After listening to the concerns of many of my clients, I’ve learned that most people mistakenly believe that “custom” means that their website will have a unique design and development. In hand with this belief is the misconception that building a website on a platform (such as WordPress, Shopify, Showit, Wix, or Weebly) means that their site can only be built from a premade template.
Websites on these platforms can also have custom-coded designs, but the big difference I want to help business owners understand in this blog is the difference between a website designer and a website developer, and how WordPress can be used most effectively for your brand.
Website Design Definitions
For someone outside of technology and design, some of the industry words we use can be confusing without knowing the definitions. I hope these definitions help you understand the difference between website design and development, as well as themes and templates.
Website theme: The framework on which your website is built. A theme controls the design of your entire website, from the colors and layout of your headers and footers to the plugins used for design and functionality.
Website template: Templates define the layout of specific pages on your website. Typically a website theme includes several templates used to build out specific pages, your contact page and home page, for example, would use different templates.
Website designer: The person in the role of website designer does the actual design of the website. This includes incorporating your branding, selecting colors and creating the visual experience a user sees when they visit your website.
Website developer: A website developer focuses on coding behind the scenes. A developer will take the design and implement the features by writing code so the website looks and functions how the design intends. Developers typically don’t keep up with design trends.
Comparing Custom HTML Website Development to Custom WordPress Website Design
When speaking about custom websites, it’s important to know what you want and what you’re getting. Many website developers modify the same code to create custom themes and templates for their clients. Very few developers are going to write brand new code for each new website project, and they shouldn’t because the base code will be the same, depending on the coding language used.
As a business owner, you want your unique brand values to come through the design of the website. A website designer will be able to provide unique, custom designs specifically for your brand, but what about the development phase? Is it worth it to have a custom-coded website? As we mentioned above, just because you invest in a “custom-coded” website, doesn’t mean you won’t receive a templated design.
My custom wordpress website designs are completely high-end and award-winning. The way I design and build websites, you won’t have to worry about hiring a separate development team in order to get your beautiful new website live. I design and develop small business websites and build them on the WordPress framework. You’ll be paying less to get your website live faster by working with me. The more you save, especially when starting a new business, the more money you’ll have to invest in new business cards, branding or social media graphics for your company.
WordPress is a Robust Website Platform
With all of the different website platforms out there, knowing which to choose can be confusing. I have spoken to many clients who are misinformed about WordPress websites. WordPress websites aren’t all pre-coded, templated designs. I choose WordPress for my websites because it offers a robust platform with complete freedom over design and search engine optimization (SEO). Additionally, WordPress is the best option for beautiful designs, functionality and performance.
I custom design every website I build within the WordPress framework. By using WordPress, I am able to cut your costs while still delivering a custom, high-end website, all done in-house. I always keep your branding in mind while designing your website. Unfortunately, custom developers don’t typically have an eye for design, though there are always exceptions to this observation.
I work with you to select a WordPress theme based on your business’ unique needs. While working through your visual branding and logo design, I get to know your target audience and their unique needs. I consider the needs of your customers and then translate those into your design.
There are thousands of choices for themes based on your industry. For example, for a subscription-based e-commerce business, I may choose a theme that offers the best customizations for subscriptions. For a retail boutique, there are themes best suited for handling large numbers of products and keeping them organized.
According to wpbeginner, 39% of all websites on the web are powered by WordPress. That’s MILLIONS of websites all over the world who trust WordPress for their website framework. 
Skip the Expensive Website Redesigns
As both technology and design trends evolve, companies must rebrand in order to stay relevant. Website designs will need to be updated. If you want a beautiful, functional website, you’ll need to hire both a web designer and a developer, which as we’ve discussed are two separate roles. If you opt to go the custom design and development route, be prepared to pay upwards of $10,000 – $20,000 for each redesign.
