You might argue that custom designs are expensive and an unnecessary extravagance, but in this article, we will outline 8 ways that illustrate why a custom-designed website with WordPress will be sure to benefit both you and your business.
Basic benefits provided with WordPress
Before we get into the details of why a custom design through WordPress is best, first let’s walk through the benefits of choosing WordPress in the first place.
A. WordPress websites are easy to maintain. As a business owner, you want to be able to have control over the functions of your website as much as possible. However, this process can feel daunting to those of us who are not ‘tech-savvy.’ The content management systems offered through WordPress ensure ease for those behind the scenes of your site, as well as those using it to view and purchase your products and services. Having a comprehensive knowledge of how your website works will make you a more valuable resource to your customers.
B. WordPress websites are also extremely easy to use. Having an intuitive, clear, and user-friendly website available to your customers could be the tipping point towards success for your business online. Having frustrated customers rarely results in big sales. With an easy-to-use website, customers can navigate through your services quickly and conveniently, making your website a positive experience on both ends.
C. The last benefit of WordPress platforms will be music to a business owners ears: they are affordable. Whether you choose to go with a template, or with a custom-designed site, the end product will certainly be much more affordable than a site built with a less accessible platform, or by a designer that will overcharge you for your site.
Benefits of a custom-designed WordPress site
All of these aforementioned qualities will be available to you when you choose a WordPress site, but they become truly beneficial to your business when combined with a professional team of designers that can provide you with a custom design for your site. The positive qualities of a custom-designed site are numerous, but at their core come down to: a clean code, autonomy, branding, services and greater accessibility. If that short description isn’t enough to convince you, read on to get into the nuts and bolts of why a custom design is a wise step towards online marketing success.
1. Make sure your CMS website runs with an up-to-date WordPress version for security and usability purposes. Template websites often have an out-of-date WordPress version; therefore, having professional web designers work on your CMS website will keep it up-to-date and make sure your site is fully functional. This will also secure your site from hackers and malware.
2. As a business owner, you know that your business provides services and products in an individual and revolutionary way. So, you might find it challenging to try to change your vision so that your business’ website will fit a template. Templated designs do not offer a great deal of flexibility or autonomy over the layout and structure of your future site.
In addition, your business is certainly not going to be the only one using any template that you might select. WordPress templates are so commonly used by beginners that oftentimes customers have seen the designs so frequently they cannot distinguish one business’ site from competitors. Don’t let your business’ site fall into the background, and be sure to invest in a custom-designed site where your business can stand out as much as your products and services.
3. The value of branding cannot be overstated. Successful businesses have a consistent look, feel and voice, and their websites reflect their branded personality. A customized layout and design for your website can help create a cohesive brand throughout the entire site. From font selection to logo placement to the general visual aesthetic, a custom website will be sure to promote the brand and personality of your business, helping it stand out even further from competitors. Maintain your own unique brand of professionalism by investing in a custom-designed website.
4. Attention to personal service is often the quality that sets business above or below the competition. How you treat your customer is crucial. Knowing how important this is, it only makes sense that business owners should seek excellent personal attention in their own services. By working with a team of custom designers on your website, you can be assured that you will receive service and support during any challenges or questions that come your way.
Plus, by working with a design team, you can consult them again and again as you decide to make changes and adjustments to your site, rather than being stuck with a static template until you decide to purchase a new one.
5. If your website is not user-friendly to customers on multiple devices like laptops, tablets, and smartphones, then you are not optimizing your website for maximum results. The greatest benefit of working with a team of experts is achieving increased accessibility for your website, mainly through responsive designs and on-page (or on-site) optimization.
Responsive web design allows your website to ‘respond’ to whatever device on which it is being pulled up. These designs work by allowing your website to discover the height and width of the browser window being used at the time, making the images within the web page to automatically resize to fit the correct grid columns making up the screen. Whether consumers are opening up your site from a traditional screen or from their mobile phone or tablet, the dimensions and functions on the site will react to the different screen sizes, resulting in an optimal viewing experience for reading and navigation from device to device.
An added bonus to a responsive web design is that it allows your business to avoid directing your resources into developing multiple versions of your site — with a responsive design, your one website will transition seamlessly from device to device. Not to mention it would be hard for customers to find your business’ website if it is not optimized to be search-engine friendly.
This is where custom web designers research and embed keywords on your site that are highly related to what you provide; the kind of keywords that your target customers will most likely search for when they look for your type of products and/or services online. Plus, your provider will also submit your website’s domain name to Google for faster indexing. These are critical factors that a templated website does not offer.
The bottom line? A customized website is the wise investment for your business’ success online in the short run and the long run.
Hopefully we’ve shown you in this article how a custom design for your website using WordPress will provide tangible benefits to your business. While the initial costs might be more than a template, the long-term payoff is immeasurable. In the end, your business is investing in both a high-quality and in-depth experience, which would be impossible to achieve with a simple duplicated template.
Working with professional designers will give your business the chance to exchange your ideas, to have your voice and brand promoted and the opportunity to work with a team of experts with countless resources to bring to the table. This can make or break your business’ experience online. Don’t fall for the idea that a template will do the job, and invest in a custom website design for your business.
ProWeb365 is a Minneapolis web design company providing affordable custom web designs, web development and Internet marketing services to businesses and organizations. We value honesty and transparency in everything we do. Call us today at (612) 590-8080 to establish a strong web presence for your business.