In the excitement of getting your new business off the ground, it can be tempting to opt for one of the many paid templates that WordPress has to offer – they’re quick, they’re cheap, and they’re trouble free, right? Think again.

Planned obsolescence is as much a thing in the web design world as it is on the mass market; by choosing a premium WordPress theme as opposed to a bespoke design, you are essentially stamping an expiry date on your new website.

Here, we use our web design expertise to warn you of the problems you’re likely to encounter with a premium WordPress theme, up front, while outlining the benefits of a more personal and future-proofed, bespoke service.

Problem 1: The dormant designer
As a growing and thriving CMS, WordPress undergoes regular updates to ensure that everything is slick, smooth and running efficiently. Unfortunately, it’s not going to bring your beautiful new premium theme along for the ride, meaning it’s up to you and your theme’s developer to keep up and update your site accordingly.

Unless you’re a code wizard, an unresponsive developer can leave you not only in a daunting minefield of serious security threats, but also prone to functionality flaws.

Problem 2: Plugin predicaments
Without a bespoke design, you will probably need to install a variety of plugins and hacks to get your website looking and working exactly how you want and need it.

While too many plugins run the risk of slowing down your site or opening your site up to hack attempts, similarly they require a lot of care and attention. Without regular updates, you may even find that many of them cease to function altogether.

Problem 3: SEO stress
Making your website search engine friendly is crucial for driving traffic to your business. It’s worth noting that most premium WordPress themes will ask you to pay more to attract those all-important algorithm crawlers.

On the contrary, a bespoke website will only offer clean and concise code, ultimately ensuring the best SEO optimisation possible.

Problem 4: Forum foes
When things go pear shaped with a premium WordPress theme, your only choice is to scroll through endless, and often irrelevant, online forums.
The benefit of a bespoke developer is that in addition to knowing your website inside out, they are usually only a phone call away and more than happy to help you.

Problem 5: Relentless restrictions
With a premium theme you are often restricted when it comes to your contact form plugin or type of slider for example, meaning that if you change your mind and decide that a certain feature doesn’t work for you after all, you’re pretty much stuck with it.

On the other hand, a bespoke website enables you full control, meaning you can easily adapt and change your site as your business, and needs, grow.

Don’t run the risk
Using a premium WordPress theme means you could end up with an aesthetically identical site to your competitor, so when it comes to building a website as unique as your brand, it’s better to go bespoke.

Contact us at Point and Stare today for a design and build that’s timeless, professional and a better investment in the long run.

 
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