One of the main things that startuppers need to focus on in the early days of their journey is setting up their digital presence. Now, many business owners choose to have a website before getting an app as it proves to be relatively cheaper and also creates a strong digital presence.
However, deciding to move ahead with the website doesn’t end the decision-making process here. The next order of business is deciding whether we need to customize open source CMS or make our website from scratch.
Now, both these options have their own merits, but everyone has different requirements from a website. Therefore, they may not need a custom website, or on the other hand, an open source CMS website may not give them the best results.
Here is how you can choose between the two.
When do you need to customize open source CMS?
For a long time, custom web development has been the natural choice for everyone. However, with the open source CMS software, the choice is not that obvious now. Here are the reasons why you can use open source applications:
- These open-source content management systems significantly reduce the cost of website development. Since it is open-source, you don’t have to spend on the software itself. Moreover, you save more on virus protection, upgrading expenses, support charges, etc.
- There are standard packages for these open-source systems. The packages have some basic features built-in with the application. So, you don’t have to invest time and effort in something that is already created. Once you’ve installed the system, you can promptly use these features.
- Many developers contribute to open source systems. That means there are some unique ideas out there too. So, you can get quality features from the open-source community. Moreover, since there are several users using these features, you can discuss the problems you are facing with this community.
- Having a lot of developers also means that they keep upgrading the security for these applications. It keeps the platform stable and secure.
- Open-source applications usually have plug-ins or add-ons that contain various features and functions that many developers have created so that everyone can use them.
Why do you need to make the website from scratch?
- The prime reason businesses go for custom websites is that they have features made specifically for their user base and are extremely easy to use. These websites’ admins have access to better tools while operating on the backend. It ensures that customers get a simple user-friendly interface.
- Since a dedicated team of developers and architects works on the website, the code for the front-end and back-end is secure and clean. The developers have entire control over the output of the HTML code. The page can be rendered in such a way that it is polished and loads quickly on browsers.
- Once the application is built strongly from scratch, it is easier to add custom features later on.
- Having a website made from scratch means that there is a support team, especially for the maintenance and problem-solving of this website. It means highly trained experts will find solutions tailor-made for your needs.
So, we think these are the reasons why you should choose either way. Now, even after deciding which way you will go, it is not necessary that the website development journey will go on without hiccups. However, having a roadmap ready in the beginning can help a long way in the future.