Hire web professional or use a DIY platform?

With Wix, Squarespace or other DIY platforms for example, when you make changes to your custom site design, you are customising templates that were created by someone else. The templates themselves are not unique, so you are limited in the changes that you can make. It's a similar situation with functionality and features. This may be OK if you only need something simple, but for more complex ideas, the technical restrictions can accumulate.

Custom website development on the other hand, is centered specifically around your business goals and requirements. You can make any changes you want, and you are not limited to the designs of others or features that don't quite fit your use case.

The difference between custom development and off-the-shelf platforms is foundational.

The custom development process begins with a discovery and strategy workshop in which you research your business, industry, and audience. You then enrich your idea and strengthen your proposition before creating a tailored strategy that is informed by all of your built-up insight and discovery.

Once you know what features and messaging will benefit you most, then you move on to create a design that feeds into the strategy and integrates your content text to produce a cohesive overview of your product and service messaging.

Because it's a bespoke process, custom web development can take longer to implement than an off-the-shelf platform. However, in the long term, custom web development is more flexible and can save you money.

For example, a custom website can be designed to integrate with your existing marketing and sales software, saving you time and money on integration costs. An off-the-shelf platform can't necessarily do that.

A custom website is a valuable tool for businesses of all sizes

Whether you are a start-up, SME or enterprise, custom web development can give your business the advantages that custom design can provide.

In custom website development, we begin with your goals and work to build a custom solution that meets those goals. We don't start with a template, so we are not limited in the changes that we can make. And because custom web development is more flexible than off-the-shelf platforms, it can save you money in the long term. custom web development is the better choice for businesses that want a professional website that reflects their brand message.

So custom web development can be cheaper in the long term than off-the-shelf platforms?

Yes, you read that correctly.

You might be thinking pro web development is expensive and only the "big guns" and brands can afford it. You may have even heard custom web development is a luxury that's overkill for most business owners.

That couldn't be farther from the truth, when done correctly, custom web development can actually cost less than off-the-shelf platforms. The key is having a website and marketing strategy in place, understanding your goals clearly, and being willing to make adjustments along the way.

How does professional digital strategy help?

Working with a web development agency to define an effective website and marketing strategy can help your company future-proof its digital presence.

Having a solid foundational starting point and project direction in place allows you to create a website that is more targeted and effective for your company's business goals by paying attention to your customer's and users' needs.

Also, websites with a strategy are more likely to be future-proofed and successful, costing less over time and resulting in better ROI due to professional insight and recommendation - the solution is highly customised for your specific situation.

Conclusion - Custom web development might be the right choice for you.

If you are considering this route, it's important to take the long view. Study your industry, identify who your key audience is and what features they need, and then find a custom web development company that can help you achieve all of your goals. With the right partner, custom web development can be the better choice.