Custom web development and design: advantages and disadvantages

Differences in functionality and design

The first thing to do is to assess the specificity and experience you want to provide your customers through your website.

If you can be flexible with your website's look and feel, you have options like Wix, Squarespace, WordPress, or Shopify available. However, if you have a clear vision of the features and functionality you need, you should probably rule them out.

These platforms are known for facilitating rapid deployment, but on the downside, they are very limited when it comes to extending their functionality and customization without the help of a professional developer.

At the same time, since these platforms are designed to be suitable for multiple businesses and needs, they are poorly optimized and often penalize both in terms of ranking and speed.

If your company's goal is to have a website that focuses solely on products or services, to gain a few contacts, you have a low budget, and you don't care about attention to detail, custom design probably isn't for you—and that's perfectly fine!

However, if you have a larger budget and a clear vision of your website's functionality and user experience, or if ranking and speed are important, only custom design will give you the flexibility and performance you need.

Differences in scalability and adaptation

The next point is about evaluating the website's capabilities and possibilities for growth, both in terms of functionality and content.

Scalability in functionalities

If you don't anticipate your website needing any improvements in the future, you probably don't need a custom website. However, if you plan to regularly invest in new features and functionality, you're almost guaranteed to run into many difficulties if you opt for a pre-built website.

Data scalability

Another important aspect to consider is the amount of data your page will be managing. Examples of this data could be products, registrations, profiles, projects, services, or other similar items that require repeated additions or subtractions. If you opt for a pre-built solution, you'll find that entering and maintaining this volume of data can be a headache.

A classic example

Let's say you're introducing your company's services using a DIY or pre-built website.

The first step would be to analyze all the necessary fields: name, introduction, price, image, etc. Once this is done, capture all this content in a design. You'll then have to copy this design for all the other services.

With this methodology, you'd be creating a separate template each time you add a service. But what if, once everything's finished, you want to add an image gallery for each service? Or create a team member section? Or delete a section that no longer makes sense?

The answer is clear: you should modify the design and content of each service. It would be very complicated to make all the pages the same and correct. In a short time and with few modifications, you would end up with a convoluted and difficult-to-manage website. It will no longer be quick to manage, and it will lose all integrity between the pages.

Because of this chaos, a complete cleanup and complete redo of the job eventually becomes necessary.

Another problem that often arises when editing for templates is the difficulty of editing content without damaging the code or the display.

The solution: a custom manager

With custom development, elements are defined within a database. From this data, a base design is created from which all elements, in this case, services, are created.

If a modification is required, it is only necessary to modify the database and the base design so that the changes are applied to all elements.

For your introduction, you no longer have to struggle with layouts and boxes; you're simply prompted for the necessary text and images in a custom manager. Much faster and easier.

In short: If you have a significant amount of data to enter and maintain, or if requirements may change over time, ease and stability in data entry will quickly pay for the costs of custom web design and development.

Differences in results and importance to the business

Equally or even more important than the previous aspects is assessing the importance that the website has in your business.

Despite global market trends, some companies consider their website a secondary activity, merely a support or catalog of their commercial activities. However, if you plan to generate a significant portion of revenue or leads from your website, the website you offer your customers is a crucial aspect of your business.

When you choose a custom design created by a specialized team, you're guaranteed the best results. Opting for a pre-built or "build-it-yourself" solution may seem like a savings at first, but the problems soon begin: What happens when there's a serious error on the website if the person implementing it didn't develop the code? What happens if you want to implement a feature and a template or extension doesn't fit? What do you do with all the paid modifications to the website when a CMS like WordPress has to undergo a major version change?

Many companies unhesitatingly invest tens or hundreds of thousands of euros in payroll, property rent, and other expenses, knowing they are necessary for their business. A website ends up becoming an unpaid salesperson working 24/7, 365 days a week, and it should be treated equally. If your company is profitable and the website is or should be important, it's certainly worth investing in a customized website that adapts to your expectations and needs.

Conclusion

Do you have a clear vision and a specific website design plan? Choose custom development.

Do you have a small business just starting out and just want to be reachable at minimal cost? A pre-built solution or a do-it-yourself website will suit you.

Will your website not evolve over the next few years and have little content? Or do you have a significant amount of content that will need to evolve over time? Good custom development will give you the flexibility you'll need when you need to grow.

Is your website essential to your business? If so, you probably need a custom website that truly and reliably captures your brand and company.

If it's not important and you're on a budget, a DIY solution like Squarespace or Wix, or a pre-built one like WordPress, will suffice. Don't worry about a custom website until you really need it.