So one web agency is telling you that WordPress is the best website platform, yet another is suggesting Joomla, and another wanting to make a system bespoke and charge you for the privilege.
You of course are stuck in the middle, confused as to how they differ, and wondering why each so-called professional is suggesting something completely different.
So how do you choose, and which one actually is the best?
This is where you need to research in to a web agency to see where they specialise. Many web designers for example only work with WordPress, so it will not come as a surprise when they suggest WordPress as the best solution. I’m sure if you go to Lloyds bank and ask them to advise you on the best mortgage they’ll recommend one of their own, it’s the same with web developers.
Consider the question “which car is best?”. This is of course a silly question as it all depends on both your budget and what you want to use the car for. If you want to shuttle about your 3 children then perhaps a Ford Galaxy; if you’re a farmer wanting to drive across fields then perhaps a Land Rover; and if you are a ‘playboy’ with spare cash wanting to drive fast and ‘wow’ the ladies, then maybe a Lamborghini. Each of these cars are (arguably) the best at what they do, but all completely impractical for the other uses… try driving across fields or loading kinds in to the Lamborghini.
It’s very clear that there is no ‘best’ car, there are only cars best suited for their intended use and budget. This is exactly the same with websites.
Generalising slightly, at the bottom of the market there are DIY website builders such as Squarespace, Moonfruit or Shopify (eCommerce), then there are web platforms built for pre-packaged themes and plugins/modules such as WordPress, Magento (eCommerce) or Joomla, and then there are the more expensive custom solutions such as Drupal or bespoke web builds. Of course all of the above have exceptions and can be customised in various ways, and each has its own benefits and disadvantages.
No single web platform is ideal for everyone.
So now you’re probably even more confused and wondering which platform should you use, and how you can even start to decide which is best.
That’s where we come in. Just as there are whole-of-market mortgage advisors, we I suppose are a ‘whole-of-market web agency’. Yes we generally produce bespoke websites, but at the moment we are building a Joomla-based website for a church, have recently build a WordPress website for an artist, are finalising a Magento-based shop for a manufacturer, and hopefully about to start work on a Drupal site for a hedge fund company.
We will not only build a website using any platform that you want, but crucially we’ll advise you as which one is best for your needs and let you know, in advance the pros and cons of each.
So be very careful not get pushed down the wrong route by a web agency only offering one solution as it may be the best choice for them and not for you.
If you need to know more, please get in touch.
We are Webbed Feet UK, we are a whole-of-market web design agency.