Top 7 WordPress trends you should know for WordPress development

Since the time of its launch in the year 2003, WordPress is known to be one of the most renowned and highly acclaimed Content Management System (CMS), powering 75 million websites worldwide. From very simple user-friendly designs to complex portals, WordPress is the core design and development factor in any such website. Trusted by 60+ million website owners like BBC America, Tech Crunch, Sony Music, the New York Times, most of the renowned brand and services choose this CMS every year. Powering more than 29% of the total websites in the internet, this is one of the most powerful CMS platforms to design and develop your websites.

Single page website

Gone are those days when a website is considered to be good if it can be navigated to other pages. But nowadays simple, single page websites that have modern clean themes would give the best navigation and browsing experience. Developers of websites based on WordPress theme are trying to integrate more of this feature in the websites they are designing. Single page websites let companies do the storytelling better and does not confuse online visitors.

Breaking rules in typography

One such emerging trend in this domain is breaking the general rules of typography and opting for something unusual and unique at the same time. 2018 is going to bring a major change in typography as traditional fonts in the main body of the text is expected to go away. Instead it would be more on the funky side for the header text and body of the text.

Graphics that are hand drawn

Font styles that look similar to handwritten font gives a warm personalized feel to your website. It brings life to your WordPress site and offers visitors an enriching browsing experience. So, opting for more of hand drawn elements is one of the popular trends in the year 2018. Website designers and developers are trying to introduce more of hand drawn elements in the WordPress based websites as a part of the popular WordPress development trend.

Changes in scrolling trends

With the advancement in the field of technology, recent trends are being seen when it cones to scrolling effects. The Parallex scrolling effect is already in vogue but it is gaining more of popularity in the year 2018. Bounce rate should be very less in a website and you can always reduce this by adding more of buttons to click or Call-to-action. When it comes to story-telling single page websites, these types of buttons are always suited to the design and layout giving an optimum web browsing experience. You can make your website more attractive by adding buttons and changing the scrolling effect in websites.

Customization with drag and drop theme

Theme customization was always easy, but not as simple as drag and drop themes that was introduced by WordPress. This allows users to showcase their websites without writing any sort of codes. You can very well explore with web designs and plugins that are now very much simple. Some of the popular example of drag and drop themes are Uplift, BeTheme and foundry that are responsive and easy to use at the same time. Businesses are always in the search of a reliable WordPress development company where the experts will help them to get the right user-friendly website.

Video headers

Adding a video background to your website allow companies to do branding at a new level. In the year 2018, header will dominate and will always be the attention point. Video headers and backgrounds are always nothing new, they are expected to create a revolutionary change on WordPress websites. It is becoming the first choice for website designers and developers around the world. Every year WordPress releases some powerful theme options along with custom elements which makes WordPress even more interesting.

Rise in mobile-friendly websites

With the increase in use of social media and smartphones, mobile friendly sites are highly in demand. It is important to check whether your website is running properly in smartphones as well as desktop. So, WordPress developers are coming up with websites that are highly responsive and run well in an electronic device like iPad, smartphone, laptop or desktop.

Use of sticky elements

It has already become a trend to move from obtrusive pop-ups and go for some out of the box pop-ups. Instead of using traditional pop-up design, it is better to go for sticky bars that can be at the bottom or top of the websites.

Subtle form of animation

There are lot of unique and creative ways to add animation to your site. You can always do it by using subtle form of elemental animation with the help of CSS tools and WordPress plugins. This trend is more likely to increase in the year 2018. A WordPress development company can always include tricky and unique elements of animation in your site as per your requirements.

Virtual Reality in WordPress designs

There is lot of controversy and debate regarding whether virtual reality can be a part of the latest WordPress trends. It is an interesting question to many. Renowned names like Google, Sony, and Apple are constantly are looking out for new ways to implement virtual reality in our lives. WordPress is considered to be the leading platform for web development and web designs. The plugins that are already developed by WordPress are boosting businesses as well as offering a better user experience. Presently, WordPress supports 360-degree videos and photos and there changes of WordPress offering a much better user experience with a VR plugin.

