WordPress has become the primary choice of the majority of people seeking to develop their site using a content management system. After all, it holds the maximum CMS market share (around 59.1 percent). Moreover, there are myriad of themes and plugins on the web that helps in building an appealing WordPress website with a rich feature set.
But, remember building a site is not just limited to installing themes and plugins in today’s ever-growing competitive web world. And so, other than having an attractive and functional site, it is imperative to present yourself as a unique online identity. However, using a pre-built theme for constructing your WordPress site might not help you establish yourself as a distinct brand online. This usually happens if some other business entity is using the same theme as yours.
Needless to say, users would not like to waste their time in visiting a website that cannot offer them something unique. But, you cannot ignore the fact that a ready-made theme help saves you enormous time in setting up a site. Also, you can build your website without spending a single penny on the assistance of any free WordPress theme.
Reading this article will help remove your doubts regarding whether you should choose a pre-made or create a custom WordPress theme. Basically, we will be covering the pros and cons of both the approaches to developing a site.
Pros and Cons of a Pre-built Theme
Pre-built WordPress themes are the ones that are created by theme developers and made available online. You can find free and premium pre-made themes in the official WordPress Theme Directory or any other third party sites (such as Themeforest, Themeisle, Elegant Themes and many other sources).
Pros:
1. Affordability: This is the biggest benefit of using a pre-made template. A free theme saves you from churning out your hard earned money. On the other hand, a premium model can be purchased under $100. Even if, you select a paid theme from a recognized source, you can easily find one suitable for your niche at a reasonable price.
2. Real Time Saver: You can have your website up and running in just minutes using a common theme. You just need to spend time in searching for an appropriate design template that meets your particular business needs. Also, a premium option is designed according to latest web trends. This further saves time in customizing your existing website design as per the ongoing trends.
Cons:
1. Faulty Code: This is one major issue with pre-built themes, especially the ones that are free to download. In fact, at times, you may even find fault code in a paid template.
2. Can Prove Costly in the Long Run: If your theme provider does not offer required support, then you may end up spending more than planned on making changes to your theme.
Pros and Cons of a Custom WordPress Theme
A custom-made WordPress theme is built to achieve your particular needs. It is an excellent approach to establishing a unique looking website. And thus, such a template helps in representing your business in a far better manner than your competitor’s site.
Pros:
1. Uniqueness: Just like said before, a custom built theme assist in creating a website with unique design and functionality. As modern day people prefer sites offering distinct and exceptional experiences, a custom designed layout will surely help you create an edge over your counterparts.
2. Better Control: Unlike a pre-made theme that restricts you from making changes to your website layout, a custom design provides better control over modifying the layout. For instance, you can add/remove elements (like images, buttons, etc.) from the site based on your preference.
Cons:
1. Cost: Building a custom template from scratch can cost you a lot of money, not just in hundreds but thousands. With that said, you cannot deny that investing money in strengthening your online presence is crucial to your success. So, when opting for this approach make sure to plan out your requirements beforehand, and then decide if the custom theme will prove a good investment in the long run or not.
2. Future Updates: Premium pre-built themes are, in general, upgraded by the support team. However, you will have to remember about updating your custom design on your own. However, when focusing on other crucial aspects of your website development or customization project, you might forget to run the desired upgrades.
Conclusion:
Make sure to read all of the discussed key aspects in this article carefully to make an informed decision about choosing a pre-built theme or a custom WordPress template.
