Understanding the pros and cons of a custom pre-built WordPress theme

WordPress has become the primary choice for most people looking to develop their site using a content management system. After all, it has the maximum CMS market share (about 59.1 percent). Additionally, there are a plethora of themes and plugins on the web that help create an attractive WordPress website with a rich set of features.

But remember that building a site isn’t just limited to installing themes and plugins in today’s increasingly competitive web world. And so, in addition to having an attractive and functional site, it is imperative to present yourself as a unique online identity. However, using a pre-built theme to build your WordPress site may not help you establish yourself as a distinctive brand online. This usually happens if some other business entity is using the same theme as yours.

It goes without saying that users would not like to waste their time visiting a website that cannot offer them something unique. But you can’t ignore the fact that an out-of-the-box theme helps you save a lot of time when setting up a site. Also, you can create your website without spending a single penny on the support of any free WordPress theme.

Reading this article will help clear your doubts about whether you should choose a pre-made WordPress theme or create a custom one. Basically, we’ll cover the pros and cons of both approaches to developing a site.

Pros and cons of a pre-built theme

Pre-built WordPress themes are ones that are created by theme developers and are available online. You can find free and premium pre-made themes on the official WordPress Theme Directory or on any other third-party sites (such as Themeforest, Themeisle, Elegant Themes, and many other sources).

Advantage:

1. Affordability – This is the biggest benefit of using a pre-made template. A free theme saves you from spending your hard-earned money. On the other hand, a premium model can be purchased for less than $100. Even if you select a paid theme from a reputable source, you can easily find one suitable for your niche at a reasonable price.

2. Real Time Savings – You can have your website up and running in just minutes using a common theme. You just need to spend time searching for a suitable design template that meets your particular business needs. Also, a premium option is designed according to the latest web trends. This saves even more time customizing your existing website design based on current trends.

Cons:

1. Bad code: This is a major problem with pre-built themes, especially the ones that are free to download. In fact, sometimes you can even find a fault code in a paid template.

2. It can be expensive in the long run: If your theme provider doesn’t offer the required support, then you may end up spending more than you planned on making changes to your theme.

Pros and Cons of a Custom WordPress Theme

A custom-made WordPress theme is created to suit your particular needs. It is an excellent approach to establishing a unique looking website. And thus, such a template helps to represent your business in a much better way than your competitor’s site.

Advantage:

1. Uniqueness – As said before, a custom theme helps create a website with unique design and functionality. As people today prefer sites that offer distinct and exceptional experiences, a custom design will surely help you create an edge over your counterparts.

2. Better Control – Unlike a pre-made theme that prevents you from making changes to your website design, a custom design provides better control over design modification. For example, you can add/remove elements (such as images, buttons, etc.) from the site according to your preferences.

Cons:

1. Cost – Creating a custom template from scratch can cost you a lot of money, not just hundreds but thousands. That said, you can’t deny that investing money in strengthening your online presence is crucial to your success. Therefore, when going for this approach, make sure you plan your requirements in advance and then decide whether or not the custom theme will be a good investment in the long run.

2. Future updates: In general, the support team updates the predefined premium themes. However, you will need to remember to update your custom layout on your own. However, when you focus on other crucial aspects of your website development or customization project, you may forget to run the desired updates.

Conclusion:

Be sure to carefully read all the key aspects discussed in this article to make an informed decision about choosing a pre-built theme or a custom WordPress template.