When it comes to web design in Chester and throughout the UK, one of the most important decisions businesses face is selecting the right platform. Whether you’re looking to showcase a portfolio, share content or sell products online, the choice between WordPress and Shopify (or WordPress with WooCommerce) plays a pivotal role in the success of your website.
At Staunton Rook, we help brands across Cheshire and the UK find the right digital solutions. A great example of this is our recent work with Studio Lee, a luxury interior design studio with two distinct digital needs – a main website for their interior design business and a secondary site to sell lifestyle products.
One Brand – Two Platforms
We developed and implemented a dual-platform strategy for Studio Lee:
- www.studiolee.uk: A WordPress website that beautifully presents their interior design services and portfolio.
- www.studioleelifestyle.co.uk: A Shopify site dedicated to e-commerce, focused on lifestyle products that align with their brand.
Each platform serves a specific purpose – and understanding these differences can help you decide what’s best for your business.
WordPress (With WooCommerce): For Flexibility and Customisation
WordPress is one of the most popular platforms in the world for a reason – it’s powerful, adaptable and ideal for businesses that want full control over design and content. For Studio Lee, their main site needed to showcase their expertise and creativity in interior design. WordPress allowed us to:
- Build a completely bespoke layout aligned with their brand identity
- Optimise SEO for visibility in Google search results
- Integrate content like portfolios, blog posts and service pages seamlessly
- Expand functionality with plugins and future-proof development
For businesses in Chester looking for a flexible and content rich site, WordPress is often the ideal choice. However, it does require regular updates and security checks – which we manage as part of our website hosting and maintenance services.
Shopify: For Seamless Selling
When it came to launching Studio Lee’s lifestyle shop, Shopify offered a streamlined solution. Built for e-commerce from the ground up, Shopify delivers:
- A user-friendly backend for managing products and orders
- Secure transactions with built-in SSL and payment integrations
- Fully responsive designs optimised for mobile and tablet
- Minimal technical maintenance – so the team can focus on running the business
Shopify’s strength lies in its simplicity and sales focus. For retailers in Chester wanting to get up and running quickly with an online shop, it’s an excellent option.
Which Platform Is Right for Your Chester Business?
Whether you choose WordPress or Shopify comes down to your business goals:
- Choose WordPress if you want high levels of design customisation, content marketing features or if you’re running a service-based business.
- Choose Shopify if your main objective is to sell products online with an intuitive and scalable platform.
At Staunton Rook, we’re proud to be a trusted name in web design Chester. We understand that every brand is different – which is why we never take a one-size-fits-all approach.
Whether you’re starting from scratch or rethinking your online presence, our team can help design, build and support a website that works for your business.
Ready to Build Your Website?
Explore our e-commerce website design or WordPress web design services today – or get in touch for a free consultation.
