Open Source Web Design | Birmingham Agency

Open source web design has created a whole new world of opportunity for companies and private individuals to enjoy high quality web software at a fraction of the price of bespoke software.

Choosing the best open source software for you is a challenge in itself and that’s where Opace is here to help!

Choosing the best open source software for your needs means that you are half way there to a great open source website. For the other half you’ll need to use our services at Opace to design, implement, configure and extend the solution. Let us help create the perfect open source web design for you.

Really Aswesome Coffee bespoke WordPress design

Really Aswesome Coffee using the open source WordPress platform for design and development

Why consider with open source web design?

Over the years, we have built up a wealth of experience using the following open source applications and platforms, including:

We specialise in creating open source web designs that allow our clients to benefit from cost-effective websites that are tailored to their exact requirements – read why ignoring open source could be a costly mistake. Our open source websites not only look great but offer plenty of functionality too. They’re easy to manage, grow in line with our clients’ operations and showcase the latest industry trends. Below provides some of the top reasons why we only specialise in open source web design:

Global community

Each open source web design product is resourced by a worldwide network of developers. The core product is free, but Companies can be used to configure, implement and extend the core software.

A variety of platforms

Open source technology comes in all shapes and sizes from content management systems like WordPress to fully functional eCommerce platforms like Magento.

Designed to be extensible

By design open source products are “open” to extension. Products like Joomla, WordPress and Magento have a large community of developers who create extensions and plugins.

Great for websites

Open source web design therefore involves using and extending these existing platforms to create websites that look attractive, offer great functionality and perform to the highest industry standards.

Often free to use & update

Developments are carried out by a global community and made available for the public to use for free. Many of these extensions are also free of charge; however some do cost money.

Great for eCommerce

Products like Joomla (with Virtuemart), WordPress (with WooCommerce extension) and Magento are all open source and can be used for cutting-edge eCommerce projects.

Open source web design with Opace

Opace are a leading Birmingham web design agency, with years of experience working with open source technology like Magento, WordPress and Joomla. Our aim is to show our clients the advantages of open source web design and help them make the most of this fantastic technology. Open source technology has a lot of benefits and opportunities to offer businesses including:

1. Free and low cost templates

There are already thousands of open source templates available that can be downloaded within minutes – some of them are even free! These can be customised by one of our web designers, shortening the web development process and resulting in a lower cost for you.

2. Reduced development costs

Open source platforms are free to use, helping to reduce your development costs. You can also use some of the free plugins available, which allow you to extend the functionality of your website, without spending any money. The only thing you’ll need to pay for is any third party services you use.

3. Easy to use

Open source technology tends to be very user friendly, so it won’t take long for you to get the hang of it. Being able to upload, edit and remove content yourself will reduce your reliance on your web design agency and in turn your expenses. We can train you on how to use your open source solution.

4. SEO friendly

These platforms also happen to be very SEO friendly. This means your site will stand a good chance at ranking well on search engines like Google. We can help you come up with a great SEO and digital marketing strategy to boost results.

5. Excellent support

Open source technology follows industry standards and best practice, so you can be rest assured that you’re investing in a high quality solution. Not only that but it’s supported by a global community of developers, so there’ll always be someone that can give you a helping hand, including the team here at Opace!

Open source vs. bespoke web design

Many people get a little confused when it comes to web design so to clear things up, open source web designs use a tried and tested system, whereas with bespoke web design, you start completely from scratch. Bespoke web design is therefore a much bigger, more complex and more expensive job. You’ll often find that whilst some web design agencies claim to offer bespoke web designs, they actually use open source software anyway! So keep this in mind when deciding on the right service for you. Here at Opace, we prefer using open source platforms as we have vast experience using the technology and a great understanding of its capabilities. Joomla, WordPress and Magento are already used to power millions of websites, online shops and blogs, so you can have the peace of mind that you’re investing in a high quality solution.