Choosing a web development platform is crucial since it decides whether you can achieve success and growth for your business. The decision is important because each platform offers different features and limitations.
Selecting the right platform is dependent on your goals and objectives and your choice can determine how far you can scale your business in the future. The wrong choice can lead to a lot of challenges in the future which can restrict growth opportunities, have compatibility problems, and could eventually lead to an expensive migration process. A good choice however can lead to a great user experience and smooth development process.
Key elements to consider when choosing a web development platform.
When selecting a platform for web development, it is important to understand the key elements that will ensure a successful outcome. Here are some of the key elements that need to be considered:
Objectives and Goals
Your purpose and objectives of creating a website should allow you to get an idea of what platform you need to choose. Understanding what type of service you want to provide will help you identify what features and functionalities you require and can help you choose the right platform
Design and Functionality.
The amount of customizations and design options can vary depending on the platform you choose. It’s best to review each platform and see what best suits your needs. If you require predesigned templates, you need to look for a platform that offers that solution. Collaborate with your web development team to ensure your requirements are aligned with what they offer.
SEO-Friendly Platforms
Depending on what platform you choose, you could receive different levels of SEO support. Choose a web development platform that offers SEO functionalities such as updating meta tags, allowing the creation of mobile-friendly websites, and other functionalities that could help with achieving your SEO objectives.
Cost
Depending on your budget, you need to look into various platforms since each offers different prices and different features. You need to look into what offers the features you require and see what prices are closer to your budget. When looking at prices and features you need to consider not only the short-term costs but look into the long-term costs as well. Communicate with your web development company to come up with the best solution.
Support
Good customer service and support from the community can be valuable when you need guidance. Choosing a platform with a supportive community can help provide insights and help with running your website smoothly. You should consider choosing a platform that has an active forum page and a responsive customer support system so that you can enhance your web development process.
Technical Expertise
When choosing a platform, you must know your technical abilities and check whether it aligns with what the platform has to offer. Some platforms could be too complex for you to deal with while others could align with your expertise. Find a platform that suits you and make sure you choose a platform that doesn’t overwhelm your technical abilities.
E-commerce Functionality
If your focus is to sell products online you should consider choosing a platform that supports E-commerce functionalities. You need to make sure that the platform offers a secure payment gateway, inventory management systems, and a channel of communication between you and your customers.
Trending Website Development Platforms
WordPress
The reason WordPress has been a popular platform amongst many businesses around the world is that it is free to use. WordPress is user-friendly and easy to use without requiring the need to know complex coding abilities. There are many free themes and add-ons for users to choose from. However, it may be necessary to start investing in plugins and add-ons to get access to advanced features that could help with the development of your website.
Advantages:
- User-Friendly: WordPress offers an easy-to-use interface making it easy for users who are beginners to manage content and develop a website.
- Many Plugins: The wide range of plugins allows you to create a website with a lot of functionalities. There are many plugins available for different purposes including SEO optimization and social media integration functionalities.
- Themes: With a wide range of themes available, WordPress allows you to design your website how you want based on your requirements.
- Community: WordPress has an active community and forum page so if you ever encounter any problems and are looking for solutions, the WordPress community forums can help you.
Disadvantages:
- Customizability: Although WordPress offers a variety of plugins and themes, for your website to be highly unique it would require complex coding techniques to do so.
- Security: WordPress can be a suspect of online cyber-attacks because of how popular it is. To ensure the security of your website it’s best to perform regular security updates and implement web security practices.
Laravel
Laravel is an open source project meaning that it is free to use by anyone. The level of expertise required however is high. Laravel is easy to use for experienced developers and offers functionality for complex applications. Web developers would need to be familiar with PHP and the latest web development trends in the industry to effectively use Laravel.
Advantages:
- Sleek Design: This platform’s design is clean and sleek and is often considered a developer’s favorite. The readability of this platform allows developers to enhance their code collaboration and maintainability.
- Tools: Laravel has a variety of tools that improve the functionality of the website. The tools can help aid in accelerating, caching, routing, and simplifying all complex tasks on the website.
- Security: Laravel has built-in security protection from attacks such as SQL injections and cross-site scripting which allow you to create a much secure website.
- Community: There are a lot of people active on Laravel community forums allowing you to gain insights from experienced developers and even find tutorials and support when needed.
Disadvantages:
- Not for beginners: Newcomers to the program might have a hard time trying to understand how to use Laravel since it requires advanced knowledge.
- Performance Overhead: Although Laravel is convenient a few of the functionalities that it offers can bring up performance overhead compared to other lighter frameworks.
ASP.NET
ASP.NET has a few options to choose from which include the open-source ASP.NET Core and the ASP.NET Framework which is comprehensive. Costs vary depending on what type of hosting and licensing you choose but, the investment is worth it. Although it has a steep learning curve, its advanced features allow you to complete complex projects with ease.
Advantages
- Flexibility: ASP.NET supports various programming languages which allows various developers to adapt to this platform even if they have different skill sets.
- Security: ASP.NET has a lot of built-in security features that allow you to create websites that are secure against the most common cyber attacks.
- Integrated Development Environment: ASP.NET has a dedicated IDE called Visual Studio which allows developers to debug and test their code.
- Scalability: The architecture of the platform allows for a website that can handle high loads of traffic which can make it a good choice for larger businesses as well.
Disadvantages:
Steep Learning Curve: ASP.NET uses advanced programming languages and can be harder for beginners to get into.
Accessibility: Hosting can be limited with ASP.NET since they are only compatible with Windows servers.
Joomla
Joomla is an open-source platform that is free to use and has a lot of free extensions that web developers can use. They even offer premium extensions that include advanced features that could help in developing the website much more efficiently. The hosting and domain costs should also be considered when choosing Joomla.
Advantages
User-Friendly: Joomla has an easy-to-use interface allowing developers with less expertise to use the platform
Multilingual support: Joomla offers multilingual support which allows it to target a larger audience from all around the world
Plugins and add-ons: Joomla offers a wide range of add-ons and plugins for users to have customizability.
Disadvantages
Growth limitations: Joomla is mostly used for small to medium-sized businesses. It can be challenging for larger businesses to use this platform and complete complex projects.
Extensions: Many of the advanced features are required and can only be accessed through extensions which can sometimes lead to compatibility issues if not updated properly.
FAQs
What platforms do you build your websites?
We have vast experience in a variety of popular platforms including:
- WordPress
- Meteor JS
- Laravel
- HTML
- CSS
- Frameworks
- Databases [SQL]
- Servers
- JavaScript
- Flutter
- React
- React Native
- Vue.js
- Angular
How long does it take to build a website?
On average, we aim to complete the entire project within two to five months. However, the pace of the project is directed by the client itself. Many factors contribute to building a website like availability of content, quality of input from clients, and complexity.
What platforms do you build your websites?
We have vast experience in a variety of popular platforms including:
- WordPress
- Meteor JS
- Laravel
- HTML
- CSS
- Frameworks
- Databases [SQL]
- Servers
- JavaScript
- Flutter
- React
- React Native
- Vue.js
- Angular
Can I review your previous works?
Yes, we are happy to share our successful projects with you! Choosing the right web development company is no easy task and we too promote thorough market research before finalizing your decision. Browse through our website or contact us to view our previous work.
When can you start?
We are ready when you are! Just give us a call or drop a ‘hey’ on WhatsApp and we will be with you right away.
