The design of your website can make or break the future of your entrepreneurial endeavours. The theme, look, navigation, features- there is much nitty-gritty to consider. It is the face of your business over the internet and clients get the first impression of what you do by going through it.
Things that altogether define a well-designed website are:
- Responsive or the flexibility to be accessed from different devices.
- Being user-friendly enough.
- Small details like font type, size, and color.
Website development services can either offer to build a WordPress website or a “customized” website or make a custom website for you. WordPress offers pre-built themes that you can tweak as per your requirement while customized websites are built from scratch. Both come with their pros and cons. The key is to choose according to the type of business and the complexity of the website design you are looking for.
What is WordPress?
WordPress is one of the leading CMS available today. The WordPress CMS works on customized templates and themes which can be tweaked as you need. You can update the content, add images, and do every backend modification with minimal knowledge of website design and management. However, there are a few important things to note:
- The themes are standard and you may not feel the flexibility in using these templates when you want to create something unique.
- The WordPress templates for websites are similar so they have a generic style that may not appeal if you want to stand out in the crowd.
That being said, it can be the starting point though, which is modified as per need. But to get a complete customized solution, it is imperative to take the help of a web development company.
WordPress Websites- customizing existing templates
As we mentioned earlier, WordPress gives you access to thousands of pre-designed templates for setting up a basic website.
- You do not have to call the developer to update minimum content or make basic changes.
- This is time-saving as well as cost-effective. But it has some limitations too.
- Web designing services will provide solutions to specifically curb these limitations to create a more dynamic website that truly reflects your business.
Pros and Cons of WordPress
Though highly popular, WordPress has its advantages as well as disadvantages. To make an informed decision you must choose the best for your business website after deliberating carefully on the different pros and cons associated with WordPress as well as custom websites.
The following are the pros and cons associated with WordPress that has added to its popularity over the years:
| Pros | Cons |
|
Easy to use- The WordPress websites are very user-friendly with an intuitive user interface. You can quickly learn how to upload content, and media and even make changes to the overall look and navigation of the website. |
Breaking themes- Developers who create the WordPress theme also provide support to maintain its functionality. If you customize or “break” the theme too much in certain ways, you may not be eligible to access that support anymore. |
|
Cost-effective- You can access a pre-existing CMS and make changes to it. Thus, a lot of money is saved on designing the website from scratch and adding core functions to it. Since WordPress has all the tools, including pre-built themes and templates, you can work on the existing functionalities to give them a personal touch. |
Customization cost- While WordPress is quite inexpensive when you avail customization for existing themes, it can hike the cost considerably. |
|
Community assistance- WordPress is used by millions of people worldwide. As a result, you will find tons of hacks, tips, and comprehensive learning materials to efficiently run a WordPress website. There are even dedicated forums and communities to help you with tutorials and blogs. |
Cookie-cutter design- Many users complain all WordPress websites look almost identical. This is because you often have to work within the limits of the pre-designed theme. |
|
Security- The high popularity of WordPress also makes it a major target among hackers. You will have to constantly update to the latest security patches provided by WordPress to avoid any breach. |
What is a Custom website?
A custom website can be made from scratch and using different technology and methods. The entire work is done from the ground level to develop a headless CMS that is customized to work only for you. You will not have to work around pre-existing designs to make them personalized.
As a result, the benefits you enjoy are also very specific. However, this is only possible when you have a website designing company at your service.
Pros and Cons of Custom-Built Website
The following are different pros and cons associated with a custom-built website to make it easier for you to choose the best for your company.
| Pros | Cons |
|
Flexibility- You get complete flexibility to control the overall design and theme of the website. Since it is built from scratch every little detail can be changed and updated as per your preference. So, you have the overall flexibility to make it look way different from standard WordPress websites. |
Expensive- Building a website from scratch is expensive and the best web development company in the area will charge significantly to design such websites. Thus, a lot of additional costs are incurred in the process. |
| Functionality- Besides the standard workflow and design, you can add more functions and features to your website with the help of web development services so that your website can adhere to a very specific workflow. This is particularly useful when you have something truly unique in mind. |
Ongoing development- The trickiest part of opting for such a website is you will have to wait for a significant period while it is under development. Moreover, every time there is an issue, you will need an expert to manage the trouble. |
Conclusion
It can be rightly concluded that both WordPress and custom websites have their share of pros. In the end, the right choice depends on your budget and requirements.