WordPress sites are just about everywhere, and it’s not hard to understand why. For many, they represent the ultimate in good looking, “have it now” sites. In fact, on most hosting panels, it can be installed in just a few mouse clicks.
Instead of having to pay a designer, work on layouts and revisions, and then finally uploading your site, the budding online marketer can simply register a domain, install WordPress, pick a theme, and start selling on the web. Sounds just about perfect… right?
As someone who has designed websites and helped business owners to meet their marketing goals for more than a decade, I’m not so sure. The whole thing makes me more than a little concerned. There are a lot of reasons to think that WordPress sites might not be the fantastic value it seems to be at first sight.
Consider this:
Instant WordPress sites are easy, but they are usually far from customized. Just because something looks good at first glance doesn’t mean it’s right for your business. That’s especially true when dozens, hundreds, or thousands of other business owners might be using the exact same template. Do you really want your website to look like your competitors?
Consider also that your Calgary WordPress developer may be designing using non-design tools or WordPress theme generators that will undoubtedly restrict the potential creative outcome. Where the design and creative of a marketing website plays such an important role in converting visitors to potential clients this has to raise a red flag or two. The fact remains, just because you can open pictures on a computer and manipulate them, does not make you a designer.
And that limitation doesn’t just stop with aesthetics, either. Different sites, in different businesses, need different features and functionality. While WordPress has a large community of plug-in developers, finding, implementing and designing the look or plug-ins is not for the faint of heart.
Security can be a concern. An improperly installed WordPress installation can be a hacker magnet, not to mention a spammers heaven. A seasoned website application programmer can insure that your WordPress installation is not vulnerable to attack. Having a proper backup strategy and the ability to recreate your website should it be destroyed by a hacker is critically important and it requires someone who has more than an entry level knowledge of web applications to accomplish.
Deploying a cheap templated WordPress blog might be right for your budget now, but they’re usually wrong for the business. When it all comes down to it, this is really the big issue. For most businesses – even the small ones — the money that will be saved by using a cheap or free WordPress template isn’t ever going to come close to the amount they’ll lose by not having a professionally designed WordPress installation. While there are a lot of great ways to save cash when searching for web design or online marketing, going with something generic shouldn’t be one of them.
I can understand the pull of WordPress sites; they’re quick, cheap, and easy to put in place. But, just like most other things you could get for your business, the best investment usually isn’t the one that costs you the least and comes to you the fastest.
To answer the question, “But is it Effective?” – Yes, WordPress is hugely effective if it is properly deployed and designed with purpose.
Having a professionally installed and custom designed WordPress blog theme still does not have to break the bank. The eKzact team can help you.
–
David West began began his career as a freelance designer, later launching a full service website design and development company (eKzact.com) in Calgary, Alberta. He firmly believes that quality traffic is better than quantity, and has always used “coaching” approach to the development online strategies for his business clients. David’s clients especially love his “non-tech” way of talking about technical issues.
