Start with the publishing team
WordPress includes publishing, media and user-management capabilities. Whether those are sufficient depends on your content structure. Give editors a realistic task rather than assuming that familiarity with a brand means the configured site will be easy to use.
Price the whole stack
Document hosting, backups, updates, integrations and paid extensions. In a custom build, document deployment, CMS access and dependency maintenance as well. Neither approach is maintenance-free, and the person responsible should be named before launch.
Prototype the distinctive part
If the project depends on unusual motion, complex data or product behavior, prototype that section before choosing the final architecture. If ordinary publishing is the main job, avoid adding technical complexity that does not help the editor or visitor.
Sources & further reading
Public sources consulted for this edition. Agency descriptions reflect published offerings, not an independent performance audit.
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