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General Discussion

Sean Walsh
Sean Walsh
14,727 Points
Posted by Sean Walsh
Sean Walsh
14,727 Points

Which web technologies to use for startup?

Hey,

I am currently in the process of starting a web company (web dev, graphic design, branding marketing etc.) with two of my friends. I keep going back and forth as to which direction to go.

I started off using Bootstrap, which is great. Then I was told that all clients these days want a CMS, which led me in the direction of Wordpress. Now I have started trying to get to grips with Genesis framework for Wordpress, but I find it somewhat inefficient compared to Bootstrap in some ways for customisation.

Then there is the possibility of starting with Bootstrap and then converting into a Wordpress theme. But part of me thinks why bother for the majority of websites which don't need certain functionality that Wordpress offers?

I realise this is a fairly loose question, but if anyone has been through the same issues in the past and can offer some guidance, that would be amazing.

Cheers, Sean

2 Answers

Steven Parker
Steven Parker
231,007 Points
Steven Parker
Steven Parker
231,007 Points

It all depends on your customer base.

Most customers don't know what would suit their needs. But some think they do and you might not be able to re-educate them. So if they start talking about "Wordpress" and/or "Genesis" during the first interview, you may end up having to accommodate them or be willing to recommend another designer.

Your best chance at acquiring clients will come when you can build a site with or without a framework, or configure a CMS, and in all the popular flavors of each. Hopefully, you and your friends can develop overlapping skill sets so nobody needs to know everything.

Patrick Hurley
Patrick Hurley
5,233 Points
Patrick Hurley
Patrick Hurley
5,233 Points

"But part of me thinks why bother for the majority of websites which don't need certain functionality that Wordpress offers?"

If your clients want to update the website themselves (without coding experience), then you'll need a CMS regardless - Bootstrap can't replace that functionality as it is just a front-end framework.