If your existing website is outdated or you plan to take your small business online, you will need to create a professional-looking website. But the question that often arises in this regard is: Should I use a templated design or go for a custom website design? Whether you operate in the e-commerce industry, sell a product or provide a service, you really need to understand the difference between the two and find out which one is better for the type of website you want.
In this article, we’ll discuss the difference between WordPress theme and custom web design as well as talk about the pros and cons of both options so that you stay informed and make the right decision.
At our local marketing agency in & near Scranton, Pennsylvania, we have professional web designers who can create a website for your personal brand or business page.
What is a WordPress Theme?
WordPress (WP) offers one of the most popular and effective templated web designs, known as WordPress themes. A WP theme is actually a collection of multiple files that prescribe what your site will look like.
Based on your specific needs, a selected WP theme can be tweaked here and there by a web developer or web design agency. Initially, the WordPress CMS was basically meant for creating blogs. Today, the content management platform has expanded and turned into a complex and advanced platform that allows you to create websites for your small business. There are countless WP themes, each of which comes with unique looks, features, and functions.
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Pros
One of the biggest advantages of using WordPress themes is that they help you build a website in a much shorter span of time. This is because almost 95% of the design and coding are ready to use. There is not much that the web developer needs to do in order to get a website ready using one of the many WP themes. So, the timeline to build the website gets reduced dramatically. If you cannot wait several months to get the website up and running, go for a WP theme.
All that the web developer needs to use is to tweak the theme in order to add the features and functions you may want. There are specific cases where the developer may need to put in more work than usual.
If you have just set up a new small business, you may not have a decent budget to spend on web design. To save money, the best idea is to go for a templated WP theme or design to build the website. So, using WP themes does not just save you time, but it also saves you money.
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Cons
WordPress themes offer limited flexibility in terms of design and functionality. Since most of the CSS and the HTML, which is the coding part, are pre-built, you do not get a lot of freedom to customize. This means you just have the option to upload your content into the theme. The largest part of the existing structure of the theme remains unchanged. If you plan to create a custom web design around your content, WP themes will not suit the purpose.
One WP theme is used by a number of other businesses. But it is possible to create a unique website look using a theme. This can be achieved by incorporating visual branding elements and unique content.
What is Custom Web Design?
A custom or customized web design refers to building all the components of the website from scratch. A custom website is specifically created for your business with a host of unique design elements, features, and functions. When you have unique requirements, you go for a custom website design.
You need a custom web design when a WP theme fails to fulfill the kind of needs you have. If the website you plan to build is going to be large and complex, going for custom web design is an ideal option. Unlike a WP theme or a templated design, the web developer needs to create the entire CSS and HTML part from scratch. A web design agency or a web developer may use multiple programming languages to write the code of a custom website design.
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Pros
When you custom-build a website, you will have all the flexibilities you need to create a unique design as per your specific needs. Since the developer writes the coding from zero line, he or she has complete freedom to create an appearance and functionality that are one of a kind.
A custom website design means the design will be like no one else’s. The developer will build a website specifically for your business.
If your custom functionality list is a long one, you should go for custom web design. The best thing about this design is that you can upgrade it in the future without any hassle at all. In short, you will own and control every component of the website and will be able to adapt the design as per need, anytime.
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Cons
Compared to a WP template web design, a custom website design takes much longer to create. Depending on the complexity of the project, the web development and design process can take several months. However, the final product will definitely be worth the investment of time and money.
Creating a custom website design requires a great deal of research, planning, and effort. This web developer and the designer will need to work consistently on the project to get the website ready. As a result, the charges for building the website will go up and you will need to plan a big budget. But one thing is sure you will finally have a website exactly as you wanted.
So, Which One is Better?
Now that you have understood the difference between WP themes and custom web design and read about the pros and cons of each, you should first determine what your specific needs are and then compare the two options. If you are a startup with limited needs and a small budget, it is better to build a website using a WP theme. For large websites or web portals with a unique appearance, features, and functionality, the custom web design option are ideal. If you still have some confusion or questions you’d like to ask as to which one between the two is better, reach out to one of our web design specialists at Evolve Local Marketing In & Near Scranton, PA.
If you need website design in & near Scranton, PA, you can give our office a quick phone call at (570) 818-5097 or write us an email using the contact form below.