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    Platforms & CMS

    Choosing the right platform for your website

    Every project is different — but the platform you build on shapes performance, design freedom and how easy it is to manage long term. Here's a breakdown of the systems I work with, what they're best for, and where I do my sharpest work.

    My recommendation: Next.js

    Most of my builds are made on Next.js because it gives clients faster sites, stronger SEO, and completely custom designs that aren't restricted by templates. It's where I do my best work — but if you'd prefer Shopify, Webflow or a headless setup, I can build with any of them too.

    Next.js

    Recommended

    My specialty — recommended for most builds

    A modern React framework built for speed, SEO and scale. Next.js powers some of the fastest, most flexible websites on the web — and it's where I do my best work.

    Best for

    • Marketing sites that need to load instantly
    • Custom designs and bespoke interactions
    • SEO-critical content with server-side rendering
    • SaaS dashboards and web apps
    • Brands that want to stand out from templates

    Pros & cons

    • +Lightning-fast performance (great Core Web Vitals)
    • +Built-in SEO advantages (SSR / SSG)
    • +Fully custom design — no template limitations
    • +Easy to scale into a full app or platform
    • +Deploys globally on edge networks
    • Higher upfront build cost than templated platforms
    • Content edits require a connected CMS (I set this up)

    Development options

    • Headless CMS integration (Sanity, Contentful, Payload)
    • Custom component libraries & design systems
    • API routes & serverless functions
    • E-commerce via Shopify Hydrogen or Stripe
    • Authentication, dashboards & gated content

    Shopify

    For serious e-commerce brands

    The go-to platform for online stores. I build custom Shopify themes and can also pair Shopify's commerce engine with a Next.js front-end (Hydrogen) for the best of both worlds.

    Best for

    • Product-led brands with growing inventory
    • Stores needing reliable checkout & payments
    • Multi-channel selling (online + POS)

    Pros & cons

    • +Battle-tested checkout & payments
    • +Strong app ecosystem
    • +Scales from small shops to enterprise
    • Monthly platform fees
    • Theme customisation has its limits without a headless setup

    Development options

    • Custom Shopify theme builds
    • Headless Shopify with Next.js (Hydrogen)
    • App integrations (subscriptions, reviews, loyalty)
    • Migration from other platforms

    Webflow

    When clients want visual control

    A visual-first CMS great for brochure sites and design-led brands that want to manage their own content with a polished editor.

    Best for

    • Design-led brochure sites
    • Teams who want full visual editing control
    • Marketing pages that change frequently

    Pros & cons

    • +Beautiful visual editor
    • +Hosting & CDN included
    • +Great CMS for non-technical teams
    • Monthly hosting fees can add up
    • Less flexible than custom code for advanced features

    Development options

    • Custom Webflow site builds
    • CMS collections & dynamic templates
    • Memberships & gated content
    • Migrations to or from Webflow

    Headless CMS

    Pairs perfectly with Next.js

    Decoupled content systems like Sanity, Contentful and Payload that let your team edit content easily, while your Next.js front-end stays fast and fully custom.

    Best for

    • Content-heavy Next.js sites
    • Teams that need a polished editor
    • Multi-channel content (web, app, email)

    Pros & cons

    • +Best-in-class editing experience
    • +Structured content reusable anywhere
    • +Scales with your business
    • Requires a developer to set up
    • Some platforms have monthly costs at scale

    Development options

    • Sanity Studio setup & schemas
    • Contentful integration
    • Payload CMS (self-hosted, open source)
    • Custom editor roles & workflows

    Not sure which platform fits?

    Tell me a bit about your project and I'll recommend the best stack for your goals, budget and how you want to manage the site long term.

    Get a recommendation