How to Choose a Business Website
By Mark Ohanesian | Owner/Proprietor at ODS
Having worked with both high-performance web technology in the tech industry as well leaner tools focused on simplicity and functional ease for small businesses, I know firsthand that choosing the right platform is achievable whether you have a $1 budget or $10,000+.
At Ohanesian Digital Solutions (ODS), I treat web development as a business tool, not a trend. Before I write a single line of code, I act as a business consultant, working with you to find a solution that meets your unique needs on your budget. Depending on your goals, these are three primary foundations I recommend:
WordPress: The Essential “Local Hub”
If you are a local service provider—a specialized mechanic, a barber, or a family-run café—you need Digital Legitimacy. You need a site that loads fast on mobile, looks professional, and tells people exactly who you are. As a small business owner, I understand that you can’t spend too much of your valuable time on figuring out complicated software and apps – you have a business to run and simply have to let your customers know:
- What: what does your business offer?
- Who: who are your products or services for?
- Where: where can people find you (if your products aren’t online for sale)?
- Why: why should they choose your business offerings?
You need a basic “4-pager” site – Home, About, Services, Contact. This is the industry standard for a business that needs just the basics.
For these “Essential 4” page sites, WordPress remains my gold standard recommendation. It’s a utilitarian Content Management System (CMS) that allows you to manage your own content easily without needing to call a developer or write code every time you want to change your hours or a photo. It’s the “solid oak” of web development: reliable, traditional, and long-lasting. Let me put it this way: if you are tech-savvy enough to use Instagram, you can use wordpress
Shopify: The E-commerce Retail Engine
If your business is built on moving inventory, you don’t need a “website with a store”; you need a Retail Engine.
For clients looking to sell online, I recommend Shopify. It’s built for product first, and drives conversion. It handles the store, and gives you easy templates so you don’t have to fuss with design. It handles all the transactional stuff really well, including payment processing and shipping logistics.
My role here is to save you hours by helping you choose the right theme, get your store configured, ensure your branding is distinctive, and your storefront is optimized for checkout speed—the two biggest factors in stopping “cart abandonment.”
Custom Web Development: The High-Performance Tool
Standard templates can be restrictive—sometimes your business needs a specialized solution that off-the-shelf software simply cannot provide.
When your goals require total control, high-scale performance, or proprietary tools like custom graphics and interactive data layers, we move into Custom Development. By utilizing “Headless” architectures, I build digital assets that mirror the high-performance standards used by industry leaders like Netflix and Google.
Leveraging decades of engineering experience, I create ultra-fast web applications tailored to your specific vision. This approach ensures your business has a unique competitive edge with tools that are built to scale alongside your growth.
The ODS Philosophy
My job isn’t to sell you the most expensive stack; it’s to ensure you don’t over-invest in the wrong area or under-build where it counts. Whether we’re launching a minimalist WordPress site or an enterprise-grade custom application, the goal is the same: A foundation built for what’s next.