Your website design makes such a difference in how your customers perceive your business. When you’re setting up a website in WordPress, you’ll need to decide whether your business’s needs can be fulfilled by a premade theme or if you’ll need a fully custom theme developed just for you. There are a number of important pros and cons to consider for each option. That’s why in today’s post, I’m showing you a side-by-side comparison of premade and custom WordPress themes so that you can figure out which is best for you. Either way, remember that working with a brand designer is vital if you consistently want a cohesive and professional website!
Premade WordPress Themes
Premade WordPress themes are ready-to-go. You just pop in the text, images, and colors that you want for your business. They’re easy but sometimes have limited features. Let’s dive into the pros and cons.
Pros
Premade WordPress themes are affordable. There are free themes built right into WordPress that are still partially customizable. They are much faster to set up than custom themes. If you’re working within a short timeframe, using a premade WordPress theme saves lots of time—nothing needs to be coded, and all you have to do is plug in what you need. Finally, premade WordPress themes are easy to implement and don’t require special skills or knowledge. If you know how to use your computer, you can probably set up a premade WordPress theme.
Cons
Premade WordPress themes aren’t extremely flexible; they’re customizable, but only to a certain level. On that same note, they come with less support. Working with a designer means that you have lots of help along the way. Finally, premade WordPress themes aren’t naturally SEO-friendly, like a custom-designed site would be.
Custom WordPress Themes
Investing in a custom-designed WordPress theme is a great way to take your business to the next level. Working with a web designer helps to build your brand and grow your business.
Pros
Having a custom website makes you unique. No one else will have the same design as you, so your business will stand out. A designer can align your website with your brand on every level. Custom themes are highly adaptable, so they can perfectly fit the needs of your business. Your custom theme will scale along with your business, and your designer can build in the technologies you’ll need as you grow. Another huge benefit of custom WordPress themes is that they are SEO-friendly. Beyond keywords, your website itself will be built to align with search engines.
Cons
Custom WordPress themes are a pricier investment into your business, but one that can have huge payoffs in the long run. Remember that working with a designer means everything is custom-tailored to fit your needs, so you’re making an investment. Because of that, custom websites also have a bit of a time delay. They take longer because the designer has to work on the website and then finalize and edit based on your feedback. There’s a huge amount of work that goes into a custom website, so remember that it’s both a time and monetary investment.
Overall, both premade and custom WordPress themes have advantages and disadvantages. It is important to assess what needs your business has and how a website can help fulfill those needs. If you are just getting started, consider holding off on investing until you have a bit more income to work with and know where your needs truly lie. If you’re ready to scale your business, working with a designer to build a custom website is an amazing and powerful investment to help grow your business long-term!