Wordpress or Bespoke Website and why should we be bothered which?

We get some people asking if we can build a Wordpress website – now why is that? Why don’t people ask if we can build a website to improve lead generation or help them to stand out from the competition?

In a world where we want everything yesterday, is it because they think a Wordpress site is quicker? Perhaps they are trying to get the cheapest website developed in the fastest possible time?

As businesses we should perhaps be thinking about what it will achieve, who it needs to appeal to, what are we communicating and what results we expect it to deliver? Rather than how it is built…

Of course not all Wordpress sites are cheap -you can still pay quite a lot of money for a Wordpress site if there is extensive functionality.

Content Management

Websites are a dynamic Marketing tool and generally they need to have content amends on a reasonably regular basis, in this case Wordpress is seen to be easy for people to update their content.

However, there are other options out there – a lot of different ways to get to the same result. Just because it is not Wordpress does not mean that you cannot easily update the site, all professional website developers include a user friendly content management system (CMS).

The key focus for a website needs to be:

  • Do I own the website – content and structure, once it is developed?
  • Who owns the Intellectual property?
  • How will I measure the success of the site?
  • What are its objectives and how do I keep on top of that?
  • How will the content be generated and do I understand how to make it effective for my target audiences?
  • How will I keep the website improving and effective for my business?
  • How is my time best spent in the business?

As managers in a business do we really want to be delving into google analytics, messing with editing and adding images, laying out pages and struggling with fonts and spacing, just because we can save a few pounds?

I would suggest NO.

For a fraction of the cost and effort it is better it to leave to the professionals – if Wordpress is the best solution for a ROI then let them decide. If the business is looking to grow, add departments/functionality and be dynamic with call to action forms requesting information and enquiries, then another option may be better suited – let the professionals decide.

There are Wordpress developers out there who know nothing about Coding or Marketing and are therefore not able to ensure you get an engaging user experience whilst keeping the site up to date, functional, safe and effective  for your business.

Footnote:

Wordpress Weaknesses

Plugins
Wordpress sites are typically dependent upon plugins from third-party developers. As a result there are thousands of plugins that may work well on their own, but when another plugin is installed they can sometimes conflict. As the plugins make up most of the website, if one (or more) break, your website functionality can be compromised. It is great that there are plugins for just about every functionality you can want, but the sheer number and potential for clashes can cause the site to become slow and ineffective.

Developer skill set
If your website developer is experienced and knowledgeable then Wordpress can be a realistic option, if the Wordpress site is being built by a part time or inexperienced developer - you can potentially end up with some issues.

Security
Vulnerabilities in Wordpress websites tend to become public knowledge very quickly making them susceptible to attacks, which obviously poses a massive security risk.

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