Taking your business to the next level and building a website is a genius marketing strategy, and creating the perfect design for your website is the next step of the process. One of the major decisions you have to make is choosing whether you want to build your website with a custom template or use one of the ready-built WordPress templates.
Most businesses opt to use WordPress because it gives them the advantage to create a new website without having to hire a web designer. But which option is really the best choice for your website? In this article, we will go through the pros and cons of custom website design vs. WordPress templates.
Custom Website Design
Custom-built websites are created when the user wants a very specific modification in their website that WordPress cannot provide. It is usually built with complex functionalities that will need a web designer to accomplish. The web designer will use different programming languages such as JavaScript, Python, PHP, ASP, and many others. That’s what makes it complicated and hard to accomplish for most users.
Pros:
- Quick and easy. If you want your website to be ready within a week, a custom website is recommended.
- Uses code. Although using codes can make website creation complicated, it will also ensure that the HTML and CSS are easily kept up-to-date.
- Affordable. Compared to WordPress templates, using custom designs and themes are more affordable and can sometimes be installed for free. Add in a few hundred dollars, and you can have a professional install all the modifications you want such as logos and colors.
- Modern designs. Custom design templates offer a lot of amazing themes where you can find the best theme that will fit your business. If you are looking for the best theme options, you can try Elegant Themes, StudioPress and Woothemes.
Cons
- Locked designs. With custom website designs, expect to be locked into a design and configuration. That’s why you have to make sure that the theme you are going to choose has page options and header configurations.
- Code. As stated above, codes are what makes custom website templates difficult. That is why you need to hire an expert to ensure that the website is perfect and loads fast.
- Support. Support for some themes is very limited and can cause conflicts with plugins. Keep in mind that you have to choose premium themes with good support so that issues that slow down the pace of website creation can be avoided. Always check the support forums for any activity.
- Security risks. In custom templates, you will sometimes find free themes. Some of these contain dirty codes that can be harmful to your website. Hidden or missing codes can be a huge problem on your site when a hacker successfully gets in. Always buy premium themes from known companies.
WordPress Themes
WordPress is a website building tool that is offered for free. It is chosen by most users because it is easy to use and requires little or basic knowledge of web development. Over the years, this tool has become more complex but still easy to understand and develop. A lot of new websites today are built with the best WordPress themes, and more users prefer it over custom website designs.
Pros
- Flexible. WordPress is easy to use and understand. You can start from scratch and get all the features you need for your website. You can explore various themes, create the design you want, and change it at any time.
- Branding. With a custom WordPress website you can design your website with your brand, colors, and goals.
- Specific. Since it is flexible, WordPress templates can be arranged and moved around while still using the unique layout you have created.
- Unique. Building a specific and customized website design will really make your brand stand out from your competitors. With the best WordPress themes, you can avoid looking like any other website.
Cons
- Expensive. Compared to custom website designs, creating a custom WordPress website can be more expensive, especially if you are a beginner. You really have to have a budget before setting up a website because you might need to do more marketing and spend more money once the site has launched.
- Time consuming. Depending on how complicated you want the design to be, expect your custom theme to be ready from 4-10 weeks
- Bugs and maintenance. The major and final downside of using WordPress templates is that features are constantly being updated. Templates have developers that are always on the look out for bugs or security fixes. Keep yourself updated with all the new bugs and maintenance issues to continue using this developer.
Using custom website templates and WordPress templates have a lot of differences. You have a lot to consider, such as budget, timeliness, brand, and support. It is important to find the right template that can provide all you need to build the perfect website for your business. Consider the importance of a good website to your marketing strategy and invest wisely in order to have a successful website with a great theme.
Advanced Digital Media Services offers the best website design services and knows exactly what to do to provide you with a professional, fully functioning page. They have the perfect mixture of skill, experience, and creativity to help you create the best web design to increase your web traffic and boost your sales.
