Graphic Design
WordPress Website: Custom Design vs Off-The-Shelf Template
Are you ready to build your website? Not sure which way to go? Let us explain the differences between custom and readymade.
about 5 minutes
Graphic Design
WordPress Website: Custom Design vs Off-The-Shelf Template
Are you ready to build your website? Not sure which way to go? Let us explain the differences between custom and readymade.
about 5 minutes
If you’re reading this, you probably decided to move your business forward and build a website. It is crucial to plan it first and determine whether it should be a custom web design or an off-the-shelf template built on WordPress. Maybe you’re planning to make your site on your own? No matter what, in this article, you’ll find the pros and cons of both solutions. In the end, you’ll also find a few tips on how to find the right web design agency.
WordPress Templates
WordPress is a free content management system, and website building tool originally invented to write blogs. Throughout the years, the system has developed and became a comprehensive platform for building websites. Why people choose it? The reasons are obvious and well-known: it’s free and straightforward even for non-specialists. You do not have to be a professional, and you don’t need to contact a web design agency to create a website. There are many pre-designed templates to choose from and use as the main theme of the site. Here are some benefits and drawbacks of this off-the-shelf solution:
PROS
The most important advantage of building a free WordPress site on a ready-made theme is that it takes a little time to create it. The reason is that the tool and template have already been designed and coded. It means that the only thing you need to care about is content. Instead of striving to create your own theme, you choose the one you like from the library and make your website look like it was made from scratch.
Moreover, WordPress is very secure to build your site. There is a massive community of people working on security and bugs in the system. The only need is to check updates and news constantly. In addition to this, it’s easy to take care of search engine optimization in the WordPress panel, thanks to numerous SEO plug-ins. Some of them will show you how your site is optimized and what’s there to improve. Helpful!
Finally, WordPress ready-made themes are responsive. It makes your website readable and usable on all devices like smartphones, tablets, or TVs. It’s essential for the user experience.
CONS
The opponents of free and ready-made templates on WordPress claim that it’s challenging to customize the theme according to your own needs. In this case, the only way is to hire a web design agency experienced in WordPress.
However, the major disadvantage of the off-the-shelf themes is that it’s a trendy solution. Why is this considered the main drawback? Because there is a higher chance that your site will be identical or very similar to many others. It makes it difficult to stand out from the competition, right?
Custom Web Design
Custom-built websites are required when there is a specific need for individual functionalities or a unique approach to the design. Sometimes it happens that WordPress provides those solutions but requires interference in the code. To make it happen, you need to hire a web design agency specializing in creating custom websites.
PROS
There is no more significant advantage than unlimited possibilities to build a website as you wish. No matter if you’d like to add simple solutions or complex animations and functionalities. Everything is possible!
Furthermore, custom design makes your brand exclusive by creating unique and eye-catching solutions. That’s how you stand out from the crowd!
Contrary to free off-the-shelf templates, the tailor-made website is infinitely better in search engines. Most of the time, the website works quicker, has better conversions, and higher ranks in search engines. It’s precious for any business to get more clients!
Finally, from a security point of view custom-built website has better support and supervision. It’s simply because people specialized in building websites are more experienced to prevent potential intrusions, hackers, or service errors. When the problem occurs, a specialist will help quicker than the off-the-shelf solution support team.
CONS
This is obvious. Design and development of the website from scratch are usually more expensive than readymade solutions. To customize the site according to requirements, you need time and professional expertise. Fortunately, sometimes it’s possible to find a high-quality web design agency that is also cost-efficient. Below there are a few hints on how to do it:
1. Try out the agency with a small task/project first.
2. Try those who are hard-working and trustworthy, not necessarily those with the best skillset.
3. Hire slow, fire fast. Take your time to do some research, and if you believe you’ve chosen the wrong ones – don’t hesitate to quit the contract!
To sum up, both tailor-made web design and off-the-shelf themes have their own pros and cons. It’s your choice to use the one you prefer. It all depends on your needs, budget, and business goals.
Mikolaj Chanek
10 May 2021