In most situations getting more than you paid for is a pretty great thing. However, when it comes to pre-made WordPress templates or themes, it can turn a decent bargain into a bigger problem.
This is a problem we are running into more and more often. Almost every week, a business owner comes to us with a WordPress website that has been built from a template or theme. The idea was simple: save time and money by getting a pre-made business website layout and then filling in the necessary text and images. It sure sounds better than paying a professional web design company to do all of that work for you, doesn’t it?
Unfortunately, we’ve also seen deception where a professional web design company sells a custom website, but then delivers a website based off a $59.00 WordPress template or theme. In that case the business owner can’t figure out why they are not getting results. Sadly, we’ve seen businesses spend thousands on websites based on inexpensive themes thinking they were getting a custom design.
The Big Problem with Pre-Made WordPress Templates
On the surface a WordPress template seems like a great deal. You’re getting a nice looking layout that should work directly on top of a no-cost content management system. In theory, it’s all the benefits of a custom web design job without the expense.
The big issue here is that web templates are made quickly and for a generic audience. As a result, they are stuffed full of apps, plug-ins, fonts, and options that most customers just won’t need. That leaves a lot of extra code just sitting in the background of the website. You could think of it as the digital equivalent of a meal with far too many courses.
How Bloated Code Affects Your Website
You might think that extra code doesn’t matter if you aren’t using it, but you would be wrong. It takes up space on your website, runs in the background, and limits what you can do in terms of customization.
At a minimum, all that extra code is going to slow down your pages a lot. In fact, it could take several extra seconds for your site to load for visitors – more than enough time for them to decide to take their time and money elsewhere.
The Problems Don’t Stop With Slow Pages
Numerous studies and surveys have shown that potential customers will leave a website after a few seconds if it doesn’t load, but slow pages could actually be the least of your problems.
Extra and unnecessary code on your website can cause a variety of issues, up to and including software and browser conflicts, page crashes, error messages, and even data security problems. In fact, all that code could actually break your website, forcing you to spend even more money to try to repair your web presence or port your content into a new design.
How to Get the Website You Need on a Smart Budget
The worst part about WordPress template debacles is that they are completely unnecessary. You simply don’t have to spend a great deal of time and money to get a web presence that is unique, meets your performance standards, and helps your company to grow. You just have to find a creative firm with a reputation for delivering value.
Need a custom WordPress website?
If you want to take your website to the next level without busting your schedule or budget in the process, contact us today at 630-551-0334 x1. We will be happy to show you how easy it is to get the answers you need.