Top WordPress Website Design Companies

WordPress is known for its user-friendly interface and for being an accessible CMS choice for even the most non-technical users. Businesses who wish to partner with a web design company to design and develop their site but then manage it on their own moving forward will likely be more than satisfied with a WordPress CMS.

WordPress began as a blogging platform but has since evolved into a CMS platform suited to many different kinds of businesses. According to WordPress, 28% of the world’s websites are built on the platform, including well-known publishers like CNN and Techcrunch. It’s clear that WordPress is a great for content-based sites, which makes it a solid choice for small businesses and corporate websites whose needs are generally not overly complex.

More complex websites, however, are likely not a great match for WordPress. More sophisticated ecommerce sites, for example, are better served by Magento, Drupal, or Shopify. Sites with complex organizational structures and those that require high levels of customization may also be better served by an alternative CMS.

If you decide to use WordPress as your CMS, the next step will be deciding whether to build your site using an existing WordPress theme or hiring a WordPress web design company to create a custom design based on your needs and specifications. One of the benefits of using WordPress is that the choice is yours, though of course the custom option will always be the more expensive one.

WordPress has hundreds of themes and premium themes to choose from, many of which are responsive designs (layouts that adapt to the screen resolution of the device being used) so they’re totally compatible with mobile devices. Choosing one of the many WordPress theme options will save your company money but it will limit your flexibility. You’ll be able to customize the theme to your brand, but you’ll have to work within the existing structure of whichever theme you choose.

Custom WordPress design offers total flexibility. The WordPress web design company you partner with will create something from scratch based on your specific needs as communicated to them. They’ll ensure that the final design accommodates all the features you require. This is the preferred option for most businesses and it’s a service you’ll find at any top WordPress development company.

WordPress can be used as a CMS for small online stores. As mentioned above, it’s not an ideal solution for large ecommerce sites or even small ones that anticipate a need to scale quickly in the near term. For small or medium ecommerce sites, however, it’s possible to easily integrate ecommerce functionality in WordPress with the WooCommerce plugin. Just like WordPress, WooCommerce promises out-of-the-box features and user-friendly tools that non-technical site managers will have no trouble learning. WooCommerce is open source and customizable, so businesses can feel confident in their ability to tailor it to their needs.

Every web design project should be guided by a clear process. Particularly when working with an agency partner, having an established project process in place in the best way to keep a design project on track. Look for a WordPress design company that differentiates itself on its commitment to a proven approach to projects. Each project should begin with discovery, where the web design company seeks to understand your brand, your goals, and the challenges you face. This phase of the project informs all others. Look for a development company that will specify timelines for every phase of the project and clearly outline what’s expected of both parties.

When developing a WordPress website it should go without saying that you want to partner with a developer that has plenty of experience with the platform. Top WordPress web design companies will be eager to share case studies with prospective clients and they’ll have robust portfolios demonstrating past success. Look for a design company that has executed projects that are similar to yours in terms of size and scope. Be sure to also get a sense of their responsive web design work.

Though some WordPress web design companies are strictly limited to web design and development services, many take a broader approach to their service offerings. At top WordPress design companies you can find a range of strategy, design, and even marketing services on offer.

Typical service offerings may include:

●     Strategy - Research into target audience and key competition, as well as recommendations for must-have content and messaging direction.  

●     Site design and development - Start to finish custom WordPress website design, including user experience design, responsive layout, visual design, development, and quality assurance.

●     Content migration - Many web design companies can assist with content migration from one platform to another, though this service usually comes at an additional cost to the client.

●     Search engine optimization - At a bare minimum, most web design companies can help manage the onsite optimization process (technical edits) that are the first step of the SEO process. Top web development companies will always ensure that the websites they design are structured in an SEO-friendly manner.

●     WordPress hosting - Web development companies can usually help arrange web hosting services on behalf of their clients, including managed WordPress hosting if desired.

WordPress design and development companies promote themselves through a variety of digital marketing channels. Search is a major channel for discovery, so search engine optimization and paid search are key tactics employed by design agencies.

Thought leadership in the tech and design spheres is another tactic that presents opportunities for design firms. They’re usually avid bloggers and active publishers on key social media channels.

WordPress is a widely-used and much-loved content management system for small businesses, content sites, and bloggers. It’s approachable tools and user-friendly design make it a viable option for even the least technical users.

A few things to know if you’re considering WordPress for your website project:

●     When to use WordPress - WordPress is best-suited to small to medium websites and corporate brochure-type sites. Complex websites are better off using a more scalable and customizable solution.

●     Custom WordPress design - For most businesses, custom WordPress design is the best option. Custom design and development requires the help of a WordPress web design company to execute properly. WordPress themes, including premium themes and responsive designs, are also available.

●     WordPress ecommerce - WordPress is an option for small ecommerce stores through integration with the WooCommerce plugin.

●     WordPress development process - The best WordPress developers are guided by a straightforward and proven development process. This process outlines all the phases of the project and aligns the team to its goals and trajectories.

●     WordPress experience - Top WordPress design companies have experience with the platform which is demonstrated through their portfolio and case studies. References are available upon request.