Custom websites aren't for everyone — here's the criteria
We turn down projects more often than you'd think. Custom e-commerce makes sense under specific conditions — and wastes money under others. Here's the honest framework.
Coming from an agency that sells custom e-commerce, this may sound odd: custom websites aren't for everyone.
A custom platform does NOT make sense if:
- Your business is still validating its idea — no consistent revenue yet.
- Your budget is below the cost of one employee for 3 months.
- Your real problem is product or marketing, not the platform.
In those cases, selling on marketplaces or using Shopify is the right call. Seriously.
A custom platform DOES make sense if:
- Revenue is consistent and marketplace fees are eating a meaningful share of your margin.
- Your CS team is drowning in repetitive questions that could be automated.
- You need flows or integrations templates can't do: custom bundling, B2B pricing, ERP integration, an AI layer.
- Repeat purchases matter to your business model — and you need to own your customer data.
Our principle is simple: if the system we build can't pay for itself through efficiency or growth, we'll tell you on the discovery call — before you spend a dime.
Let's build something that works.
Every project starts with a 30-minute conversation. No sales pitch — just us understanding your business and being honest about whether we're the right fit.
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