Planning
Custom Development, Shopify or WordPress: Which Is Right for Your Business?
An honest comparison of three common ways to build a business website, and the questions that point to the right choice.
There is no single best way to build a website. Custom development, Shopify and WordPress each solve different problems well. The right choice depends on what your business sells, how your team works and what the website needs to do over the next few years.
Custom web development
A custom website is designed and built specifically for your business, using modern web technologies rather than a theme or page builder. It gives the most control over layout, performance and functionality.
A good fit when
- You need a distinctive design that doesn’t fit a standard template.
- You have specific functionality, such as a custom calculator, booking flow or integration.
- Performance and long-term maintainability matter a lot.
Things to consider
Content changes may need a developer unless a content management system is included in the build. Planning matters more, because everything is built to order.
Shopify
Shopify is a hosted eCommerce platform. It handles hosting, security updates, payments, inventory and checkout, so you can focus on selling. Themes can be customised extensively, and apps add extra features.
A good fit when
- Selling products online is the main purpose of the website.
- You want a reliable checkout and an admin your team can use without technical help.
- You prefer not to manage hosting, updates or security yourself.
Things to consider
Shopify has a monthly subscription, and many apps add their own fees. Some things are fixed by the platform — such as parts of the URL structure and how far the checkout can be customised on your plan — so it is worth checking requirements early.
WordPress
WordPress is a widely used content management system. It is flexible, has a large ecosystem of themes and plugins, and gives your team a familiar way to edit pages and publish articles. It can also run an online store with WooCommerce.
A good fit when
- Content is central: pages, articles, news or resources updated regularly.
- You want full ownership of your website and hosting.
- Your needs are covered by well-supported plugins.
Things to consider
WordPress needs ongoing maintenance: core, theme and plugin updates, backups and security checks. Too many plugins can slow a site down or cause conflicts, so they should be chosen carefully.
How to decide
- Is selling products online the main goal? Start by looking at Shopify.
- Is regularly publishing and editing content the main goal? WordPress is often a strong fit.
- Do you need something specific that themes and plugins handle poorly? Consider custom development.
- Who will update the website after launch, and how comfortable are they with each option?
- What are the ongoing costs — subscriptions, apps, hosting and maintenance — over a few years, not just at launch?