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Custom web design vs CMS: Which is the best option?
What development method should you choose for your website? Content Management Systems (CMS) or custom development? The answer to this question depends on what you want out of your project. For some, a CMS will be enough. For others, custom development is the only way to go! Let’s explore these two options and see which one is right for you.
What is a CMS?
A CMS is a development method that uses pre-built templates to create a website. This is in contrast to custom development, which starts from scratch for each project. There are many different types of CMS available, but they all share some common characteristics:
- They are easy to use: No coding experience is needed to create a website with a CMS.
- They are affordable: Most CMSs are free or have low monthly fees; and
- They are versatile: They can be used to create websites of all shapes and sizes.
Pros and cons of template development (CMS)
There are several reasons why you might choose a CMS, among the benefits are:
- Ease of use: as mentioned above, one of the biggest benefits of CMS development is that it is easy to use. No coding experience is needed.
- Affordability: For many small businesses and non-profit organizations, a free or low-cost solution like WordPress (one of the most popular CMS on the market) is perfect and versatility, you can create almost any type of website with a good CMS system.
- Custom builders: Nowadays there are even custom options to make your site stand out from other websites built with the same platform. Not only that, but some CMS systems have mobile apps that allow users to access information regardless of where they are. However, it’s important to keep in mind that not all features enabled by modern content management systems come standard: if you want certain advanced features, you may have to purchase a plugin or a premium extension.
there are some drawbacks to using CMS development:
- Limited design options: As your site is built using templates, it will have a certain look and feel that is common to all websites developed with that particular system.
- Restricted functionality: Not all features are available in every CMS system. If you need a feature that’s not included in the core package, you may need to find an add-on or plugin.
- Incompatibility: Because so many people use CMS development, it can be difficult to find developers who are familiar with customizing these systems. If something needs changing on your website, it might take longer than you expect to get it done.
What is custom development?
Custom development, as the name suggests, is development that is tailor-made for your specific project. This means that each website is unique and there is no limit to what can be achieved with this approach. Custom development starts from scratch you work with a developer to come up with a design and features that fit your needs, and then they build it for you.
Advantages and disadvantages of custom development
There are several reasons why custom development may be the right choice for you:
- Uniqueness: since your website will be completely custom-made, it will not look like any other on the Internet.
- Flexibility: Since everything about your website is decided by you, your developer can make sure it is built exactly the way you want it. This includes features and design
- Speed of development: If your needs are simple, custom development can offer a shorter development time than a CMS. However, the downside to this is that more complex projects will take longer because developers have to learn the system they are using from scratch before working on their project (although in many cases there is no real difference in overall time).
Disadvantages of custom development
- Intensive planning process: When developing a website from scratch, every decision has an impact on what comes next. For example, adding new functionality or changing an existing one might require changes to all parts of the website, from the design to the development code.
- Higher cost: Custom development is more expensive than using a CMS. This is because it takes more time and effort to create a website that meets all your specific needs.
- Longer development time: As mentioned above, custom development requires developers to learn a completely new system before they can start working on your project. This means that projects with many features or a complex design can take many months (or even years) to complete.
What does it depend on if we choose one over another?
What does this mean for you? Well, the decision to use a CMS or custom development depends on a few factors:
- Your budget: custom development will cost more than using a CMS.
- Your needs: If you need simple or straightforward features, custom development may not be the best option, as it takes longer to develop. On the other hand, if you have many unique requirements that are difficult for developers to accommodate with standard plugins and templates, then custom development might be the better option.
- The timeline: Sometimes companies choose CMS development because their budget is limited and they don’t want an expensive project to drag on for months (or even years). However, this means that there is no room for flexibility in what can be included in your website. If your team has the resources to invest some extra time in planning and design before development work begins, this could reduce overall costs by shortening development time.
- Technology expertise: Many developers are familiar with using standard CMS systems, but it can be difficult to find someone who has extensive knowledge of custom development platforms. If you need a developer to make changes or add new features once your site is up and running, this could also influence which option is best for you.
- Development requirements: Finally, if your site needs complex functionality that requires the integration of multiple technologies (such as HTML and Javascript), building something from scratch may take longer than modifying an existing solution, as more tools/libraries will need to be included in the development process. Therefore, custom development may offer better results when developing complete programs rather than just websites. Ultimately, however, the development requirements of your project will depend on the specifics of what you are trying to achieve.
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