The question we get asked most
"What do you build websites on?"
It's a fair question, and the honest answer is: it depends on the project. We work with three platforms - Statamic, Laravel, and WordPress - and we choose between them based on what your business actually needs. Not what we prefer, not what's trendiest, but what will serve you best for the next three to five years.
Here's what each one does and when we reach for it.
Statamic: our go-to for most projects
Statamic is the platform we recommend most often, and the one this site is built on. If you haven't heard of it, that's fine - it's well-known among developers but not widely marketed to business owners.
What it is in plain language:
Statamic is a content management system - the software that lets you edit your website without touching code. What makes it different from most CMS platforms is that it's flat-file. That means your content is stored as simple text files rather than in a database.
Why that matters to you:
- Speed. No database queries means pages load faster. On South African mobile networks, where connections can be patchy, this makes a real difference to your visitors' experience.
- Security. Most website attacks target databases. No database means an entire category of security vulnerabilities simply doesn't exist.
- Reliability. Fewer moving parts means fewer things that can break. A flat-file site is remarkably stable.
- Simpler hosting. Without a database to manage, hosting is more straightforward and often cheaper.
What it's built on:
Statamic runs on Laravel, which is the most popular PHP framework in the world. That matters because it means the codebase is modern, well-maintained, and follows established development standards. If you ever need custom functionality added to your site, Laravel makes that straightforward rather than hacky.
The editing experience:
Statamic has a clean, intuitive control panel. You can update text, swap images, add blog posts, and manage pages without any technical knowledge. We set up the content structure during the build so that editing your site feels like filling in a form, not wrestling with a page builder.
When we choose Statamic:
Most hospitality, wine, and food businesses. Guesthouses, wine farms, restaurants, artisan producers. If your site is primarily about presenting your business beautifully, loading quickly, and being easy to manage, Statamic is almost always the right call. Projects like Eat Out the Box are a good example of what Statamic does well.
WordPress: when the ecosystem matters
WordPress powers roughly 43% of the web. We know it inside out - we spent years building exclusively on WordPress before expanding our platform offering.
What it does well:
- Plugin ecosystem. If you need a specific piece of functionality, there's probably a WordPress plugin for it. Booking systems, membership areas, learning management, complex e-commerce - WordPress has mature, tested plugins for almost everything.
- Familiarity. Many business owners have used WordPress before. If you already know the dashboard and have a workflow that suits you, there's value in staying on a platform you're comfortable with.
- Community. WordPress has the largest developer community of any CMS. That means plenty of documentation, plenty of support options, and no risk of the platform disappearing.
When we choose WordPress:
When a client needs specific plugin functionality that doesn't have a Statamic equivalent. When a client already has a WordPress site with years of content and a workflow they're happy with, and a full platform migration isn't justified. When a client's team is already trained on WordPress and retraining would be disruptive.
What we won't do with WordPress:
We don't use page builders like Elementor or Divi anymore. We used to, and we've moved away from them deliberately. They add bloat, they create dependency, and they make sites slow and fragile. Our WordPress builds use clean, custom themes with the block editor or Advanced Custom Fields. The result is a fast, maintainable site that any competent WordPress developer can work on - not just us.
That's a topic we'll cover in more detail in a future article.
Laravel: when you need something custom
Laravel is a PHP framework, not a CMS. It doesn't come with a content management interface out of the box. Think of it as a toolkit for building exactly what you need, from the ground up.
When we use it:
When your project has requirements that no CMS can handle well. Custom ordering systems. Integrations with accounting software or courier APIs. Business logic that's specific to your operation.
A good example is Doughboys. Their site needed online ordering with custom product configurations, integration with their accounting system, and courier booking - all working together seamlessly. No CMS plugin combination could do this reliably, so we built it on Laravel.
What it means for you:
Laravel projects cost more and take longer because we're building functionality from scratch. But what you get is software that does exactly what your business needs, nothing more and nothing less. No plugin conflicts, no workarounds, no compromises.
What about Shopify?
We get asked about Shopify regularly. It's a good e-commerce platform, and we're happy to help clients who want to use it. We can handle theme customisation, setup, and integration with your existing site.
But Shopify isn't our primary platform. If your main need is a content-rich website that also sells products, we'll usually recommend Statamic or WordPress with WooCommerce. If your business is primarily e-commerce with hundreds of products, Shopify may well be the better choice, and we'll tell you that honestly.
How we decide
When we sit down to scope a project, platform choice comes down to three questions:
- What does the site need to do? A brochure site with a wine list has different requirements from an online ordering system. Functionality drives the decision.
- Who's going to manage it? If you're already comfortable with WordPress, that's a legitimate factor. If you're starting fresh, Statamic's editing experience is typically better.
- What's the long-term plan? A platform that suits you now but won't scale in two years is a false economy. We think about where your business is heading, not just where it is today.
We'll explain our recommendation in plain language and make sure you understand why before you commit.
Why platform choice matters
The platform your website is built on affects its speed, its security, its long-term maintainability, and how much it costs to change things down the line. It's one of the most important decisions in a web project, and it's one that many businesses leave entirely to their developer without understanding the implications.
We think you should understand what your site is built on and why. Not because you need to become technical, but because it's your business and your investment.
Want to know which platform suits your project?
Have a look at our services page for an overview of what we offer, or get in touch and we'll talk through your specific situation. We'll give you a straight recommendation - and explain it in language that actually makes sense.