The Web Dev Geek Blog

WordPress is the world’s most popular website platform or CMS (content management system).

The platform’s popularity is almost certainly due in part to the fact that, after your WordPress website has been set up, it’s relatively easy to use. It’s certainly not rocket science. Actually, WordPress is so user-friendly (post website build), that sometimes it barely feels like computer science, either.

Many WordPress sites are built using a theme. This theme is a pre-built website design, with all the usual bits and pieces you’d expect to see on a website. It even comes with pre-set colour schemes, fonts, headers, footers, and more.

Because building a WordPress website using a pre-designed theme is a popular option for both professional web designers and novices, some people mistakenly think that there’s no such thing as a custom WordPress website.

But the truth is that not all WordPress websites are based on mass-produced themes. Instead, many are custom-built. And if you have a web developer on your side, even theme-based WordPress websites can be customised to a remarkable degree.

To theme or not to theme?

Now let’s get one thing straight right from the outset: there’s nothing wrong with getting a theme-based WordPress website.

Actually, WordPress website themes can be great! They make your life easy, they make your developer’s life easy, and, when carefully chosen, they can be the perfect way to present your business or products to the world.

So the Shakespeare-inspired question of “to theme or not to theme” isn’t about arguing that building a custom WordPress site is better than using a theme (or vice versa). Instead, the point is that it’s important to consider which option best suits your needs.

Generally speaking, if you want a basic and straightforward website, a WordPress theme should have you covered. (You can make your life even easier by having the site set up by a WordPress developer… like yours truly.)

However, if you have something special in mind for your website, a set of very specific website needs, or you don’t want to be constrained by a set theme, then WordPress development services are precisely what you’re looking for.

That’s because a custom WordPress website combines a user-friendly interface with the flexibility of making all your website dreams come true. And I’m really barely exaggerating.

Can themes be customised?

If you’re after a fairly standard website but you do want to make a few things “just so”, the other good news is that most WordPress themes can be customised… to a point.

I say “to a point” because any real customisation requires coding knowledge.

Once again, that’s where your friendly neighbourhood WordPress geek is going to have your back.

So if you really need to set up your testimonials page with two columns and the theme only has one, or you want to add words to your home page below the hero image but the theme only has words above, chances are using a WordPress theme is still the way to go. You’ll just need to get your developer to work a little extra magic on it.

The right option for you

Like just about anything in business life, the choice between a WordPress website built from a theme and a custom-built WordPress site will depend on what you’re looking for.

Thanks to this blog, you should now have a pretty good idea about your options.

And if you’d like some personalised advice… just drop me a line.