Name the essential outcome
Write down the customer action and the work that must happen after it. Keep desirable extras separate from launch requirements.
StartSimple websites / PLANNING GUIDE
Bespoke website, booking product or business platform?
Choose between a StartSimple website project, Solo and a broader custom business-system brief.
Start with the business need.
The right starting point depends on the job the website needs to do. A bespoke marketing website makes your brand and services clear. A product such as Solo brings a website together with bookings, customers, quotes and invoices. A custom business platform addresses workflows that need their own design. StartSimple can explore these routes with you; the decision should come from your requirements, not from a preference for the largest build.
A practical evaluation, step by step.
Compare the existing product
If the need is a website with service-business bookings and records, evaluate Solo’s current scope and configuration first.
Identify the custom work
A distinctive marketing experience may need a bespoke site; unusual roles, portals or workflows may require a business-system project.
Agree a first release
Choose the smallest coherent launch scope, then document integrations, ongoing costs, ownership and a route for later improvements.
Bring a realistic example.
Example brief: an independent business needs online booking and quotes, while a multi-team operation needs a custom approval workflow. Those are different buying decisions even if both begin with the word website.
What to confirm before committing.
- Ask to see the relevant product before commissioning equivalent custom work.
- Separate licence costs from build and integration costs.
- Agree which system holds authoritative customer records.
- Review editing, support and future development needs.
Should we choose Solo or commission a bespoke website?
Evaluate Solo when its existing website, booking, customer, quote and invoice workflow fits. Consider StartSimple’s bespoke service when the brand experience, customer journey or required connections need a project-specific scope. A broader custom portal or operations workflow may belong in a business-software brief.