Some businesses need a website. Others need software that runs part of the business: quotes, clients, jobs, invoices. And many need both. Choosing the wrong one wastes time and money, so here is a simple way to tell them apart.
What WordPress is good at
WordPress is a content management system. It is great for websites whose main job is to present your business and bring in leads:
- Service pages, about, contact and a blog.
- Contact forms, phone buttons and maps.
- Content your team can update without a developer.
- A strong foundation for search engines.
Most of the websites we design are built this way, and most launch in about 5 days once we have the content.
What custom software is good at
Custom software is built around a process. It makes sense when your team repeats the same steps every day and those steps live in spreadsheets, texts and paper. For example:
- Tracking clients, estimates, jobs and invoices in one place.
- Field staff uploading photos or notes that the office uses right away.
- Permissions so each person sees what they need.
- Reports that today take hours to put together by hand.
That is what we call system development. Custom systems usually take about 50 days, depending on the scope.
Five questions to decide
1. Is the goal to be found, or to get work done?
If the goal is to be found and contacted, you need a website. If the goal is to organize internal work, you need a system.
2. Who uses it?
Websites are mainly for the public. Systems are mainly for your team and, sometimes, your clients through a login.
3. Does it store business data?
Clients, prices, jobs and payments need structure, permissions and backups. That points to a system.
4. Is there a proven tool you can adapt?
You don’t always need to start from zero. For 2 Brothers and a Roller Contractors we customized Perfex CRM instead of building everything from scratch. Read the 2 Brothers case study.
5. What will it cost to keep running?
Both need hosting, updates and support. Plan for maintenance from day one.
When you need both
Many businesses use a website to attract clients and a system to serve them. A contractor, for example, can have a website that collects estimate requests and a CRM where the team handles each job. See our page on software and websites for contractors.
Common mistakes
- Forcing a website plugin to behave like a full business system.
- Building custom software for something a simple form could solve.
- Trying to build everything at once instead of starting with the step that saves the most time.
Frequently asked questions
Can a system connect to my website?
Often yes. For example, a form on your website can send requests into your system.
Can you work with my current tools?
It depends on the tools. Tell us what you use today and we’ll explain the options.
Not sure which one you need?
Talk to us →Related: How much does a website cost in Houston? · Custom software development