Do you understand the difference between a custom WordPress theme and a customisable theme?
You certainly don’t need to be in the in-crowd to know that your website is more important than ever. Covid has lead to a dramatic climb in people wanting to buy online. From Grandmother’s buying the weekly shop to parents prepping for birthdays or millennials getting ready for their next big night out.
As online business soared, so did the investment into websites, eCommerce, social media, basically everything in the realm of online. Companies clambered to raise online spending and supported their marketing efforts with an immersive and innovative website.
Suddenly, everyone wanted a custom-built website; they wanted to be bigger and better than the competition. What we were left with were increasingly modern websites. With sharper graphics, more thought-provoking usability and most importantly, variation from the rest of the web!
Now, more than ever, businesses are looking for custom designs and customisable WordPress themes. In this blog, we will explain the vital differences between custom themes and theme customisation and talk about all of the benefits a custom theme can bring to your business.
Why is the difference important?
Let’s keep this short and sweet. Miscommunications in business can be hugely expensive and so are something to avoid at all costs. We don’t want to see a penny of those budgets wasted when you’re working on a project with us or with anyone else, for that matter! Yet, we still see agencies failing to explain the terminology or, worse, getting it wrong altogether.
WordPress theme customisation
It’s crucial that you know the phrase. Although WordPress theme customisation could technically be used to describe working on a custom theme, it often isn’t.
If your business signs up for this sort of package with an agency, it will mean you choose a theme that is then tweaked and manipulated within WordPress. This means, despite uploading features and graphics relevant to your business, the website will still be on an already existing layout and template. Meaning, lots of other companies could have a website not too dissimilar to your own.
Due to the time saved by editing an already functional theme, this sort of job is, of course, likely to be cheaper. And in cases where you need a short and sharp turnaround, theme customisation may be a plaster to stop your business bleeding out entirely as it misses online sales. However, is this a long-term fix in this day and age?
When it comes to the hub of your online retail, blending in is for the forgettable. What you want is a WordPress custom theme, which leads us into our next paragraph.
WordPress at Create8
At Create8, we’ve been building bespoke websites for as long as we can remember and we’ve learnt the lessons so that you don’t have to! When it comes to eCommerce and bespoke custom web design, you needn’t look any further. As an agency, we aim to break the mould and create new ways of generating revenue for all of our customers.
If you want to see some of the brilliant web projects we have built recently, follow the link below. Have a wander around, let us know what you think or reach out to us and see how we could help you build something incredible.
WordPress Custom themes
You won’t need to spend long searching the web to see some of the brilliant custom WordPress themes out there. In fact, we bet if you type in your favourite brands, you’ll probably come across loads of them in succession. That’s because the biggest and best companies invest heavily in their websites to provide the most memorable experience for their customers.
We know what you’re thinking…What’s the difference? What is a WordPress custom theme? Well, rest assured, you’re about to find out.
A custom theme is one that is developed to the exact specifics and needs of a particular client (not a pre-existing theme!). Similarly to our client’s businesses, every custom theme starts with an idea.
It may focus on the fluidity or functionality of your site, or maybe it’s all about the point of sale aspect of your new online home. Either way, a custom design allows you to align all of the needs of your business with a platform that can cater for them, and that’s what a website should be.
From the very start of a WordPress custom theme build, our web developers compile their knowledge alongside your vision so that we can understand precisely how to help your business succeed. Within the initial wireframing process, we think about usability and functionality so that your customers will love what we build.
What are the benefits of a WordPress custom theme?
For the benefits of a WordPress custom theme, you don’t need to look too far. The truth is, a custom theme that is based entirely around your business will maximise your opportunities on several fronts.
Whether you want to drive more conversions to those pesky potential clients or you want to protect the security of your loyal ones. We have tried to break this down as much as possible whilst still offering plenty of great detail, so here it goes.
Originality – Looking a million bucks has to be a part of the plan. Websites that fit within a bog-standard mould are forgettable, and you don’t want to be forgotten. Brilliant products need an equally brilliant home, so don’t cut corners on providing one.
Functionality – It’s important to remember that not all websites have the same goals. Some are seeking to capture leads, and others drive sales. Therefore these websites wouldn’t need the same functionality. The beauty of a custom theme is that a great designer can tweak what they build to suit the goals and ambitions of your brand. Tell us that’s not what you’re looking for!
Security – With added customers comes added responsibility. Once your business has control of lots of data, it needs to make absolutely sure that all of that information is secure. Within a custom-built website, your designer will code the defences that keep all those nasties away.
Speed – Did you know that a custom-built theme will almost certainly be quicker than a customised theme? Well, it’s pretty simple, really, as each page of your website is built entirely for the purpose of that site alone, there won’t be any useless over-layering of the website behind the scenes.
This means quicker loading speeds, which doesn’t only mean that your products are put in front of the potential customer quicker (this is essential, by the way) but also that Google will rank your website as a higher-performing site. Therefore it’ll appear higher in any searches that you appear in.
Growth – Having a website designed around an existing theme can hamper your long term growth. This is due to the lack of flexibility themes have built into them. On the other hand, if you invest in a custom WordPress theme, all of this changes. A designer will build your site from scratch, it is far easier to manipulate the design to suit the development of your business. For example, if you decide on integrating a new product, your custom pages will be easily replicable and replaceable. Think of where you want to be, not where you are now.
As a web design agency, we understand the occasional scepticism of potential clients when choosing which website route to head down.
When taking on web design jobs, we always provide the most honest and forward-thinking solutions to your problems, and of course, sometimes that will be to have a basic theme customisation package.
When you choose Create8, you get a whole lot of bang for your buck, and that’s where the advantages start. At Create8, we combine the talents of all of our employees to bring you the most complete package possible. Whether it’s the designers who sit in on your wireframing stage or the SEO specialists that help maintain your website’s position at the top of the tree.
So, here’s an idea, why not head over to our website, have a look around and see if anything catches your eye. When/if it does, give us a call or send a message; we can’t wait to hear from you.
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