Using a framework like WordPress, as opposed to a custom HTML site, you’ll be able to change themes and designs within the framework of your current site. Your website content will all stay, but the look of the website can be updated. There’s no need to repost blogs or add your images again.
Making Your Own Website Updates
When working with a custom website developer, you’ll always have to pay them to make even the simplest changes to your website. Website developers typically charge between $75 – $300 per hour for their work, which can add up. If the developer requires you to use their hosting platform, you may get locked into paying high monthly fees for hosting and updates. They are able to charge these ongoing fees because you and your team aren’t able to maintain the website on your own like you would be able to do with a WordPress site.
I regularly receive inquiries from clients that have had a bad experience with a developer and then lost their expensive websites, and even their domains completely, because they weren’t permitted to move their sites off of their current providers’ platform. I believe this is a terrible practice for a website provider. I ask all of my website clients to purchase their own domain and hosting plan, but I do provide monthly maintenance on your hosting platform if you need my help keeping it maintained. Please do not let your website sit without monthly maintenance!
WordPress websites, even with custom-coding, allow you to easily make updates on your own. You won’t have to pay a developer to make simple changes for you, unless, of course, you don’t want to make your own changes.
WordPress uses “plugins” to add functionality to your website. For example, the contact form used on a WordPress website is likely a 3rd party plugin such as Contact Form 7 or WP Forms. Your WordPress site will also have plugins that add functionality to the theme, for SEO, and more. If you’d like, it’s possible to turn on automatic updates for certain plugins (which is convenient, but it’s also important to visit your website regularly to make sure the automatic plugin updates work with your current version of WordPress and PHP).
It’s essential to keep your website up-to-date and running smoothly — think of it like a car. In order to keep your vehicle running, you need to get regular oil changes and to do routine maintenance. Your website should be treated the same, and not left to never be updated again.
If you want to make content or photo changes to your website, a WordPress website allows you to make these updates yourself at any time. If you work with a website developer for your updates, you’ll have to submit a work order in order to get the work done. This can often take weeks and requires additional charges for monthly required maintenance and updates.
When I finish a website project, I include a recorded website tour with my packages. You’ll receive step-by-step instructions for how to publish a blog, change photos, and edit text on your website. These simple changes that you can make yourself don’t require any additional development time or fees.
Award-Winning Websites & Visual Branding in One Place
My websites are award-winning for creativity, design, content structure, use of graphics, ease of navigation, interactivity and overall utilization of the medium. Creating a website with my team allows you to work with just one person throughout the entire process. There’s no need to hire both a designer and developer separately in order to have your beautiful, functional website built. I want to make the website creation process as easy as possible for my clients. I am both a brand designer AND a website developer. I have a better eye for making a site look unique than someone who is only a developer.
My websites have a much shorter timeline for launch than a custom-coded HTML website. The website development process is a two-way street, which means as long as you are able to respond to questions in a timely manner, I can create a beautiful website that showcases your brand and story within weeks instead of months (or even years!).
I save time because I don’t hire off-site developers to custom code the whole website. You won’t have to factor in long response times to questions or rely on a middleman (you) to play project manager. When you hire my company, you save both time and money on a website custom to your brand. I don’t resell designs or templates. Each website is unique to that specific business.
Fun Fact: Before launch, my websites are quality-checked by a custom-developer. If you’re still hung up on website “developers” vs designers when shopping for your new site, don’t fret. We have a technical-first developer review each beautifully designed website for speed, quality, and functionality before it’s live on the web. We offer the functionality and security of a “custom-coded” website but in a much more personalized and tailored package.
Custom-Designed WordPress Websites
At Brittney Gaddis Design, all of my clients receive a unique experience and a website that reflects their specific brand. I specialize in crafting branded websites that are beautifully designed and optimized without the long wait times and high costs of working with two separate teams. Learn more about my website process and reach out to me with any questions or website design inquiries.
If you’re still confused about the differences in custom website design and choosing the right platform, I would be happy to have a conversation and help you make the best choice for your brand.
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