Statistics show that 28% of small businesses do not have a website. Lately, we are sure that they have realized how important it is to invest in their presence on the Internet – due to the fact that our lives have shifted to online channels. If you’re not on the web, you don’t even exist!
So, if you’ve decided to build a website for your business, congratulations! You may be confused by the choices you’re presented with, but congratulations again – it’s a sign that you’re engaged in the process, which increases the likelihood that you’ll be happy with the outcome.
One of the most common doubts among business owners who are in the process of creating a website is precisely the one from the title – premium WordPress theme or custom website development and which to choose.
We break down the pros and cons of both options and give you five suggestions for great WP themes should they be your final choice.
Custom-Made Websites VS Premium WordPress Theme?
On the other hand, a premium WordPress theme means an existing, regularly updated theme that you can opt for if you think it suits your needs, and that offers more benefits than the free ones.
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to choosing between these two options: some businesses will be more comfortable with a build-from-scratch theme, while others will find a premium theme just right. One thing is for sure, you need a website.
How it will look depends on your needs and goals, and the following two sections will help you make the right decision for your website.
Premium WordPress Theme: Pros and Cons
Why would someone opt for a premium WordPress theme? Here are a few reasons.
1. It’s great for a tight budget
Small business owners often have a limited budget and must carefully allocate it to the various requirements of starting a business. Premium WordPress themes are a better choice in that case because they are cheaper, and this also applies to their maintenance and updates.
2. It takes less time to create
When you choose a pre-existing theme from WordPress, it won’t take you long to get your website up and running. If you are creating a small website with only a few pages, you can do it in less than 24 hours. Of course, more complex sites will require more time.
3. It offers a lot of functionality
Developers who develop premium themes on WordPress keep in mind that their themes will be used by a large number of users. Therefore, they strive to offer a large number of functionalities to meet everyone’s needs. Even if you don’t use them right away, you can add them to your website later.
4. It is regularly updated
In order for WordPress premium themes to be able to withstand a large number of users and offer something new, in accordance with the development of technology and the market, they are regularly updated. This means you can count on technical support if you run into a problem, as well as someone constantly working to improve the theme you’re using.
5. You don’t need to have special skills
If you are just a little bit computer and web savvy, you can easily learn a lot about WordPress theme management. After the initial tasks performed by the developer, you can continue to maintain your website yourself, publish blog posts, etc. because adding new pages is not too demanding, especially when there are a large number of tutorials that can help you with this.
6. You can check the ratings of the theme you like
Before you definitely choose a theme, you can check how it ranks among users. Check out other websites that use it and read the feedback available to you. It is important that there is a serious team or company behind the theme so that you can count on the reliability of the website and support.
However, WordPress themes, even if they are premium, have their flaws.
1. You are always dependent on a third person
Since you generally don’t have one-on-one communication with the developer, as is the case when you directly hire someone to build your website, you have to be patient and rely on the team behind the theme. They are responsible for updating the theme and fixing potential bugs, so your website depends on their engagement.
2. The theme is not automatically optimized for search engines
WordPress themes are not automatically optimized for Google and other search engines. This means that you need to install certain plugins and specifically work to make your website fully search-optimized for your potential customers.
3. There are usually too many functionalities that slow down the website
The fact that the theme generally has a wide range of users is also a disadvantage of premium WordPress themes. Too much functionality can compromise some basic aspects of a quality website, such as page loading speed.
4. Your website will not be unique
You know how designers tend to dislike Canva, an app that makes great visuals easily? This is because no matter how skilled you are, you are still using existing elements that are not unique and can be accessed by others. It is similar with WordPress. Although premium themes are not free, they are available to a large number of users. This means that, despite personalization, your website simply won’t always have a unique design.
Custom Website Development: Pros and Cons
There are many reasons why businesses choose to build their website from scratch.
1. The whole design is completely up to you
You are not limited by the style offered by a certain theme, but you tailor all the elements of the website according to your wishes and needs. Together with the developer, you choose the design and functions that the site will have, right from the start. Therefore, your website will be unique and will faithfully reflect your brand.
2. The developer is always available for support
Unlike a team of developers with whom you often won’t be able to have direct communication, when you hire someone to create a website for you, you communicate with them one-on-one. Also, you don’t have to wait for the website to be updated and maintained when the theme author team plans it, but your developer does it for you when you agree.
3. Such websites allow for higher speed
Custom-made websites are usually faster than existing theme ones because you choose only the functionality you need. There are no additional elements in the code that slow down page loading unnecessarily because they are not used at all.
4. You can always add new functionalities
Another advantage of custom-made sites is scalability. This means that the website can easily grow together with your business and that you can always add new functionalities that you need in agreement with the developer.
5. The site is automatically optimized for search engines
Websites that are built from scratch are optimized for search engines from the start. You don’t need to add special optimization tools later, but from the start, you can build a site whose pages will be easily indexed by Google.
There are not many disadvantages to creating a website this way, but they can be crucial, especially for beginners.
1. It costs more
Logically, a website that you fully control, is unique and offers functionalities that purchased themes do not have will cost more. The total price depends on what you need to have on your site, but taking into account the maintenance and regular updates of the website, it definitely ends up being more expensive than a premium theme.
2. It takes more time to make
When building a site from scratch, it also takes more time to complete the process. It is necessary to code every element of the website, and the length of creating the site depends on its complexity, as well as the price. This process is further extended if you are too busy with other duties in the company, so you need several days or weeks to review what the developers sent you for approval.
5 Suggestions for Great WordPress Premium Themes
If you’ve taken all the above factors into consideration and chosen a premium theme for your website, here are five great theme suggestions where you are sure to find something that suits your type of business.
1. Astra
One of the best and most used premium WordPress themes. Over 1.2 million websites around the world have chosen this very theme and judging by how responsive it is, it’s regularly maintained, it provides a great user experience, and you’ll learn to use it easily.
2. Avada
Also one of the most popular themes, it offers over 50 predefined templates.
3. Divi
If you want a theme with full documentation so you know your website is secure, Divi is a great choice. It also offers a wide range of tools that you can use to build any element you need on the website, although it is a bit more expensive.
4. Balance
This simple and elegant theme is very flexible and may not offer as many demo options as Astra, but it is great for eCommerce websites. It offers several home page options, can be personalized, and has as many as six color schemes.
5. Extra
Although it looks like a magazine at first glance, this theme can be adapted to any type of website. Compatible with WooCommerce and easy to use, the Extra theme is optimized, offers a wide choice when it comes to website elements, and offers 24/7 support.
Choose the Best for Your Business
There is no one ideal solution for every type of business.
Depending on whether you are creating a website for an agency, a webshop, or another type of site, you will need different functionalities and elements on the pages, so based on that you should choose the best way to create it.
Of course, it should also be in accordance with your budget and time frame for the development of the website, as well as with priorities – optimization, security, support? The choice is yours.
