Custom WordPress Development: 4 Essential Tips for Building Your Dream Website

About 810 million websites are using WordPress, making it the most popular CMS by a long shot. How did WordPress take over the world of web design? Perhaps one of the biggest factors fueling this success story is the appeal WordPress has for website builders of all kinds. Newcomers and bloggers have thousands of pre-built themes to plug and go, but there are nearly unlimited customization options. If you’re going for a more serious approach or building a website for your business, opt for custom WordPress development. Not sure where to get started? Read on for four important tips.

1. Start with a Blueprint

Don’t start designing your website before coming up with a master plan. To get started, take the time to flesh out your:

• Brand identity
• Target audience
• Primary and secondary website goals (e.g., increasing sales, spreading awareness, earning ad revenue, etc.)
• Desired layout and aesthetic

Your website should be an extension of your business or organization. Your target audience should feel welcome to explore and have a clear sense of how to navigate to your various pages.

2. Prioritize Speed and Responsive Design

One of the downsides of skipping WordPress’s option to use a pre-built theme is that you need to build speed and responsive design into your code. Pre-built themes tend to take care of these things for you, and it’s easy to slow things down or overlook intuitive design shifts when you’re starting from scratch. Both of these things are crucial for user experience. If your website is slow to load or doesn’t adapt to smartphones and tablets, you’re going to lose viewers right away.

3. Secure Your Custom WordPress Theme

As you’re assessing your website development budget, make sure to consider website security. Securing your custom WordPress theme will protect your data and your customers’ data, including things like personal and banking information. WordPress offers a number of security plug-ins, from Defender to Security Ninja. Most of these plug-ins do cost money, averaging at about $150 per year. This extra fee is worth it when you consider the cost of a security breach.

4. Go Pro for Custom WordPress Development

Let’s face it. You started a business or organization because of your niche industry expertise. You’re not exactly a web designer. The good news is that you can always outsource your WordPress website development to the pros. Professional web designers will take care of everything from turning your design ideas into a functional final product to optimizing your website speed and security.

Join the World’s Most Popular CMS

When you consider how multi-functional WordPress is, it’s no wonder that it’s the world’s most popular CMS. If you’re getting ready to create a website for your business or organization, use these four tips for custom WordPress development. While pre-built themes have their perks, nothing looks more professional than a custom website. Are you looking for ways to boost your SEO strategy now that you have a website under construction? Take a look around for the latest SEO news, trends, and beginner-friendly tips.