Do you prefer to use WordPress (to not lose time) or code it yourself?
Coding yourself allows you to add details and subtle elements that make the site stand out. However, it is much more time consuming. I'm curious to hear what other's reasoning are for choosing one route over the other.
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Jun 12, 2015
Unless one has expert knowledge in coding, I would go with Wordpress and hire a website specialist if required to add the additional touches. My own website has a customized theme and I find it easier to do a lot of things via the Cpanel and minimal help from the company that supports me with big ticket changes. It is less time consuming and a less expensive option.
A situation came up with my Mom's website a few months back with the Google changes and we had to redo her website using Wordpress because the option of recoding was too expensive.
Jun 4, 2015
Short and succinct of it: It depends.
There are times writing your own code is the way to go if the design is simple and the job of the site is not complex. Those are the times using CMS such as those is overkill, and if they just don't do what you or you client requires, that's when you take to coding something light.
Wordpress is good. Joomla and Drupal are also good, there are many other choices out there as well. Many have a wide range of developers who've created a myriad of templates and widgets/modules for them. If you can work with them and achieve what you require for your client, then the question may be, why re-invent the wheel? Apply a theme to them, put the right modules in place, make them work properly and Bam! Done.
Hope that helps.
Jun 4, 2015
I am not a geek so Wordpress is my choice. http://goo.gl/yBeiLU Blog It is fast and clean. I can write, add photo and post in 10 minutes or less.
Jun 1, 2015
Both - it will depend on what you have in mind, how much money, and what expertise you count on when the website needs updates and, luckily, scalability. You can start with a CMS like wordpress and then when money and clients are present, transition to a system you completely own.
May 30, 2015
Based on the business requirements, I make the decision to use wordpress, any other tool or code from scratch.. For example, I would code myself if someone wants to make an unique dating site similar to www.mathamatrimony.com
May 29, 2015
The problem with WordPress, or any other popular choice, is security. I've used it, but I don't anymore. Having a site hacked encouraged me to re-assess and build something custom.
WordPress does offer flexibility. It makes eCommerce and other features fast and easy to implement, but the exposure to vandalism and information theft should not be underestimated.
May 29, 2015
It all comes down to what you need, how fast you need it and the budget. If you're looking to be innovative, want to stand out and especially don't want to be held back by somebody else's rules then a custom site from scratch is your best option. Otherwise...
May 29, 2015
I personally prefer to code myself in the aspect of giving a client a very custom experience. That being said, I've used plenty of template companies to get a design idea, specifically for responsive design and then modify it to fit their needs. WordPress can be awesome for a client that wants something quick with very little effort on the front end, especially if they intend on handling lots of the manipulation of the site using the CMS features. Granted these things can be coded, but at a cost. Whereas, I love to build relationships with clients that I can go to and show them how to easily add pictures, text and other content either within the pages HTML or implement an easy backend system for them to fill this out.
May 29, 2015
The only time i would EVER suggest not using a CMS is if you need something HIGHLY custom and do not know how to build your own theme.
Even when you need a custom design, you can still use a CMS like wordpress.
May 28, 2015
Hi jack,
It's totally up to you.
WordPress meet all the requirement and also majority of clients demand it till the date we have developed more than 100 website in the WordPress as per client requirement.
WordPress such a wide platform it will around and supported for a long time so it's scalable and flexible and could possibly save you money for maintenance costs in the long run.
May 28, 2015
The downside of doing it all in html is integrating other features. Css is one thing, but php, ajax, etc etc get's to be more hassle than it's worth. Whether Wordpress, Drupal, or another CMS the advantages are partially time management but also ease of implementation. Widgets, etc
Jun 1, 2015
I disagree, most of the features that can be implemented are just reinventing the same functionality that is built in already in Wordpress. That said I think Drupal is actually superior to either approach.
May 28, 2015
I agree with those who endorse Wordpress. With the new themes out there today like Enfold which I use, even the best programmers I know are now admitting that Wordpress makes their lives so much easier without sacrificing the quality of the results.
May 28, 2015
It depends what your needs are. WordPress will meet the needs for the majority of our clients. There's no reason to spend the money or time for custom coding and functionality if it can be produced in WordPress. WordPress is such a widely used platform (over 30% of sites are produced in WordPress) it will be around and supported for a long time. So if a new device or browser is introduced, and your website needs to be updated so it views correctly, it could be as simple as updating the template. WordPress is also easy to maintain yourself (depending on what you do), which is not the case with Joomla or a custom coded site. So it's scaleable and flexible and could possibly save you money for maintenance costs in the long run. That said, WordPress is not necessarily easy to implement and customize, I disagree that it doesn't require any skill and is comparable to a build it yourself system like Wix. A lot of templates out of the box don't look the way you want them to look (especially on mobile) and need to be customized which requires knowledge of CSS and HTML. There are a LOT of templates, so it helps to know which ones have a lot flexibility and good support. Also, it is important that your web designer have a handle on security issues. There's been a lot of problems with WordPress websites getting hacked because plugins or templates are outdated.
