Having said that, I came to the conclusion that it would be beneficial to share some of my insights on this subject as part of my objective to assist business owners and entrepreneurs in achieving greater levels of success. I’ve been developing websites for well over 20 years, and throughout that time, I’ve picked up a thing or two about the kinds of websites that will be most effective for certain kinds of companies. If you’re wondering, “What kind of website does my business need?” then reading this article should help you get a better sense of what form of website will be most effective for you and your company. What Kind of Online Presence Is Necessary for My Company? If you want to develop a website for your company, you have a multitude of options to choose from, to the point where it can be extremely difficult to keep track of everything. However, for the sake of this article, I’m going to make things a little bit easier on you by focusing on just two of the most common options: pre-designed WordPress themes and custom-themed WordPress websites. Yes, there are also third-party DIY builder sites, such as Wix or the free Website Builder option offered by GoDaddy; however, if you are a serious business owner who wants to differentiate yourself from your rivals and have complete control and ownership over your website, I do not recommend going that path. Instead, I advise you to go with one of the other options. Before I go any further, though, allow me to provide an introduction to WordPress for any of you who might not be familiar with it. WordPress is a platform that is free to use and open-source, and it simplifies the process of creating websites and managing the material that is hosted on such websites. Itâs the most popular content management system (CMS) in the world, it can be used to develop everything from a personal blog to a booming online retail, and it powers more than 62 percent of all CMS websites. Now, I don’t want to get too technical here, but WordPress actually comes in two different editions. There is the sort in which you log into wordpress.com and develop your site within their hosted platform, and there is the version in which you can visit wordpress.org to download and install the WordPress files into a web hosting server. Both types allow you to build websites. For the purposes of this piece, I will be referring to the second option. Now that you are familiar with what WordPress is, let’s discuss some of the alternatives it provides for developing websites, as well as which option among those possibilities would be most suitable for your company. READ Why Affordable Websites Can Be More Expensive Than You Believe Here! When it comes to websites, just like with everything else, you get what you pay for. There is no exception to this rule. If you go the cheap path, you might wind up having to spend more money doing the whole thing over again, but if you make the investment in a custom-built website, it can assist you to build your business and become an essential asset. On the other hand, if you go the cheap route, you might not even realize it until it’s too late. This article explains why it is so critical for business owners to make that investment, and it provides a list of resources that are recommended for business owners who are eager to take the plunge. Check out our website for further reading. Themes for WordPress That Have Already Been Designed and Constructed Before I go into why you would want one, let me first explain what WordPress themes are. If you know nothing about the world of web design, you might not even be familiar with the term “WordPress themes.” If this is the case, let me first explain what they are. A website’s look and feel, as well as its functionality to some extent, are mostly determined by the WordPress theme that is used. A WordPress theme is essentially a collection of files that can include things like code, images, and style guidelines. Each and every WordPress website utilizes a theme; however, you have the option to either buy a theme that has already been designed and constructed or to have one that is designed specifically for your company’s brand and the precise requirements it has. Pre-designed and paid-for WordPress themes have as its primary selling feature the fact that using them does not require the user to possess any particular knowledge or abilities, such as the capability to code. This makes it possible for virtually anyone to construct a website, even if they have no prior expertise with web design. However, the most significant drawback of using a pre-designed WordPress theme is that it comes with a number of restrictions. ThemeForest is a well-known marketplace for WordPress themes, and the image that follows displays one of the various themes that can be purchased there for $59 CDN. As can be seen, they are inexpensive, and some of them are even free, but with these themes, you get exactly what you see in the preview. They will let you change the content, graphics, and colors on your website, but other than that, they do not offer much customization. Because of this rigidity, it is not feasible to do actions that may appear to be straightforward, such as shifting an element from one section of a page to another, unless you have some knowledge of how to code. And because they are not custom-coded, themes typically depend on additional pieces of software known as plugins for the majority of their functionality. However, if a website uses an excessive amount of plugins, this can have a detrimental impact on the website’s speed and make it more difficult to locate using search engines. If the coding underlying the theme isn’t properly structured, which is all too frequently the case when it comes to these pre-built themes, using a paid theme can also effect how