How customisable is WordPress?
WordPress offers an ‘off the shelf’ website – with lots of functions and is highly customisable. However it is not ‘infinitely customisable’ – there are limitations, due to working within a pre-defined framework, but it also has a lot of advantages.
Broadly there are 3 levels of customisation (this is a bit simplified…)
1. Standard variations offered – these are basic functions and are usually fairly quick and easy to use, and behave predictably – e.g. Menu headings & order can be easily changed.
2. Plug-ins – these offer a wide range of specific functions, some we have tried and tested and we have used previously, some are free, some have to be paid for. E.g. ‘Add donation’ button in Woo Commerce.
3. CSS code / HTML code Customisations – this is the tricky stuff – writing bespoke code can be difficult and time consuming. (Any tiny mistake such as a space or a dash in the wrong place can cause the website to not function properly .)
Technical Problems – can arise due to over complexity:
It is possible that customised code and plug-ins can cause unforeseen problems (where one set of code unpredictably ‘clashes’ with another set of code.) The more Plug-ins and custom CSS a WordPress website has, the more likely it is for problems to appear. Different browsers and different devices may be subject to different difficulties.
Simple is Best: We strongly advise that any website be built as simply and as ‘sparingly’ as possible – this cuts down on time, costs, unforeseen problems and makes the website easier to maintain and adapt in the future.