at a sensible budget.
WordPress has a large ecosystem of themes and plugins, and almost every developer knows it, so you are never locked in to one agency.
When a custom build makes more sense
- Your site is really an application: booking systems, customer portals, dashboards or complex calculators.
- You need to integrate deeply with your own software, ERP or databases.
- You have very specific performance or security requirements.
- The workflow is unique to your business and no plugin fits it well.
The middle path
Many businesses get the best of both: a WordPress website for marketing content, plus custom-built features or a separate web application where they are truly needed.
Questions to ask before deciding
- Who will update the content, and how often?
- Which features are essential on day one, and which can come later?
- What systems does the site need to connect to?
- What is your budget for building and for ongoing maintenance?
We build both, so our advice is based on what suits your business. See our web design and development services or tell us about your project.