Custom website or template: where is the work?
A brochure website and a customer operations platform can both run in a browser. That does not make them the same development problem.
Where a template earns its place
For a site that mainly publishes information and takes enquiries, an existing platform or template may cover much of the structure. The remaining work still includes content, design adaptation, forms, accessibility checks, analytics and maintenance.
Ask who will edit the site and what changes they expect to make. A design that looks good on launch day is less useful if the team cannot update its own content.
Where the work moves beyond the template
A different problem appears when the website needs to share stock, bookings, customer records or permissions with other systems. The visual template tells you little about how those connections will behave.
In our Cupffee work, the integration scope included Zoho product mapping and DHL and DPD delivery calculations. Product sizes and packaging quantities mattered behind the storefront. A comparison based only on page design would miss that work.
Compare the same scope
Ask both teams to show how their proposal handles your actual requirements. Separate what is included, what needs configuration, what needs development and what cannot be supported. Include licenses, migration, testing, maintenance and access to your data.
A standard platform, an extension and a custom application are all possible answers. Choose the one that fits the operating requirements and the changes you expect. If the difficult part is the workflow between systems, start the discussion there.
