WordPress Tips

WordPress is the most powerful and cost effective website platform available. As San Diego’s best WordPress developer, we recommend to our customers, both global enterprises and SMEs. We have compiled a list of questions you should ask during your interviews with WordPress developers to help you decide which direction to take. Your input in crucial to the success of your website, so ask these questions early and move on if the developer can’t give you complete answers.

1. What Do I Need to Provide to You?

This is a team effort, and you have some responsibility to provide your WordPress developer with the correct information necessary for an excellent result. You should expect to do at least the following:

• Read, understand, acknowledge, and approve the terms and conditions of the agreement (contract)
• Provide an adequate down payment to begin work on the project
• Website assets, such as image files, logo files
• If you need help with content, ask your WordPress developer which content provider they recommend. Yes, they have favorites who are typically proven to perform.
• Existing domain, web host login information, and content management system
• Existing social media account URLs and usernames
• Existing webmaster and analytics tools login information
• Providing key information about online marketing strategies you plan to launch

How to make your WordPress developer ecstatic? Have a complete sitemap already planned for your project. However, be open to ideas from the developer who has worked on many sites and may have innovative ideas to offer.

2. Will You Be Building My Website With An Existing Theme Or Creating A Custom Theme?

This is a technical question, but you should still have a clear answer to how the website will be constructed. There are three options:

• Using an existing theme without adaptations
• Building a custom theme from scratch
• Or a hybrid: customizing an existing theme

There are pros and cons to each that are heavily dependent upon your expectations and what the themes can deliver.

Using an existing theme without adaptations

• Pros: Cost effective. These themes range from free, which are not useful for large businesses, to anywhere from $15 to $100 and up. They are reasonably quick and easy to launch, and are an excellent choice for a user with limited technical WordPress experience.
• Cons: Limited options for customization, extraneous code, reliance upon the theme developer for updates and support, other companies, including your competitors, may use the same theme and look similar to your site. This is bad for differentiation for your business in the marketplace.

Building a Custom Theme from Scratch

• Pros: Your WordPress developer will build the theme to meet your specific needs, lighter code, flexibility with future customizations.
• Cons: Longer development time, generally more expensive.

Customizing an Exiting Theme

• Pros: Shorter development time, less design work needed.
• Cons: Future updates may break functionality if not coded properly, reliance on multiple developers for support, unnecessary code

NOYO Web Development recommends that you do not decide based on price alone. Take into account who will be using the account, what resources are available, and what your objectives are.

What Access Do I Get To My Website?

This may be problematic for developers that sell websites built with proprietary software, but if you are using WordPress, which we highly recommend, then having access to the dashboard is a must in our opinion. You should have access and full ownership of the website to protect your interests and provide flexibility.

For WordPress administrative access, you will need the following from your developer:

Database access

FTP access

WordPress administrative access

DNS settings access

With NOYO Web Development, you will never need to use this access, but you should never have to fight for the information. However, we also highly recommend that you do not tinker with the website and want your developer to correct any resulting errors free of charge or be liable for any negative impact on your business. Offer to sign a waiver of liability if you have the urge to tinker.

NOYO Web Development is the best choice for building your WordPress website. Give us a call today or use the website for a free quote.