Websites with customised WordPress themes
Programming your own WordPress theme should be a very conscious decision. The initial development of a website takes significantly longer with a customised theme than with a ready-made theme, such as the Avada theme. There is also the question of the page builder. If you want to use your own theme with WordPress' own Gutenberg Editor or, for example, with the extensive Elementor Page Builder?
References WordPress Theme Programming
Selection of our projects with own theme programming
Evergreen Media
Our cooperation partner Evergreen Media from Innsbruck commissioned us to create a website that meets the high requirements of an SEO agency.
LVZ Continuing Education
A customised WordPress theme was developed for the Leipziger Volkszeitung (LVZ). The web design and functionality were primarily designed for smartphones. Reference in detailAltkleiderspenden.de
A custom WordPress theme was developed for the project altkleiderspenden.de by FairWertung e.V.. The web design and functionality were primarily designed for smartphones. Reference in detail
Why programme your own theme?
With your own theme, you have maximum freedom - not only in terms of website design, but also in terms of functionality. We only recommend theme development for projects that have very high requirements in terms of technical functionality.
The danger of standard themes
The fact is that a standard theme is always a "black box" to a certain extent, i.e. due to the usually large scope of a standard theme, you never know the complete code and you also don't know how it will change in the future with updates.
If an extension or complex functionality is developed based on the existing code, this is very dangerous for the future maintenance and operation of the website with a standard theme.
Avoid unwanted conflicts
If it is already clear at the start of the project that custom plugins will have to be written in order to realise the desired functions, this is the first argument in favour of a custom theme. This is the only way to avoid unwanted conflicts between the standard theme and the self-programmed plugin.
Our experience in theme programming
Honestly, projects with their own theme development are always exciting! These projects often involve turning technically sophisticated ideas into code. In contrast to websites that are created with a standard theme, we recommend investing a lot of time in the creation of mockups for these projects.
Avoid detours - create precise specifications
The reason for this is that a precise specification of the screens and user flows leads to detailed technical requirements. The requirements are in turn decisive for the "right" selection of programming techniques and tools (libraries, frameworks, etc.). This is the only way to avoid unnecessary and expensive detours in programming as far as possible.
Why split the project in two?
For project planning and quotation preparation, this means an intermediate step, because in projects with theme development, a solid calculation is impossible or very dangerous without knowledge of the specifications.
Advantages of customised theme programming
The biggest advantages are the flexibility already mentioned above and the certainty that conflicts with standard themes are avoided. But in our view, there are even more advantages:
- The performance (speed of the website) is significantly higher with your own theme, as you are not dragging along any unnecessary ballast.
- Technical search engine optimisation also works better with your own themes, as you can programme the respective elements and functions precisely (e.g. highlighting headings, inserting structured data, etc.).
- Customised design and optimised user flows: Thanks to the absence of abstract user flows in standard themes and plug-ins and the programming of customised user flows, usability increases enormously.
Disadvantages of customised theme programming
The effort and therefore the costs are significantly higher than when implementing with a standard theme or when using the Elementor Page Builder. Other disadvantages in our view are as follows:
- A "quick" extension of functions, e.g. through plugins, does not always work. Instead, changes to the website usually also have to be programmed.
- Handing over to another developer or agency is critical, as important expertise is usually lost.
- Maintaining the theme does not usually require much effort, but if there is a critical error or a conflict with a plugin, you have to find a solution yourself. In this case, there is no community to help.
Prices for theme programming
For the new development of websites with your own theme, we offer our customers a two-stage procedure. The first work package contains the analysis, design and documentation of the detailed requirements. Once the first work package has been completed, a further Fixed price offer for implementation and optimisation.
We also need a preliminary discussion or a detailed written briefing to provide you with a quote for the first part. Here you can find a Model for tender documents.
In principle, our quotations are based on the estimated amount of work involved. The following prices are therefore only approximate and non-binding.
| Scope of the website | Redesign Analysis, design, requirements | Redesign Implementation and optimisation | Revision with own theme (not from us) |
|---|---|---|---|
| up to 10 pages | from €1,500 | from €4,500 | from €2,500 |
| up to 50 pages | from €2,000 | from € 6,500 | from €3,000 |
| with shop function | + 1.000 € | + 2.000 € | + 1.000 € |
About the internet agency and the project implementation