Jun 5, 2015
Joomla is actually easier to use than Wordpress for anything beyond the basics. It may look intimidating to many at first because it has many features already included, such as meta description tags, caching, and user and group access controls, and more. If you have structured content types, such as a directory or some other type of list, then the several high quality CCKs for Joomla make it a better choice. Joomla also has a better security track record than WP.
May 28, 2015
Use WordPress! You probably don't need to code your own site. WordPress templates are SOOOO customizable.
You also might want to check out Squarespace (http://squarespace.com/).
May 28, 2015
If you're talking coding it yourself and you're a web developer (and not simply a business owner that wants to DIY), then if you are skimping on this, you're not delivering custom work for your clients. And if you actually can't program the code yourself, you really can't call yourself a web developer. Simply tweaking a template and knowing a little bit of css and html is not the same as having the skills to develop a custom theme. One caveat: there is a difference with using frameworks (example: Skeleton, Bootstrap, Foundation, etc.), because most of those, although they do tend to be similar layouts, allow someone with programming knowledge to customize it how they wish. Frameworks are a time-saver. Grabbing a free or commercial theme, making a few edits, and then selling that to your client is not delivering custom service with their goals and particular needs and target market in mind.
Which brings up another thing: marketing and design need to go together. Populating a pre-made theme means you're stuck in someone else's box (and themes, especially commercial ones, are not easy to drastically change the layouts of). I've seen many sites where a theme and aspects of it seem forced, unnecessary, or simply wrong for the particular business or market. For instance, an accountant using a theme that was made with a designer in mind – complete with an image-based portfolio section. Or displaying 3 boxes/call outs on a home page even if it doesn't make sense to the particular business. There's a lot more that goes into crafting custom sites.
Pre-made themes are basically just upselling someone something that's already been done. It also doesn't take a lot of skill. And if you're not being transparent about what you're doing, it's also unethical. I have dealt with many clients who were told they were getting a custom product (and charged accordingly) only to be shocked when I pulled up the $50 exact design of their site on ThemeForest. I'm not saying anyone responding in this thread is doing that, but I am saying it happens a lot in this industry and it's not only a disservice to a client, but it cheapens the work, training, experience, and skill of many designers and developers.
If you are a business owner trying to cut costs and not hire a professional developer, then your options are to use systems like Wordpress with a pre-made theme, or other types of build-your-own-website services such as Wix (that are often, not all they're cracked up to be).
May 28, 2015
I use WordPress myself and teach my clients to use it. Because I teach computers to people who are often less than comfortable with the computer, it makes sense for me to use a point and click option like WordPress verses hand coding and either spending a lot of time maintaining websites or teaching people to code.
May 28, 2015
Coding yourself these days is a waste of time unless you are building a custom application where your requirements are specific.
If you're building a website as part of your marketing then you shouldn't code from scratch. Someone has already created all the subtle elements you will require.
I've used Wordpress a lot for basic to complex websites using a variety of plugins and themes to get the desired requirements met. We have done some custom coding but this is rare for most.
Now we build websites on the HubSpot COS.
http://www.hubspot.com/products/content-optimization-system
We use this system because it is a complete all in one sales and marketing platform that is design not only to create beautiful websites but to manage all aspects of your online marketing including your website, blog, email marketing, social media, workflow automation, SEO and so much more.
If you goal is to market your business, then don't code yourself. Look into building your sales and marketing stack on HubSpot or build your systems by integrating Wordpress, with other tools like MailChimp, Hootsuite and the 1000's of Wordpress plugins and themes out there.
May 28, 2015
Jack:
I mostly use WordPress because I can acquire a responsive-design theme that handles cross-platform (desktop / tablet / smartphone) presentation inexpensively or free and then augment the theme with plug-ins to add needed functionality. I can also do basic CSS and HTML changes to customize the theme with minimal effort. This handles the majority of my needs and my clients needs. If I truly NEED a custom site, then I would work with a 3rd party developer to create it. I would say the old 80/20 rule applies. 80% of the time WordPress is my go-to-solution.
May 29, 2015
Scott has said it all and eloquently at that. I fully agree. - Personally, I believe designing from scratch is inefficient and expensive and doesn't add one thing to the creative process. The Pragmatic Web Designer
Actually, there are a lot of written scripts by third parties and widgets that can be easily implemented with any site. The problem with services such as Wordpress is that it is limited in terms of code that's allowed and depending on what your needs are this could prove to be more of a hindrance than a custom site.