Website Platforms We Use

What this platforms section covers

We build client projects on WordPress, Shopify and custom CMS stacks. This hub explains what each platform is for, how we choose between them and how platform work connects to website services and custom development.

Platform pages below go deeper on delivery scope:

• WordPress: themes, WooCommerce, plugin work and WordPress maintenance
• Shopify: theme development, checkout tuning, migrations and app integrations
• Custom CMS: bespoke content systems, portals and API-driven sites

Why platform choice matters

Platform choice affects:

• Who can edit content day to day and what training they need
• How integrations with CRM, payments and fulfilment are implemented
• Delivery timeline and cost for your page count and feature list
• Long-term maintenance, security patching and vendor dependency
• SEO structure, URL patterns and migration complexity if you replatform later

We document platform fit in discovery before quoting starter websites, small business websites or enterprise websites.

WordPress in brief

WordPress is our default for content-led sites: service pages, blogs, resources, lead capture and WooCommerce when the store scope fits the platform.

Typical WordPress work includes custom themes, Gutenberg or ACF fields, forms, analytics, CRM hooks and technical SEO at launch. Existing WordPress sites may start with code auditing or extend existing builds before new features ship.

Shopify in brief

Shopify is our default when ecommerce is the core product: catalogues, collections, merchandising, cart behaviour and Shopify checkout.

Typical Shopify work includes Online Store 2.0 themes, custom sections, metafields, app wiring and integrations with fulfilment, ERP and marketing tools via integrations and extensions.

Custom CMS in brief

Custom CMS applies when WordPress or Shopify would need extensive workarounds for your content model, permissions, portals or APIs.

Typical scope includes admin UI, role-based access, structured content types, public views, search and REST or GraphQL delivery to web or mobile clients. Often paired with enterprise websites and custom development.

When we recommend WordPress

WordPress fits when:

• Marketing teams publish pages, blog posts and resources without developers
• Service or local SEO structure needs flexible templates and editorial workflow
• WooCommerce covers catalogue size, subscriptions and checkout requirements
• You want the largest plugin ecosystem for forms, SEO, analytics and CRM connectors
• Budget and timeline favour a proven CMS with templated or semi-custom theme paths

WordPress may be wrong when checkout, inventory and fulfilment complexity exceed sensible WooCommerce scope, or when permissions and content models need application-level logic better served by custom CMS.

See web design services for templated and custom tailored design on WordPress.

When we recommend Shopify

Shopify fits when:

• Ecommerce revenue is the primary business model
• You need Shopify-hosted checkout, payments and compliance handled by the platform
• Merchandising, collections and app marketplace integrations are central to operations
• You are migrating from WooCommerce, Magento or a custom store with a defined catalogue

Shopify may be wrong when the site is primarily editorial with light or no commerce, or when B2B portal logic, complex approvals or non-standard content models dominate.

When we recommend custom CMS

Custom CMS fits when:

• Multi-tenant or partner portals need isolated data per account
• Approval workflows, audit trails or legal review are required before publish
• Content is not page-shaped: assets, courses, locations, products with custom attributes
• Headless delivery feeds web, mobile and partner APIs from one source
• WordPress or Shopify would rely on fragile plugin chains for core business rules

Custom CMS has higher upfront cost and needs ongoing managed web services or internal engineering. We compare three-year cost against workaround builds on standard platforms in discovery.

Platform comparison

Integrations on any platform

Integrations and extensions connect your site to HubSpot, Salesforce, Stripe, ERP, email platforms and custom APIs regardless of CMS.

Implementation differs by platform (WordPress plugins and hooks, Shopify apps and Admin API, application services on custom CMS) but scoping covers the same data mapping, auth and error handling requirements.

AI integration may layer on any stack when search, chat or automation is required.

SEO, performance and search visibility

Each platform can support technical SEO: clean URLs, metadata, heading hierarchy, sitemaps and Core Web Vitals baselines scoped at launch.

Platform choice affects URL structure during migration, canonical rules across templates and how local teams maintain metadata. We document redirect and indexing strategy when replatforming.

Factual service pages, FAQ blocks and consistent terminology on your site help search engines and generative tools summarise what you sell. Platform does not replace clear copy on landing pages and main site pages.

Run our free website tester on your current URL for a technical snapshot of tags, performance and common issues before choosing to extend or replatform.

After launch

Managed web services covers updates, monitoring and small fixes on WordPress and custom CMS. Shopify maintenance focuses on theme releases, custom Liquid and app compatibility.

Larger changes route through extend existing builds or a new website scope on services.

Related links

Contact us with your content model, commerce requirements and integration list. View pricing for indicative scope on your chosen platform.