Users form an opinion about your website in just 0.05 seconds.
And 94% of these first impressions depend on the design aspect of the website.
And the last someone counted, there were 1,797,603,000+ websites on the Internet. And that number is growing as you read this.
Now, if you think having a physical store does away with the need for a website, you are mistaken.
You should know that 81% of customers do an online search before buying something from a physical store.
Even if you don’t sell through your website, it is still vital for your business.
Websites are an essential part of all businesses. And that is likely to stay the same in the future as well.
What is changing, however, is the way websites are developed and designed without coding test.
Earlier, businesses had to empty their pockets on hiring web developers to code a website for them.
But, easy-to-use builders like WordPress are mushrooming and dominating the market today.
WordPress can, no doubt, help you build a website with no coding skills, and in just a matter of minutes. Numerous pre-made design templates and built-in features facilitate this fast, effective, and low-cost website development process.
But, before you start building a WordPress website on your own, you should know that you aren’t the only one doing it.
Your competitors, the seasoned players, and even the newbies are doing it.
There is a low chance of your website having a unique website.
What you need now is not web development, but custom web development.
Seven ways in which custom website development would help your business.
1. Unique design
Personalized content can influence 34% of website visitors to make an unplanned purchase.
If your website has the design and layout offered by pre-made themes, you can hardly add the element of personalization to the website.
Your website should be designed based on your customers’ buyer journey. This isn’t something that layouts would be able to offer. AI-based, drag and drop builders and customizable templates can only let you customize some aspects of your website. For complete personalization, a custom WordPress development company is your most viable option.
2. Plan
When you start building a website using a template, you just need to see what looks great on screen. But, when hiring a custom WordPress development company, you are forced to think. You analyze your business and plan about the value that you want to offer to your customers.
This makes sure that your website offers a unique Internet presence for your business. And ensures that your customers have a valuable experience interacting with your website.
3. Branding
No matter how many customization options you get in WordPress, it is not always possible to integrate your brand’s image into the website. From the colors to the graphics and more, there is a lot that you might need to compromise on.
A custom WordPress development company would have the right experts on board. They can help you integrate your brand’s colors and other elements to your website.
4. Professional
Design and layout aren’t the only aspects of website development. There are several professional factors a custom WordPress development company would be able to add to your website.
Page speed, for example, is a crucial factor here. Slow-loading websites result in a revenue loss of $2.6 billion.
Now, you don’t want to be a part of that statistic, right?
WordPress has many in-built features and tools, not all of which are useful for your business website. And these contribute to higher website load times.
With custom web development, you can do away with these unwanted plugins and features. And, thus, increase the load speed.
And a page load speed increase from 8 seconds to 2 seconds can increase visitor conversion rate by 74%.
Also, 47% of users actually expect a website to load within 2 seconds.
Other than that, people remember only 20% of what they read and 80% of what they see. This means you need image optimization as well for your website to be more impressive and effective.
5. Complete control
Website design is not only about how your website looks, but also how your website operates. With templates and customizations, you can change the way your website looks. But what about the way it operates?
40% of transactions are done through a mobile phone. Your website needs to be responsive and mobile-optimized.
Your website should be SEO optimized to make sure it ranks higher in SERPs.
You also need a tracking and analysis report for your website performance to understand your strong points and weaknesses.
All this can be achieved with a custom WordPress development company. With custom website development, you can have complete control over the way your website operates.
6. Longer life cycle
With a website that is not planned and built according to your business’ core competencies, you have to get frequent modifications and updates to keep the website relevant.
As opposed to that, custom WordPress development increases the useful lifecycle of your website. It is because the website is built on the basis of your business and not just a standard theme.
This translates to huge savings in the long run.
7. Scalability
Your website is not a static investment. When your business grows, diversifies, or expands, you need your website to reflect those changes.
With pre-made templates, this isn’t always possible. If you don’t want your website to suffer from scalability issues, it is wise to look for a custom WordPress development company. Such a company can help you scale your website matching the pace of your business growth.
Points to Consider before Getting a Custom Website Developed
Forecasts suggest that there will be 27.7 million website developers by 2023. With this, you face a choice between who to hire for your website development needs.
Factors that you should consider include:
- The website should actually be tailor-made for your audience.
You’d find several freelance developers offering you their services at throwaway prices. Before you let them take over, ensure that the website that they build is actually tailor-made for your audience. Experience and market research is necessary for building a website that is suitable for a particular audience. - Trust only the expert developers.
Don’t just burden your in-house IT experts or developers with this task. Custom WordPress yields maximum returns when done by experts. Hire an experienced custom WordPress development company instead. - Ensure there is scope for growth
Make sure the company you hire offers scope for growth and scalability in your website. This would make sure your website grows with your business. - Customization control
No matter who is building your website, you should have control over customization. Make sure that your website is customized according to your business needs. And every plan of action is approved by you.
73% of brands invest in website design and development to make their website stand out from the crowd.
Now, that isn’t surprising when we know that investment in UX yields a 100% ROI.
If you don’t want to be left behind, trusted agencies like Uplers can be your one-stop solution.
The custom WordPress developers at Uplers can help you build a completely trailer-made website. The website would suit your business needs and offer value to your customers.
And it is not just the design aspect. They will also work on SEO, page load speed, mobile responsiveness, and other relevant aspects of your website.
Create a unique Internet presence for your business with a custom WordPress development company like Uplers backing you and your website.
About the Author
Mirko Humbert
Mirko Humbert is the editor-in-chief and main author of Designer Daily and Typography Daily. He is also a graphic designer and the founder of WP Expert.