Website design is one of those things that everybody has something to say about! There’s never a shortage of ‘good’ advice when it comes to choosing designs, tools or even developers.
The thing is, however well intended, much of that advice is incorrect, and based on myth and hearsay. I’m suggesting people do that on purpose – it’s just like Chinese whisper, once a myth starts, it’s hard to dispel.
In web design, one subject that seems to cop a bit of flack is WordPress, so let’s put an end to the rumours about WP themes once and for all!
WordPress Has A Great Reputation
WordPress themes are very widely used and actually have a great reputation. If it wasn’t good, how come so many people use it, right? No tool or program is perfect, however, so perhaps one person’s bad experience prompted a lot of naysayers.
One of the most common myths you’ll hear about WordPress is that it is only for bloggers. The truth is, it did start out that way, but it has evolved into a fantastic content management system – CMS – that now powers around 25% of the internet!
That myth went on to spark another misconception, and that was that WordPress couldn’t cope with increased load. Clients will ask, “what happens when my business grows?” The simple answer is that your WP site will grow with it. Seriously, while WP themes may be used by bloggers, they are also used by multi-national corporations!
Web Hosting Makes A Big Difference
In fact, questions about both the scalability of the platform, and security, can be answered with one comment – hosting. You know that saying about paying peanuts and getting monkeys? It certainly applies to web hosting.
I’m not suggesting you should pay through the nose, either. But the reason some hosting services are so cheap is that they work through public servers, with hundreds or thousands of other websites in the same place.
That, not WordPress, is generally what’s responsible for your slow speed, constant crashing or security breaches.
Keep Your Themes Updated
Having said that, no software is perfect and these days, hackers will exploit the smallest of opportunities – in any software, not just WP. That is why professional web development services recommend you keep your WordPress install, themes and plug-ins updated. You should also get into the habit of doing full site backups.
Remember, if you choose a reputable web hosting service, you can expect a 99.9% Uptime Guarantee on Network, phone and online technical support and daily, weekly and monthly site backups for disaster recovery purposes.
Another myth you’ll hear about WordPress themes is that they are not suitable for eCommerce sites. WRONG! The truth is that WP plug-ins make building an e-store really easy. Just ask your website development team on the Sunshine Coast about plug-ins such as WooCommerce, Exchange and Easy Digital Downloads.
Beware The Bloated Code
Now, how about the Myth of Bloated Code! Sounds particularly nasty, doesn’t it? Bloated code is basically inefficient code, something else that your professional website development team can advise on.
The solution is simple: choose a multi-purpose WordPress theme that has received great reviews. As with most WP themes, these will have been written by experienced developers.
Then there’s the one about integrated features versus plug-ins, and how the former can slow performance. My advice is this: have your website built by a professional, who has the coding skills to do everything from the back end. Integrated features are the front end website building, who lacks that knowledge.
Just For Beginners
One myth that is really quite funny is that WordPress themes are expensive! Premium themes are around $40-$50, and we all know a professional website build is more than that!
Another is that they are only for beginners. Now that depends. In its basic state, WordPress was designed for people who wanted to build a website but did not know much about programming. Much of WP’s Dashboard is intuitive, and you can get away with no coding.
However, those same WP themes can be developed into something far more complex by someone who does understand coding. For professional developers, it’s great, as they can take that basic package and extend the software with custom code.
Great Starting Point
This leads me on to another myth, that all WP themes look the same. They actually don’t but, with that custom coding and the help of a professional developer, you can change it into something quite unique.
So, WordPress is cheap, easy, well supported with plenty of forums, and you can add to your theme with various plug-ins. For someone keen to put a website together themselves, it is perfect.
I would personally opt for that same solution, but in the hands of a professional developer, who can create something a little more intricate and unique.