In a world of website builders such as Squarespace or WordPress, who actually needs to have a custom developed website?
When does a company get to a stage where custom development is crucial to meet their business objectives?
We at Splendex organized a roundtable discussion where we examined this exact issue. To keep everyone safe, all communication took place online.
Our three participants were:
The moderator of the roundtable was our very own Levente Székely, the founder and CEO of Splendex.
All four of our participants have faced the challenge of what type of website to utilize and adjusted these solutions as the years progressed.
All our participants agreed that WordPress templates can give you a fantastic start while being cost effective.
If you want to test your ideas online, and you don’t have the budget for custom development at this stage, templates can be a tremendous help to get you started.
This solution is perfect for you if you:
You should consider your target audience and the type of business you run as well.
If you want to run a small e-commerce store, then WooCommerce is a wonderful choice for you to start with. However, if you don’t want to get lost in the extra plugins or handle sensitive information you may be better off trusting a development agency.
There are certain limitations when using templates that users cannot surpass. The emphasis with templates is on reliability, which limits your vision in the long run.
Custom website development can provide you with straightforward solutions while giving you the freedom of unique designs and a goal-oriented approach.
You are better off trusting a web development agency if you want:
It’s also no secret that the needs of your target audience are ever-changing. A new custom website can be an opportunity to rebrand, where the developers can add new pages and features which meet your business needs while catering to your potential clients.
We at Splendex provide free consultations so our clients know exactly how and what they are getting if they choose to partner with us.
If you use a template, it will provide you with pretty good basic results. It can introduce you to the basics of SEO and the importance of UI/UX design.
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. You can read our blog on Why Your Business Actually Needs SEO in 2020 by clicking here.
You can also collect valuable feedback from your clients and find out what more functionality they would like to see on your website.
However, what a template will never do for you is ask about your business objectives, or ensure your brand and content is in alignment with your goals.
Most development agencies make it an absolute priority to keep up with SEO requirements, marketing practices and design trends.
Most distinguished firms make it a priority to have a website tailor made for them. This gives them total control over their online presence and aligns it with their strategy. Perfect functionality can also save your employees precious hours, which in turn keeps the money in your pocket.
Regardless which solution you choose, if your website fulfills every one of your business objectives, then there is absolutely no need to change it.
That said, if your online presence isn’t up to your standards, we would love to discuss what we can do for you.