 To sum up, single page website, hand drawn graphics and some unique typography styles are some of the latest trends in WordPress development. Also customizing the drag and drop theme, adding more of video headers, and use of sticky elements are some of the emerging trends of this year. This also includes designing highly responsive sites, adding subtle forms of animation and the chances of adding a VR plugin to this CMS tool. Known to be one of the most popular CMS tool, WordPress offers a better user experience to online visitors.  

An Amateur Guide to Hiring a WordPress Development Company

WordPress is one of the fastest growing template platforms for businesses online. This is partly because of the availability of readymade templates that can be deployed in minutes allowing you to setup your own basic portal. This saves time and money when it is compared to having a developer code the website for you from scratch. What then should you hire a WordPress Development Company for?

Any serious brand considering digital presence must first appreciate that online experience and quality are important. Even with WordPress, you need to provide a unique portal and a platform that is attractive as well as customized for your product. This is the main reason why you would need the services of a development company. Here are detailed reasons why you should hire a developer.

• Customized Appearance

There is something captivating about a unique website or portal. It sticks in the mind longer than an ordinary one. This is one reason that would compel visitors to return to your store. By hiring a professional WordPress Development Company, you can incorporate features like colors, layout, images, a checkout system, etc. that are unique to your business model. When a person lands on your page, there will feel at home and familiarity that makes your store or portal attractive. It will increase the chances of future business.

Source: https://completeecommercesolution.wordpress.com/2017/07/29/an-amateur-guide-to-hiring-a-wordpress-development-company/

An Amateur Guide to Hiring a WordPress Development Company

WordPress is one of the fastest growing template platforms for businesses online. This is partly because of the availability of readymade templates that can be deployed in minutes allowing you to setup your own basic portal. This saves time and money when it is compared to having a developer code the website for you from scratch. What then should you hire a WordPress Development Company for?

Any serious brand considering digital presence must first appreciate that online experience and quality are important. Even with WordPress, you need to provide a unique portal and a platform that is attractive as well as customized for your product. This is the main reason why you would need the services of a development company. Here are detailed reasons why you should hire a developer.

• Customized Appearance

There is something captivating about a unique website or portal. It sticks in the mind longer than an ordinary one. This is one reason that would compel visitors to return to your store. By hiring a professional WordPress Development Company, you can incorporate features like colors, layout, images, a checkout system, etc. that are unique to your business model. When a person lands on your page, there will feel at home and familiarity that makes your store or portal attractive. It will increase the chances of future business.

• Better User Experience

Template platforms like WordPress are built for a universal user. However, an electronic shopper does not desire an experience similar to a person selling recipes. The demographic you target with your product is also important when you are determining the kind of experience you should offer. Some people need a lateral display of content while others are comfortable with images. How you display content, and the amount of content you put on your website would influence whether your website would appeal to your category of buyers, or repel them. These considerations cannot be captured when you download a template directly and begin to use it. The developer makes these considerations on your behalf and then customizes the site. It takes experience and creativity to identify the best features for each market category.

• Integration

There are plug-ins meant to facilitate transactions and other engagements on your website. They include links to financial institutions, social media, partners, etc. You might also need to integrate accounting and online traffic measurement tools. You can use the same portal for surveys as well as for collecting data about user experience, sources of traffic, visitors mannerism, etc. You require a professional to get work done properly.

Security is one of the most important elements of online business today. In the era of identity theft and cyber attacks, you need a portal that offers the best security features that are available in the market. An experienced WordPress developer has interacted with the platform and can help you secure your site. A loss of customer details, or money will significantly affect returning visitors and lead to a collapse of your business.

• Experience

One might wonder about the logic behind hiring a developer to work on a website that is already built. In fact, it is possible to download a template and set up a website for your business. Challenges would arise when you attempt to integrate additional features that are necessary for your website to be able to achieve the goals you desire. Through experience, a specialist developer will know the features to incorporate, based on your business model and the requirements you outline for them. When working on your own, you will be including features on a trial and error basis. This exposes you to incompatibility and denies you the opportunity of using some of the latest and most effective features that WordPress plugins offer. Relying on experience allows you to benefit from the experience that a seasoned developer brings to the table and aids in the development of a futuristic website.

