WordPress is a website-building software and CMS widely used to publish many websites currently on the internet. It is free and open-source, but there are specific pros and cons of using WordPress that you will want to consider before choosing it as the foundation of your website.

A WordPress site uses what is called a “theme”. This is the base that the front-end development of your WordPress website design starts from. WordPress developers use these custom themes to build your website.

Often, the theme acts only as a starting point, and the developer will redesign the theme to align with your brand identity, make the UX design (user-experience design) more user-friendly, and add custom code such as CSS to make the website function the way you expect it to.

WordPress has many plugins that add different elements to your website including interactive elements, integrations for different systems and applications, and e-commerce functionality, such as WooCommerce and Shopify. WordPress plugins are integral to your website development and help your website function better on the WordPress platform.

A CMS (content management system) is what is used to manage, store, and publish the digital content of your website. This includes the pages, posts, media (graphics, images, pictures, audio, and videos), and the files of backend code that makes it all work.

In choosing between WordPress vs. HubSpot CMS for your website, consider and compare these factors as they apply to each of them: 

• Ease of Use
• Speed
• Security (including SSL certificates, firewalls, and threat monitoring)
• Updates Required (how frequently and how are updates installed?)
• Analytics (measuring performance)

The cost to build a website depends on variables such as the purpose of the website, the amount of content, features of the site, and hosting. You could invest as little as $3,000 or up to $50,000 or more, depending on just what you need your website to do. Click here to see some price comparisons. 

Or, even better, request a consultation to get an estimate based on a customized solution based on exactly what you need.

While some companies might do things differently, our web design process includes the following phases:

• Kick-Off Phase, which includes an initial meeting and information gathering
• Strategy Phase, including the planning of SEO keywords, messaging, lead generation, navigation, etc.
• Design Phase, where you’ll see a mockup of the site, including graphics, photos, colors, and fonts.
• Development Phase, which is where the website is actually built
• Beta-Testing Phase, where you see the site and have the chance to review both the content and functionality
• Launch Phase, when the website goes live to the world
• Drive Traffic Phase, which includes strategies for getting people to find your new website

The length of time it takes to build a website is very dependent on the individual project and can vary from 4 weeks up to 12 weeks or more, depending on the specific details of the website. There are many phases to the web design process, and the degree of complexity of each can affect the overall time required for completion.

The impact of good web design is such that it can directly affect the results you get from your website. Web design affects user perception of your company. It affects your ability to attract the right audience. It has an impact on how customers experience your company. And it can affect your conversions, sales, and bottom line.

A web designer’s job is to envision and plan a strong web presence that will help companies stand out from their competition, attract the right website visitors, and turn those visitors into customers, clients, and patients. They plan out how a website should look and function to obtain the best results.

Web Design is how a website looks and functions, with both the company’s and the user’s goals in mind. Colors, fonts, headers, and images are part of web design, but so is formatting, navigation, next steps, and calls to action. Everything about web design affects the user experience and must be considered through that UX lens.

Web Development encompasses things like coding, scripting, and the technical aspects of a website such as performance, speed, capacity, and security. Web designers use code like HTML, CSS, Javascript, and PHP.

Think of it this way: the web designer is the architect who plans how a house will look taking into consideration how it will be used, while the web developer is the contractor who actually builds the house.

You have a lot of options when it comes to choosing a web design company. There are many talented web designers out there, but you want a company that is the best fit for you and your specific needs. Some things to consider in making your choice include:

• Skill, Knowledge, and Experience as evidenced in their portfolio of work, reviews and testimonials, as well as their own website.
• Industries They’re Experienced With … have they worked with companies similar to yours or within industries similar to yours? And do they have experience with a variety of industries?
• Passion and Creativity are important because you don’t want your website to look like a clone of someone else’s.
• Professional Process … if they don’t have one, it might be a warning sign.
• Communication is a major determining factor when choosing a web design company. Make sure that their communication style fits yours and ask questions so you know what to expect regarding project status updates and follow up.

If you’re looking for a company that is a WordPress expert, WorldLight Media is a web design agency and inbound marketing agency that can help you with all you need when it comes to digital marketing for your business. We specialize in digital marketing for small businesses, and our project managers know how to deliver quality work on time.

Mobile-First web design is the approach of designing a website while prioritizing the needs of mobile devices (smaller screen sizes, different usability concerns) over traditional desktop or laptop computers. 

Responsive web design is the approach of designing a website that will respond and adapt to whatever device it’s viewed on and perform well on all of them.

Websites are as unique as the companies they represent, but they generally fall into one of these types:

• Single Landing Page
• Brochure Website
• Lead Generation Website
• Sales Funnel Website
• E-Commerce Website

A beautiful, functional website does you no good if nobody ever sees it. And it takes more than simply building a website to get people to it so that they can learn about your business and then take the next step to become a customer. Here are a few proven and foolproof ways to drive traffic to your website:

• Advertise
• Social Media
• SEO (search engine optimization)
• Email Marketing