Why go bespoke?
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The benefits of bespoke digital development

Using off the shelf digital platforms is all well and good, but delve beneath the surface, and you’ll discover that they’ve got limitations that could hinder your business, your profitability and your long term goals.

The problem lies with the fact that to use them, you either have to adapt your workflow to suit the capabilities of the tech OR you’ve got to dismiss the platform entirely because its parameters are just too different from what you want to achieve. This could mean re-platforming or having to start again with a bespoke development

This is not to say that current digital platforms are redundant; far from it. Designed to handle a broader range of business structures, you can essentially grab these solutions off the shelf and implement them straight away. For small or new businesses or established organisations testing ideas platform options could prove useful; there’s less of a need to hire specialist developers and the time to market is often very low.

However, just because they can cater to a wider variety of structures and business models, doesn’t necessarily mean they can accommodate the nuances of every business. As such, you may find that: 1) they don’t always address the specific goal you’re trying to achieve and 2) you’re forced to do more data entry work – not less – in order to fit it into your broader processes.

Then, there is the issue of these digital solutions containing features that don’t always apply to your business...

Not only are you paying for something you’ll never use; the more features this software contains, the steeper the learning curve and the bulkier the solution – which could defeat the whole purpose of selecting this software to begin with, i.e. to improve your efficiency.

Instead, you may be left with a money drain as you’ll have features you cannot fully appreciate, add ons to plug the gaps, and a system that is weighed by tools that will often dampen your productivity. Worse still - you’ll be out of control when updates/upgrades to the system happen; some modifications are of course unavoidable, but with SaaS, other people’s platforms and frameworks you have little or no control over what constitutes “end of life” or how that process is managed.


So what can you do?

One way to get value for your money and ensure that every feature gets used is to invest in a bespoke digital system. Custom digital solutions give you the flexibility to do things how YOU like and create a system where anyone who uses it can shape its functionality and workflow and ensure that it is fit for purpose for you.

Whether you’re looking to integrate multiple systems or build out from a new idea, bespoke digital development can give you the power to decide how you work; with whom and even determine how you look (which is significant from a branding perspective).

Similarly, this ability to influence and control how your digital system is designed will enable you to improve your processes and efficiency, which in turn will strengthen your services and bolster your profits.

With bespoke systems, you can:

  • Mitigate and automate repetitive business processes – saving you time and money while allowing you to focus on more critical projects.
  • Gather data and information to create custom reports - that will make it easier for you to run your business.
  • Improve/streamline workflows and organisational structures – your operational needs will change over time, so you need to be able to adapt and develop your software. Bespoke digital solutions give you the flexibility and scalability to keep up with your businesses natural evolution, as you’ll easily be able to add new features or make modifications to its functionality.
  • Expand and enhance intranets – you will have the ability to make changes to your bespoke software – as and when you need it – so your business can continue to breathe and grow.
  • Benefit from complete exclusivity – even if you hire a digital developer to create your bespoke digital solution; contracts can be drawn up that hand over ownership and control of this system to you once it is completed. No other business will be able to access your digital solution; protecting your intellectual property, brand and service offering.
  • Create customised payment platforms – you can tailor this solution to meet the requirements of your customers and improve accessibility and ease of use.
  • Harness new applications – from creating your own digital tools to integrating new applications; bespoke digital development makes this whole process easier to implement.
  • Save money – long term, bespoke digital development is more affordable, as you’ll only be using software that has been specifically designed to work for you and streamline your work processes (which will help to cut down on admin times and costs). In contrast, off the shelf solutions can get expensive in the long run, as you’ll have to deal with troubleshooting delays, increasing fees as more seats and features are necessary, and generally poor support and maintenance packages unless you opt for premium “enterprise” subscriptions.
  • Gain a competitive edge over others in your industry – this is especially true of those who are using platform solutions, as every feature within your bespoke digital system will have been picked for the purpose of enhancing your productivity and services. Instead, you will have access to something that is unique, fully operational and that works for you.
  • Benefit from greater protection from hackers – bespoke digital solutions are less at risk from hackers – and the security threat they pose – as there are fewer opportunities for hackers to find and exploit weaknesses/ learn about your system (as is often the issue with off the shelf solutions which are easily accessible).


Every one of these elements has got the potential to optimise your efficiency and make your business life more comfortable. So, while current digital platforms may be cheaper and quicker to use to begin with; we strongly recommend that you look beyond the surface and take advantage of everything that going bespoke has got to offer – a personalised, tailored system that has been designed to grow with you.

At Stunn, we can help you to make this transition to a bespoke digital solution.

With years of bespoke digital marketing under our belts, our team can help you to visualise, design and develop a support system that will work in harmony with your team, and enable you to stay at the top of your game.

To learn about our bespoke digital agency and our breadth of tools, contact us today.

Improve service, improve processes, reduce headcount and improve profit. Design your way to better business outcomes.


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