When building a website, the first thing you have to decide is "What platform will we use?".
JH is a custom development company. That means we don't use a framework you can purchase (or use for free) that is readily available on the internet. In fact, we created our own framework ... Wombat Juice. Go read this post if haven't heard about Wombat Juice.
During the proposal process, we are often asked the differences between Wombat Juice and other platforms. There are many out-of-box offerings, including one of the most-popular, WordPress. So let's compare, what makes these two different?
| Wombat Juice | WordPress | |
| Year Created | 2008 | 2003 |
| Designed For | Enterprise Companies | Bloggers |
| Plug-Ins | 0 | 55,000+ |
| Access to Code | Only JH Developers | Anyone |
| Source | Closed | Open |
| Built Upon | Custom Code | Open Community Plug-Ins |
| Releases |
5.3.16
(all versions supported) |
5.9
(supports last 2 major versions) |
| Version End of Life | None | 6-8 months |
| History of Security | 0% Hacked | 70% Hacked |
| Ease of Use | End-user friendly | End-user friendly |
| Google Optimization | Included & Setup | Separate Setup & Multiple Plug-Ins Required |
| Availability | Not for sale | Free |
Time to dig into what some of these differences mean for your business.
Plug-Ins & Access to Code
WordPress is built upon plug-ins. Plug-ins can be added to your site to accomplish different things - maybe it's a homepage layout you like or the ability to pull in your Instagram posts. These plug-ins are what builds the site and developers or web-enthusiasts from around the world are creating them. You'll notice JH has 0 plug-ins. Does that mean you can't do these things on a Wombat Juice website? Not at all. The difference is that only JH developers are creating the code that goes into your website, rather than third-party and potentially anonymous developers who may not have your best interests at heart. When a plug-in fails or requires an update, it's up to the creator to fix it. When an issue arises on your Wombat Juice website, it's up to our team of in-house developers to fix it.
Security
You can hardly go a week without hearing of a data breach at some large organization. These security vulnerabilities can originate with your website. Up to 70% of WordPress websites are hacked due to the vulnerabilities of plug-ins and their open source code base. [source]
Search Engine Optimization
We built Wombat Juice from the beginning with search engine optimization in mind. Ensuring your site is built with SEO best practices means even if you decide against a JH-managed marketing campaign at the time your site launches, your new site will still be found on search engines. And as you add to your site, your site is built to continue these best practices. On a WordPress site, you may be required to add multiple plug-ins to allow for the same SEO functionality that comes standard with every Wombat Juice website.
Version End of Life
WordPress supports the last 2 major versions of their platform and offers free upgrades. Sounds great. But what happens when you don't upgrade or you upgrade and your plug-in stops working? Refer back up to the plug-in section to remember who's responsible for fixing those things. These major versions happen every 6-8 months. That's a lot of upgrading.
On Wombat Juice, you are never unsupported. If you have a 10 year old website with us you'll never hear "your site isn't supported anymore" from us, we're here for you. Remember, technology is constantly advancing and that means your website should be advancing too, but that doesn't mean we're going to leave you in a lurch just because newer technology is available.
Who Is It Built For?
Arguably one of the most important factors in all this ... who was the platform built for? Wombat Juice was built for enterprise companies and their end customers. We understand that companies change and grow and need a website that can change and grow with them. We've made Wombat Juice modular to allow for it to easily grow with your business.
WordPress was built for bloggers. Very few companies utilize the options available for a blog for their professional business website. A blog may or may not play a role on your site, so building your site on a platform that was intended for another purpose is going to come with challenges when you are ready to expand. It can feel like trying to put a square peg in a round hole. With a Wombat Juice website we're building the solution to fit your specific needs, challenges, and other requirements - and we're ready to change it up if or when that needs to happen.
Putting a Bow on It
To wrap up, there are many options for you to choose from when building a website. If you are looking for an enterprise business solution that places security at the forefront, is built with SEO best practices in mind and is easy-to-use ... then choose Wombat Juice. If you are a blogger, who wants a free website with tons of options that can't be 100% customized, choose WordPress.
