When discussing a new website project with a client, one of the key questions we ask is “what is the budget available?”. For some people this can be a tricky question to answer, with the main reason being the client doesn’t want to make us aware of a budget which could be higher than what is needed, with the client believing that we will quote the exact price of their budget.
This couldn’t be further from the truth. The reason we ask for the budget available for the project is because there are normally multiple ways in which we can achieve the functionality required to launch your new website. Below are the two main ways for us to build your website, and how they will affect the overall price of your website project.
Using a Premium WordPress Theme to build you website
WordPress is open source, which means anyone is free to develop themes or plugins which can work using WordPress. There are a number of websites that provide a vast number of premium WordPress themes which can be purchased and used for your own website project.
The reason why choosing to use a WordPress theme may be the best option for you is because a large part of the work has already been carried out. The themes are professionally designed, and to be able to be sold the coding must be of a high standard and is checked before being made available to buy.
Because of this, it means that we are able to create the website for a better rate than if we were to design and develop the website from scratch. The main portion of time would be spent branding the theme to match that of your business, and integrating the content to fit with the predefined layouts of the theme.
PROS
- Thousands of themes to choose from giving you plenty of options in terms of design and layout.
- Themes are usually cheap to purchase, varying from £20-100.
- Support is usually included in case there are any issues with the theme.
- Lower start up cost to get your website up and running.
- Normally quicker to launch as minimal development is needed.
CONS
- You can be restricted to the layouts of the theme.
- Can be awkward to add any extra functionality required.
- Costs may rise due to extra functionality.
- Unnecessary features can slow the website down.
A bespoke design & a custom built WordPress website
At Trickshot, our favoured approach is to build bespoke websites rather than using a theme. The reason for this is a bespoke build allows to to create a website which matches your requirements exactly. We will work with you to first of all design the website, and once this is agreed upon, development of the site will begin.
By going bespoke, we only use plugins that we trust, and only use them when necessary. This lowers the size of the website, and also ensures it is easier to manage going forward when updates are released. Due to the custom nature of the project, it will usually take a bit more time to complete, which in turn leads to a slightly higher cost.
PROS
- Custom design so the site looks exactly as you want.
- No limitations on functionality.
- Updating the site is easier, as tailored for your needs.
- Website better optimised and more lightweight, so faster loading times.
CONS
- Costs are higher due the custom nature of the website.
- The process can take longer as it is a bespoke project.
Overview: What should I choose, a theme or a bespoke build?
The decision can be a tricky one. The theme option can be a great choice and most certainly help you to achieve your online business goals. If you do decide to go down this route, the main thing to remember is to work within the theme’s functionality and layout. Ignoring this can result in additional costs, and before you know it the cost could rival that of a bespoke website.
For smaller information centered website or for start-ups, a theme can be a great choice to get you going online. If you’re a slightly larger company, have a niche product or you want your business to significantly stand out, then bespoke is definitely the more suitable option. The website will have a completely different look from your competition, which is sometimes hard to achieve with a theme, and we will have unlimited freedom to create the website you need both visually and functionally.
Take a look our website services.