WordPress websites are a huge presence online. One of the main reasons for this is WordPress’ customization potential. It provides a blank canvas, which can be filled in however you need. One consequence of this is the library of free WordPress themes that people have developed. If you’re looking for free WordPress themes, there are more options than you can imagine. However, these free options fall across a spectrum of reputable to dangerous. It’s also hard to figure out which one of these you are getting when implementing one of these free WordPress themes. Below is a rationale for why investing in a custom WordPress theme is the safe and sensible decision for your organization, which solves the issues with free WordPress themes.

Are Free Themes Fool’s Gold?

Free WordPress themes do provide some value for businesses, but if you always get what you pay for, choosing a free option likely won’t yield the desired results. There are places where it’s smart to save a few bucks, and others where making this decision will end up costing you more in the long run. WordPress themes aren’t the place to save. Some common issues faced by people choosing free WordPress themes include:

• Hidden malicious code: there are many cases of the creator of a free theme including malicious code. This can be used to access your website once the free theme is installed. This is especially an issue for non-programmers.
• Plugin compatibility issues: since WordPress is open source, plugins are updated frequently, to accommodate new changes. These updates won’t always go smoothly with a free WordPress theme.
• Lack of proper WordPress upkeep: free themes give off the idea that you can install and forget about them, but every WordPress website requires constant maintenance, to keep it up to date.

So you may find yourself a victim of hacking, or experiencing plugin issues or an outdated WordPress framework. These issues can quickly become expensive. You may have to pay to fix any problems they cause, or you could suffer lost sales or business due to website issues. Your free theme is no longer free, and it has caused you headaches. So what’s the alternative?

Custom WordPress Themes as a Solution

Most of the issues that stem from free WordPress themes come from two sources. First, is the anonymity of the developer. You don’t know their motives, so you can easily be tricked into downloading dangerous code. Second, unless you are a web developer, your website won’t get proper maintenance. This is especially important for open source websites. However, there’s no need to worry, because a custom WordPress theme will solve both of these, and give you confidence in your website.

A customized WordPress theme leverages all of the power that WordPress offers to an expert developer. Investing in a web development agency’s services to produce a custom theme ensures that:

• Your website design is tailored exactly how you want it
• You can trust the source of the theme, and work with your agency to improve it
• Your website will be well-maintained, with the WordPress framework and plugins kept up to date

This maintenance of your custom theme is crucial to a strong ongoing web presence. A prior client that we worked with, who will remain anonymous, didn’t sign on for web maintenance, and they were eventually hacked. Below is a screenshot of what happened to their Google ranking, which all of a sudden showed prices for…Viagra.

A WordPress website BEFORE it was hacked.

A WordPress website AFTER it was hacked.

Customization, reliability and website maintenance are the three main benefits of investing in a custom WordPress theme, to ensure that your website performs exactly as you want it to.