• Continuous Engagement

WordPress development is a continuous process. You need to incorporate new features as your business grows. You also need to make improvements to the user experience from time to time. New features will emerge in the market and require addition if you are to remain competitive. With a dedicated development company, your site will always be updated and responsive. The company will be working full time to improve the performance of your website.

People face challenges while trying to determine the cost of services when hiring a WordPress Development Company. There is a notion that such companies are expensive. However, professional companies offer a customized package based on your needs. There is a package for every budget. This allows both budding entrepreneurs and multinational companies to have exciting platforms to transact regardless of their budgetary allocations. After all, you can upgrade as your business grows or downgrade based on changing priorities.

Should I Hire a Wordpress Development Company or a Freelancer?

Wordpress provides you with an excellent platform to grow your business without incurring the costs of security, coding and other web management services. It allows you to set up an e-commerce shop or an online platform for your brand at a relatively low price. However, you will need a Wordpress Development Company or a freelancer to set up the platform initially and to help you build on the platform as your online business needs grow.

The options of hiring a developer or a freelancer are workable. They, however, depend on your preference and the outcomes you expect to have from your website. There are advantages of hiring a company over a freelancer but freelancers also come with some risks. You can take the wisest decision after you understand the advantages and disadvantages of each option.

Why hire a company over a freelancer?

A Wordpress Development Company will have an established working culture. It will also have a physical address and a reputation to protect. This is a guarantee that you will get high quality work. The name of your brand could be damaged by poor communication, low quality work, hidden charges, etc. However, freelancers can change identity in a flash and are not bound by branding. This is a risky situation especially when you are facing low quality work and unfulfilled promises. You have no one to turn to.

Companies are regulated through licensing. This makes it easier for a client to seek reprisal in case of a misunderstanding. It is possible to take an entity like a company to court for failure to deliver expected work. This is not possible when you are dealing with a freelancer. No one regulates them and thus there is no place to seek redress.

A company has structures and a number of employees who can work on your project. This means that in case the current technician falls sick or is unable to complete the work, the company makes plan to get the work completed. It provides a guarantee that your work will still be completed even in the absence of an employee. The story is different when dealing with freelancers. Only one person works on your project. Should the person fall sick or is unable to complete the project, you have to start all over again. This leads to delays and may lead to loss of funds.

The possibility of losing money when dealing with freelancers is very high. They operate anonymously and there is no way you can verify their physical address or existence. This exposes your money to loss especially if you associate yourself with an unreliable freelancer. It is different when dealing with a company. You can verify their physical address as well as their registration details. This provides a safeguard whenever you are making payments or transactions.

Why hire a freelancer?

There are obvious advantages of hiring a freelancer instead of a Wordpress Development Company. The first reason is expense. Freelancers offer their services at relatively lower prices when compared to companies. Companies base their charges on operating costs for the entire office, the fact that they have a name, etc. However, the cost a freelancer would charge you is not structured keeping minimal operating cost. This makes their charges cheaper.

Companies have protocols that have to you would need to follow before procuring their services. This is likely to slow down the acquisition of a Wordpress platform. Furthermore, even when negotiating for a lower price, the procurement officer may have to consult with managers. This makes it a complex process that might not meet your specific expectations. With a freelancer, he makes all decisions and operates as though he is under your command. It is very easy to get the specific features without the bother of complex protocols. You maintain a single line of communication that does not depend on the decisions of third parties.

There are websites where freelancers can be put to account. You make payments to the websites yet deal with the developer directly. These are excellent sites to hire freelancers at a reduced price. You will get excellent skills at a fraction of the price you pay to a company. The performance of these freelancers is put in check through milestones, deadlines and ratings. This protects you from poor quality work or losing your money.

Hiring a Wordpress Development Company remains the best option for any serious e-commerce business. You have a guarantee of quality and delivery on time. You are also sure that you are dealing with reliable professionals. It is easier to address disagreements with a company as compared to with a freelancer.