Building Website from scratch vs using CMS like wordpress

Question

What have you found is better and why? Have you found any downside of using CMS?
#personally I am a bit skeptical about the security of CMS but I might be wrong. What is your opinion?

Answer 1

I'm no expert on building websites. The last one I build was pre-JavaScript. However, using a company's product to build your site is a smart choice if you can afford it. They invest money into making it secure and stay on top of the latest & greatest so your site can be the best. Unless competing against them, you won't have their knowledge to build an equivalent site.

Answer 2

As with most things, the answer is: “it depends”.

It depends on who the website is for, what business they’re in, what image they want to portray, what sort of budget they have, what function the website carries out, etc...

CMS is great for simple, turnkey, inexpensive, uncomplicated, relatively secure...

But if you’re looking for something that stands out, that breaks the grid, that reflects the style, character and values of the company, then I believe a bespoke site is the way forward.

Nine times out of ten, I’d say if CMS offer everything you need, then go for it.

In a previous life, I had a design & print company and we looked at expanding into web design and, while we had the skills (design, image processing, tech) and the resources, apart from crossover business, there was not enough realistic potential to justify us getting involved.