search engines crawl or read a website, which can make it more difficult for users to locate the website. This can also make it more difficult for users to go to the website. Your website may end up looking suspiciously similar to hundreds or even thousands of other websites, depending on how popular the theme is. This is never a good thing for a company that is seeking to differentiate itself from the other businesses in its industry. In light of all of these negatives, you might be asking yourself, “Why on earth would I want a WordPress theme that has already been pre-designed?” A pre-designed WordPress theme is not what you want if you want a website where you have complete control over how it appears, how it performs, and how it is found by search engines. If this is what you want, then what you want is not a website that uses a pre-designed WordPress theme. Nevertheless, despite the limitations of these subjects, there are valid reasons to employ them in writing. For instance, if you are completely new to the world of company and you are unsure about things such as your target audience or unique selling position, then a pre-designed theme is certainly a fine place to start while you sort out your business model and the offerings that you will be providing to your customers. It’s possible that you don’t have the financial means to put thousands of dollars into a bespoke website. It’s also possible that you have no interest in running a large enterprise that rakes in tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even millions of dollars annually. In any event, if this is the current state of your company, it’s probably not worth it to invest a lot of money and effort into a bespoke WordPress website. Instead, you should find that a pre-designed theme is more than adequate for your needs. Websites built with WordPress and customized themes If you want to make a big splash with a new business or you want to rebrand your existing firm, then a custom-themed WordPress website is the way to go if you’ve considered branding into your marketing budget and if you’re wanting to make a big splash with a new business. A website that is constructed utilizing the Content Management System framework of WordPress and that has been custom-designed to appear and function precisely how you want it to is called a custom-themed WordPress website. This is exactly what it sounds like. The fact that these kinds of websites don’t have any restrictions is the primary selling point for them. If you are working with an experienced web designer or a renowned digital marketing agency, they will be able to develop your website precisely how you want it, with the only restrictions being your budget and your imagination. In other words, they will be able to create a website that is perfect for you. When websites are developed intentionally with these factors in mind, it makes the conversion or sale that much easier because when people come to the site, they feel like they’ve landed in the proper place. This increases the likelihood that they will make a purchase. It is crucial to note that the creation of a website using a custom-designed theme for WordPress will take significantly more time and will be more expensive than the creation of a website using a pre-designed theme, despite the fact that you will have more options available to you with the former option. However, if you are intent on expanding your company, you shouldn’t let the price stop you from doing so. In this day and age, a website is an essential component of your marketing strategy, which is why it is preferable to think of it as an investment. To put things into perspective, a pre-designed WordPress theme can be purchased for as little as a few dollars, and if you have all of your material prepared and are familiar with what you’re doing, you can put it together in a matter of days. However, the normal amount of time for designing and constructing a website with a custom theme in the business is approximately 12â14 weeks, and the amount of money it will cost you to get it done well will be at least a few thousand dollars. Having said that, there is actually no drawback to having a custom-themed website; the only drawbacks are the amount of time it takes and the money it is going to cost you. If you engage a marketing firm to construct your website, as many business owners do, you will not only be able to get the exact style and functionality that you want for your website, but you will also have access to the experience of a whole team of marketing specialists that worked on creating your website. This is a significant advantage. This will ensure that your website runs effectively, looks fantastic, is precisely aligned with the positioning of your business, and can be easily found on search engines. In addition, a website of this type will give the impression that you are more professional, will distinguish you from your rivals, will position you as more reliable and trustworthy, and will make it much more probable that your ideal clients would connect with your brand. Hiring a company to do this for you can also alleviate the stress that would arise from trying to figure out how to handle all of this things alone. Instead, you will be able to focus on your company while a team of specialists takes care of your website if you hire a company to do this for you. Do you find yourself still pondering the question, “What kind of website does my company require?” We have over 20 years of experience in the construction of websites that perform exceptionally well. Get in touch with us right away to find out if a WordPress website with a custom theme is the best option for your company. I wish you much luck in your business. The name Susan Friesen P.S. 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