Choosing which platform to build your website on is a daunting task. Typically companies lean on their web design or marketing company to make this decision. Unfortunately not all agencies pick the best solution for the client. Usually an agency only works with one or two platforms, which for an agency makes since because they become very efficient on these platforms.  I bring this up because sometimes you have to do your own research to help make the best decision for you. We have built websites on the following platforms:

• CMS - DNN, Drupal, Hubspot, Joomla, MODx, Squarespace, Wordpress and WIX.
• Ecommerce – Magento and Shopify
• Membership - iMIS RiSE and Wild Apricot.

Not all of these experiences where good ones and not all platforms are equal. There are precise situations when a system fits the bill better than the rest. Let me share a couple examples to back up my point. If you sell products online but also at events or farmers markets you should strongly consider Shopify and their POS. But if you have multiple online storefronts but want one backend database consider Magento. When conducting your research here are 4 main considerations:

1. Development Cost. How much is it going to cost you to build the your website? Some platforms require more of a skill set and demand higher rates. Paying a higher development rate can be justified if your desired website requires functionality included with one of these platforms. But on the flip side if you don’t need the functionality why pay for it?
   1. Platforms with higher development cost are Drupal, Hubspot, iMIS RiSE and Magento.
   2. Platforms with mid range development cost are DNN, Joomla, Wordpress and MODx
   3. Platforms with lower level development cost are Shopify, Squarespace, Wild Apricot, Weebly and WIX.
2. Hosting Cost. All websites have to be hosted on a server. Whether that is a managed dedicated server or a shared space provided at rock bottom prices by godaddy, is up to you and the platform you choose. Some website platforms are hosted which we now prefer so you can avoid the colossal task of keeping your online environment safe and secure.
   1. Platform hosted solutions are HubSpot, Magento (offers both), Shopify, Squarespace, Weebly, Wild Apricot and WIX.
   2. Self hosted solutions – DNN, Drupal, iMIS RiSE, Joomla, MODx, Magento (both) and WordPress.
3. Support Cost. This is one detail so many people and companies over look. The first question you need to ask your self is how much support will I need? A quick way to answer that is by determining how much your business relies on the website. If you run an ecommerce business then expect higher support cost. But if you run for example, a small niche investment firm, you may only have a blog or news that gets updated along with the system environment and you can expect a much lower support cost. Also keep in mind support cost relate to development cost, if you build on a platform with an expensive hourly rate then your support cost are going to be higher as well.
4. SEO Friendliness. How friendly is the website platform to the SEO process and search rankings?
   1. First the SEO process. To earn great results on search engines there are specific details you have to accomplish on your website, for example proper title tags, header tags, link structure, etc. How easy is it to complete these elements within the website platform? Does it require special plugins or custom coding? Or is the platform very SEO minded, you can figure this out by visiting the platforms website and viewing the features they advertise. If SEO consistently shows up then that is a good sign.
   2. Next how search engine friendly is the website platform? Meaning the website code that the search engines index is formatted properly and includes the proper information. Most main stream platforms these days play nice with search engines but there are a ton of platforms and code bases options to build your website with. I only mention a few in this article so be sure to do your homework and make sure you know what you are getting into. I typically search, in Google, the “platform name” and “SEO” and read a few user experience posts to help make a decision.

We hope this information was helpful and are more than happy to help you and your company pick the platform that will affect their business for years to come!