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Jonathan Seligsohn
23,116 PointsDesign new or use template - WordPress?
I've enjoyed watching many of the courses about WordPress development and successfully converted my personal, static site into a WP theme/site.
Does anyone have advice as to when it's appropriate to create a WP theme from scratch and when it's good to modify a pre-existing theme?
I know there's no right answer, but as I see it now, unless I'm creating a completely new, unique site, there probably already exists a theme with at least the layout I'm looking for, if not the functionality as well. Therefore, it would seem to be a bad use of time to create yet another theme from scratch.
Any thoughts or personal experience would be appreciated. Thanks.
5 Answers
Lonnie Wibberding
18,318 PointsI think you are on the right track. As a freelancer, using a theme lets me give the client an idea of what it could look like, as well as saving them money because I just have to modify the theme.
Creating from scratch sometimes has to happen, but is time intensive.
Don't feel unprofessional using a theme. It's actually a smart choice of time.
Zac Gordon
Treehouse Guest TeacherIf you don't want to make custom site design your specific focus, I support using themes as starting points for sites.
Jonathan Seligsohn
23,116 PointsAny suggestions as to what to look for in a theme when using it as a starting point?
Zac Gordon
Treehouse Guest TeacherIf you're just starting out, look for a theme that is as close to the final product as you want so you have the least amount of customizations to make. You can also look for more generic themes that might not look how you want to start, but could customized to look like a range of different sites.
Jonathan Seligsohn
23,116 PointsThanks. I went through the Genesis course last week and found it very interesting. Some of the benefits (SEO, security, tested, updates, etc.) seem to be really important for creating a professional WP site. I've heard it can be a steep learning curve, but that aside, would there be any reason NOT to start with Genesis when building a site? What would a benefit of using a regular theme and then customizing it (and not using Genesis framework?)
Dave Alexander
4,894 PointsWell that would depend on what the client requires. However, I feel that custom design should start around $2500 or more. There are some factors that come into play, for example, if the client has designed the site themselves, and just needs you to build it, and another would be what functionality is required.
I have talked to a few web development companies in my area, and most are charging quite a lot more than $2500. However, as I am an individual, I can offer a lower price, but I have also learned not to undersell yourself. Perhaps I still am, but its something I am still trying to figure out.
Alice Spencer
12,273 PointsAnother option is to use a "blank" theme. Off the top of my head Woo, Thesis and ithemes all make them. You're given a blank WP template, and are able to completely customize it the way you want it to look.
I personally wouldn't decrease fees for using a theme, rather I'd increase fees for building a completely custom one without a template. To date I've only helped friends get WP.org blogs set up and helped with some of the customization stuff.
Dave Alexander
4,894 PointsIn regards to how much one should charge for a custom theme, what are you thoughts? Every theme I design is responsive, and I build from a 'blank' theme. This is only because I sometimes find other responsive WordPress themes to be laggy or broken on certain elements. However, say I want to charge a minimum flat rate of $1500 for a website. Is that too much if I simply install a theme, edit it as needed, put their content in, and do some SEO?
I'm just trying to get an idea on what I should be charging for using a theme VS creating one from scratch.
Jonathan Seligsohn
23,116 PointsThat sounds fair. How much do you charge for a fully custom theme?
Jonathan Seligsohn
23,116 PointsJonathan Seligsohn
23,116 PointsThanks Lonnie!
I know money is a complicated issue, but what percentage (or specific values, if you have) decrease would you recommend/suggest if one were to develop using a theme instead of building one from scratch? (assuming you're charging a flat fee for a website - which is itself a discussion...)