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Choose around the project
What separates a bespoke website from a template?
Bespoke and template do not tell you, on their own, how much work a website involves. There is a wide range of decisions between installing a theme without adaptation and developing every component.
A project can combine a familiar content management system, an existing technical base and custom components. WordPress, for example, supports content editing as well as specific functions and interfaces. What matters is understanding what is adapted, what is built and what remains constrained by the base chosen.
What should a web proposal include?
A comparison is more useful when the scope is the same. A proposal that includes structure, content, design, development and testing cannot be assessed as if it only covered installing a theme.
| Criterion | Starting from a template | More personalised development |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | Starts from existing layouts and options. | Can be defined more freely around the content and journey. |
| Brand expression | Check how much the base allows you to adapt. | Components can respond to a specific visual direction. |
| Functions | Compatibility with the required functions needs checking. | Specific functions can be built, with maintenance considered. |
| Editing | Depends on the theme, editor and configuration. | The way the team edits content also needs designing. |
| Maintenance | Needs updates and a clear person responsible. | Also needs updates, documentation and a clear person responsible. |
When can a template be enough?
It can work well when the structure is conventional, the functions are covered and the identity can be expressed with the available options. The technical base reduces some decisions, but content still needs organising and the journey still needs reviewing.
Before choosing, check the screens that will actually be used, content editing and plugin dependencies. An attractive visual demo does not show how the system will respond to the business's actual text, images and needs.
WordPress.org’s official directory alone listed over 77,000 free plugins in October 2026, so it is worth knowing which ones a template depends on and who keeps them updated.
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Let's talkWhen does custom development make sense?
Customisation adds value when an existing base does not handle an interaction, an unconventional architecture, an integration or a creative direction with specific components well.
The ERAM campaign is an example of implementing a defined creative direction. Aire i Forma created the visual direction, and crida studio developed the interactive, responsive web experience. The case shows why browser behaviour can be part of the scope.
Building more also means deciding how the work will be documented and maintained. Visual freedom needs a usable solution that the project can sustain.
Can I start with a simple solution and extend it?
It may be possible if the base and architecture are chosen with future needs in mind. Check the limitations and dependencies before assuming that will be straightforward.
What should you ask before commissioning a website?
Before deciding, ask both proposals to address the same set of needs. This makes it easier to compare responsibilities and deliverables, rather than only the name of the technology.
- Who defines the structure and prepares the content?
- What will be adapted and what will be developed?
- Which functions and integrations are included?
- How will content be edited afterwards?
- Which testing, documentation and maintenance are covered?
