Customized solutions vs off the shelf solutions
A businesses’ online presence is critical to creating credibility and getting more leads which translates to increasing revenue. What better way do so than have a cutting edge website to put you on the map and help your customers find you easily? You may be tasked with the dilemma of choosing whether you want a customized or off the shelf solution (in layman’s terms – a ready made solution.)
Depending on your business needs, here are a few points to look into before deciding.
A custom solution offers:
- Unlimited options and total control of the design and functionality of the system
- It’s easy to make changes and also perform maintenance on the site
The downside are :
- The very high initial cost of development
- It also takes a long time to develop such a system not unless it’s well planned in phases
An off the shelf solution on the other hand:
- Is relatively less costly
- It has a large user community therefore is easy to use and install as many people already know how to use it .
- Is more reliable since it’s well tested before use.
Cons of this kind of solution:
- Since it is already made, there is a higher customization cost
- Such software is less adapting to changing industry needs
- At times it has has too many feature that are bulky and not useful to the end users
In conclusion, a custom solution will benefit you if:
- You require unique system
- You need flexibility in case your software changes
- You require special connection(integration) with other systems
Whereas an off the shelf solution is perfect for you if:
- There is already an existing solution to your needs
- You have a tight budget
- You need a plug and play solution and have no time for longer development.
