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Website Design [blog]

Why Develop Custom WordPress Themes for Clients

When a client comes to us, we will go through the design brief with them and ask them about their needs and requirements for the website. When it comes to building them, we typically build on WordPress.

Why build a custom theme?

Building a custom theme for our clients allows us the maximum freedom to create whatever the client requires, as well as match any branding the client currently has (or to match any branding we create for them).

We can start from a blank slate and build the website and theme with maximum flexibility in mind – we build them such that just about anything can be changed except for the main structure of the theme.

Custom themes are also completely bespoke to the client and they won’t see another theme exactly like it and it will feature all the functionality that they require, built right into the theme itself.

Custom themes also come with full support from our developers – they are the ones that put it together so they will be on hand to answer any questions or make any necessary changes.

Themes can also be transported to other web properties and adapted as necessary, allowing you to launch any number of microsites which will match your core brand, simply set up a new WordPress site and install your custom theme and then make any amendments and you’re done.

Other Benefits

Custom themes also means that you’re really invested in your business and your idea and willing to put your money where your mouth is when it comes to marketing and a good design suggests that you are creditable and trustworthy. Templates simply can’t offer that.

Custom designs are also built with you mind so they are as unique as you are and as unique as your business.

Custom templates are also customised to perform well in search engine pages out of the box, whereas templates are simply constructed to scratch the itch of the designer or to be sold as a commodity of its own.

Marketing & SEO [blog], Starting a Business [blog]

Think About The Positioning of Your Brand

Every company needs to position themselves on the spectrum of high/low cost and high/low quality.

For example, in the realm of car manufacturers, Skoda is perceived by many to be at the low-cost mid-to-low quality end of the spectrum, whereas the likes of Ferrari and the exact opposite, with high costs but high quality cars to show as their products.

Although normal thinking suggests that quality/price should increase in relation to each other, this may not necessarily be true and it shouldn’t be. We live in a world where expensive brands are produced by the same people and factories that produce the same product only with different labelling and sold at much lower prices – you’re paying a premium to buy those brands.

Take clothing for example, you can buy a pair of jeans for £10 and then go into a shop like Next and pay £50 for a pair of jeans that are so similar that they may as well be the same (except for the label of course).

When plotting your brand on the spectrum, it is important to consider that in some way, your prices reflect your “value proposition” – where clients see you on the spectrum.

Communicate Your Position

How you communicate your chosen position will vary by company and many factors will alter how the general public and your potential customers will perceive your efforts.

Exceedingly low prices may give a subtle clue that your service is of lower value whilst higher prices suggest that your service should be higher quality than it really is. Having low prices and high quality service will certainly earn you more loyal customers, but the reverse will only get you a bad reputation.

The look of your website and marketing materials will also affect the perception, with low cost, low quality materials will lower your position whilst overly elaborate materials will appear to be posh and showy, increasing your brand perception, although they will also expect more from you in terms of service and/or product quality.

The speed and conciseness of your communicate will also factor into your perception, as will your responses to customer enquiries and complaints. Although less apparent than the look and feel of your website/marketing materials, it will eventually filter out and it will spread to your potential customers through other means, for example through social channels, word of mouth and the like.

Perception Management

Some public perceptions will mark you for a long time, for example, public reviews of your company that are less than favourable will be around for a long time, as will positively glowing recommendations – and changing those views can take a lot of time and marketing to overcome any negative setbacks that may happen (and it happens to all business at some point – for whatever reason, you can’t deliver in time or the product is lightly mismatched to the customer’s needs).

Managing the perception can involve expensive marketing campaigns, or be as simple as altering the behaviour of your company’s staff to offer higher levels of service and putting in place monitoring that they are keeping the levels consistently high – and over time, the perceptions should raise to meet the newer levels of service your now offering.