Website Platform Decision Support for Small Businesses
Most expensive rebuilds happen because someone picked the wrong platform first time. We run a practical decision process that maps your goals, team, and budget to the right stack — so you don't spend £5,000 building something you'll need to replace in 18 months.
Get a straight answer todayWhat we evaluate
- Commercial goals: what does this site need to do? Generate enquiries? Sell products? Showcase a portfolio? The answer shapes every technical decision.
- Editing needs: who'll update the site and how often? A marketing team publishing daily needs different tools than a founder who updates quarterly.
- Integration complexity: does the site need to talk to CRM, booking, or payment systems? Some platforms make this easy. Others make it expensive.
- Security and performance requirements: if you're handling customer data or running PPC traffic to landing pages, the bar is higher.
- Three-year cost model: we project the real cost of each option — including hosting, licences, maintenance, and the developer time you'll need over 3 years.
What you get
- Written recommendation: a clear, plain-English document explaining which route we recommend and why. No jargon-heavy slide decks.
- Risk register: what could go wrong with each option and how to mitigate it. We flag vendor lock-in, scaling limits, and hidden costs upfront.
- Phased implementation route: a realistic timeline showing what to build first, what can wait, and where to spend your budget for maximum impact.
- Direct feed into build quote: if you decide to go ahead with us, the decision work feeds straight into the project scope. No duplication, no wasted research.
When this service makes sense
You're starting a new project
You've been quoted for WordPress, Shopify, and a custom build. The prices vary wildly and you're not sure which one matches your actual needs. We'll cut through the noise and give you a clear comparison against your specific criteria.
You're planning a rebuild
Your current site is underperforming and you're deciding between patching it or starting fresh. We'll assess whether the issues are platform-level (time to move) or implementation-level (fixable without migration).
You're handing over to an internal team
You're bringing web management in-house and need to know whether your current stack is the right one for your team's capabilities. We'll map the platform against your team's skills and flag any gaps.
Straight talking, not sales
We don't always recommend custom builds. If WordPress or Shopify genuinely fits your situation better, we'll say so. Our job here is to give you the right answer, not to sell you the expensive one.
Common questions about platform decisions
Not sure which platform to choose?
We'll map your options, compare the costs, and give you a clear recommendation in plain English.
Why Hand-Coded · Web Design & Development · WordPress Migration Alternatives · Get a straight answer today