Write the job of the website in one sentence
“Get WhatsApp enquiries for implant consults in Anna Nagar” is a job. “Look premium” is not. Platforms serve jobs. If you cannot write the sentence, you are shopping for decoration.
Jobs cluster: generate leads, sell SKUs, recruit, document a product, run campaigns. Mixed jobs are allowed; they often mean mixed stacks (blog + shop), which costs more.
The sentence we reject
“We need a website like our competitor’s.” Competitors have different editors, SKUs, and ad spend. Clone the conversion path, not the theme.
Constraint 1 — enquiries versus orders
Lead-gen: WordPress, Next.js, Webflow/Framer/Wix, or static. Commerce: Shopify first, WooCommerce if you are already in WordPress. Do not put a fake Instamojo button on a brochure and call it D2C.
Detail: WordPress vs Shopify, Shopify vs Wix, Shopify vs WooCommerce.
The hybrid trap
A factory that sells via dealers and also wants a gift shop should not let the gift shop choose Shopify for the whole corporate site. Subdomain the shop.
Constraint 2 — who edits, and how often
Daily copy: WordPress or a visual builder with training. Quarterly: static or Next.js with a ticket. Products daily: Shopify admin, not a developer.
If the only editor is the founder who hates logins, do not buy WordPress to feel legitimate. Buy a change SLA. See static vs WordPress vs custom.
Agencies as editors
If a social agency will land pages weekly, they need a builder or WordPress they already know. Custom Git workflows will be ignored and then blamed.
Constraint 3 — ads, SEO, or referrals
Ads love dedicated landing pages regardless of CMS. SEO loves IA, speed, and publishing cadence — then a retainer. Referrals love clarity and WhatsApp, not a stack brand.
Do not pick Wix “because SEO is easy now” or WordPress “because SEO.” Pick the stack your publishers will actually use. Framer/Webflow SEO is fine for marketing sites if structure is clean — Framer vs WordPress.
One campaign should not force the CMS
A Diwali offer page can be static on a subdomain while the corporate site stays WordPress. Campaign urgency is a landing-page problem.
Constraint 4 — year-two maintenance
Who pays for updates, apps, and hosting next April? Shopify’s bill is visible. WordPress care is optional until it is not. Custom needs a retainer or an internal dev. Builders need plan upgrades.
A platform you cannot afford to maintain is a time bomb under Google Ads. Price year two in the same sheet as launch.
Owner login is a constraint
If the previous freelancer holds DNS and admin, fix that before a new stack. We will not rebuild on top of a hostage domain.
Map constraints to stacks (without a fake winner)
Service SME + intern editor: WordPress. D2C + ads: Shopify. Tiny brochure, founder-only: Wix or static. Design-led marketing team: Framer/Webflow. Product site with engineering: Next.js.
The long map is WordPress vs Wix vs Shopify vs Framer vs React. Builder three-way: Wix vs Framer vs Webflow. Custom fork: React / Next.js vs WordPress.
- Enquiries + editors → WordPress
- Orders + ops → Shopify
- Orders + WordPress religion → WooCommerce
- Rare edits + speed → static / Next static
- Designers shipping pages → Framer or Webflow
- Software behaviour → custom Next.js
Two stacks is a valid answer
Corporate WordPress + shop.brand Shopify is normal. Forcing one login is how you pick a worse tool for the bigger job.
India-specific checks vendors skip
INR checkout, GST invoices, WhatsApp CTAs, mid-range Android performance, and IST support. A US Webflow clone club will not mention COD. A cheap WordPress stall will not mention backups.
Ask for a live Indian reference: not a Dribbble shot. Chennai, Coimbatore, Kochi, Bengaluru — similar networks and buyer behaviour beat a London restaurant demo.
Language and script
Tamil content needs fonts, line heights, and editors who will not paste from Word as images. Platform choice includes typography, not just plugins.
Budget bands that keep you honest
Under ₹20,000: landing or simple static — not a store, not a custom app. ₹28,000 band: business site. ₹38,000 band: real commerce. ₹50,000+: custom or dynamic + SEO. Stretching a landing budget into Shopify is how launches slip.
Quotes far below floors usually omit staging, SEO foundations, or handover. Website Development lists what we include so you can compare apples.
Recurring costs belong on the same slide
Shopify plan, WP host, Webflow plan, SEO ₹15,000/mo, care hours. A “cheap” Wix site with a designer on call can exceed WordPress + care.
A 45-minute internal workshop agenda
15 minutes: write the job sentence and the four constraints. 15 minutes: kill two stacks. 15 minutes: list must-have integrations (Razorpay, Zoho, WhatsApp). Then call a vendor.
If marketing and ops cannot agree on the job sentence, pause the RFP. You will buy two websites in one URL.
Artefacts to attach to the brief
Sitemap draft, SKU count, who edits, last three months of lead or order volume, and examples you like with notes on why — not just URLs.
When to hire a multi-stack studio versus a specialist
Specialists are great when the stack is already chosen. Multi-stack (like Brevia) is better when the stack is the deliverable. If someone only sells Wix, they will discover you need Wix.
Ask what they shipped that was not their favourite tool. Then Book a Consultation. We would rather send you to static than oversell Next.js.
Red flags in platform pitches
Unlimited pages, “AI will write your SEO,” no staging, no owner credentials, and “we will migrate you for free later.” Later is never free.
Green flags
Written scope, named stack with a reason they did not pick another, Core Web Vitals on mobile, and a year-two care option. Boring is good.
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