For many users, a big question that they need to face is whether or not to use a custom WordPress design for their blog or to use a free or premium WordPress provided theme. The main deciding factor in this is often the cost – custom designs and premium themes can often be quite expensive, whereas free themes are, well, free. For many new bloggers just starting out keeping costs down is a main priority, so choosing a free WordPress theme is often the most obvious option. However, is opting for a free WordPress theme going to help get the best results from your blog? Are there ways to get a custom design without breaking the bank? Read on to find out more.
Standing Out
With so many blogs out there on the internet about a vast number of different topics, any blogger can rest assured that the things that they blog about are probably being also blogged about by at least a few other people. Whilst you can provide unique, interesting content, this isn’t always enough for the majority of readers – they want a blog that stands out and is memorable. If careful choices are made it is possible to achieve this with a free WordPress theme, however it’s a lot easier to do through the use of a custom design, and could be worth investing in.
Support
If you opt for a custom WordPress website, you’re going to need some form of support for if anything goes wrong – especially if you’re not clued up on how websites work internally or don’t know the first thing about HTML. This is why it’s absolutely essential to opt for a reputable designer when choosing a custom theme, as without the right support, issues could cause serious downtime. You’ll also need to have a backup plan in place for if support isn’t available – can you get a new theme quickly if your designer fails? If support with your website design is your main priority, you can’t go wrong with a WordPress provided theme – their technical team is always on hand to help.
Is It Worth It?
For some blogs, the theme and design does not take priority, as it’s the content that really shines. With others you will need to spend some extra effort in making the blog design stand out in order to attract readers to stay on and explore your site. At the end of the day it all comes down to what you’re blogging about – a blog on Sioux Falls advertising for example might be absolutely fine with a simple theme, whereas if you’re blogging about cake recipes and have a lot of competition, you’re probably going to want a custom design that really makes your blog stand out above the rest.
Did you choose a custom WordPress website or use a theme when setting up your blog? What prompted you to make the decision that you did? We’d love to hear your stories and WordPress experiences in the comments.