Bespoke vs off the shelf?
WordPress is an incredibly flexible platform due to how easy it is to extend. However, there are 2 main routes you can take when getting a WordPress website built for you.
Bespoke WordPress theme
I mainly focus on bespoke WordPress builds. This involves starting with just a design concept and building a theme from scratch.
This is the most flexible option because it means you can have the site designed to your exact needs, rather than picking something off the shelf and trying to make it fit.
A bespoke site is easier to maintain due to there being less of a need for a laundry list of plugins. It's also easier to maintain the content as the admin panel fields will be tailored to your needs, rather than dragging and dropping awkward blocks in a third party page builder.
It will also be far easier to make the HTML SEO compliant, as there won't be lots of unnecessary scripts being loaded and a bespoke WordPress theme will be built with SEO compliance in mind.
Finally, loading times will be far better, again due to the reduced number of scripts being loaded. A theme typically loads scripts and styling code for every possible thing you could use, regardless of if it's being used. A problem that you won't have with a bespoke theme.
Bespoke benefits
- More flexible design
- Easier to maintain
- Easier to update content
- Better for SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)
Off the shelf theme
Ok so I have just slated themes, is there a place for an off the shelf theme?
Absolutely, for a simple brochure site a theme may get you 80% of the way there, for a lower development cost. The idea behind an off the shelf theme is to find a premium WordPress theme that most closely fits your requirements, then I would set it up and configure it with your content.
For a simple site with constrained budgets, a theme can get you a good looking website.
Off the shelf benefits
- Cheaper
- Typically faster development