Offline Website Warriors: Do you build your clients websites with Word Press or Templated Websites?

It depends on your chosen business model. You could charge higher for custom made websites, that's what I do. And I personally don't like giving my clients template/wordpress type of design because it gets added to my business portfolio and I only want to give the best quality as possible. The only catch is it takes longer to do and a little expensive. I outsource the work so that I don't get to do it myself.

PS. Are you looking for a full time web designer? I can hook you up, I'm based in Manila.

I almost always use Wordpress. The quality can be as high if not better. It just depends on the theme that is used and how much you customize it. If you just use a theme "off the shelf" it may not look good. If you add your own "touch" to it and tweak it, it can look great.

Using WP is also much easier, especially when the client wants to add a new page. They don't know that it is simply click "add a page".

I use themes for wordpress and there are themes available that look better than a standalone HTML website. There are some awesome themes out there that can be customized to look really good now!

Wordpress all the way, easy to use CMS system and once you get the hang of it, easy to customize!

GoGetta

Thanks Vegas and GoGetta

That is a completely false statement.

I use WordPress exclusively to build custom web solutions for my clients. WP, as a CMS, properly setup and customized out performs most other sites hands down.

I use Studiopress, iThemes, WP Remix and Cafe Press themes as a framework for development. There is nothing cookie cutter about them when built out.

George

I do pretty much everything. I've done higher end html/css custom sites and have done quick sites with wordpress. Nowadays I use Artisteer software also which is cool because you can output your code as html or a wordpress template.

DESIGN is not the purpose, in and of itself. If design is your thing go to the next AIGA conference and wax verbose there.

Solving business objectives is the issue at hand here.

NICE...someone with 7 posts wagging their stick and telling us what to do. Tell you what buddy why don't you just calm down and get to meet some of these "low end skill designers" and take a look at their quality. But then again....YOU HAVE TONS OF TIME LOOKING AT ALL THEIR SITES IN THEIR PORTFOLIO.

The key to this SHEEP is that this guy is a very bitter man. You can see this by how he criticizes EVERYONE FROM THE DESIGNER TO THE GENERAL INTERNET MARKETER. Sounds like he got ripped off from someone smarter than him (yet still produces quality products) or a very bad childhood.

Either way...this guy has no clue of using common sense etiquette of how to use a forum-----------ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY ARE NEW WITH 7 FRIGGIN POSTS. Its like a guy who gets newly hired at a job...coming into the office the first day AND TELLING EVERYONE THEY SUCK without even getting to know the people and finding out about them (YOU GOT TO BE KIDDING ME !!!).

Any designers care to comment on this TROLL? I'm sorry...but my blood boils when SHEEP (who are new and have a bitter spirit) starts spewing poison to fellow warriors (of which he has spent NO time getting to know nor to see if his claims are true)

I can't stand NEGATIVE, JEALOUS OR INSECURE PEOPLE......they prophetically have no clue what they try to set in motion in other people. In fact..in a way...I feel sad for this guy because his bitter and negative attitude will follow this guy where every he goes. He will infect his family, friends, coworkers and anyone near his sphere of influence UNLESS HE DEALS WITH THE ROOTS IN HIS OWN HEART. No one can escape their shadow unless they deal with themselves first. Whats even more sad is these temperments tend to be loners (because of their bitterness) and if he has friends they will tend to be negative people themselves in which he gets encouragment from and THEIR TROLL like behaviors. (I still can't believe this guy...............unbelievable !!!)

Chris Negro

Come off of it. Big corps might still believe that, and that's fine. They need to spend the money to justify the efforts.
But the guys mentioned above that are servicing low end customers are doing a whole lot more for humanity than are those sucking up to big business. Look in any newspaper and you'll see that big business needs big help. If you are good enough to bestow that help, go for it.

It's the people on the way up that take what they can and move with it. They are the entrepreneurs that will make the changes that rock this world. Helping them, offering to help them, with the best we are capable of is nothing to be ashamed of. The little nudge they get from a sound web site may give them that step up to where they can blast off for stellar heights of grander success.

Hi Chris

I am currently using WP Flex

Did couple of sites recently and they got listed on Google page one within 2 weeks and they are still under development (needs a lot of content added)

I am a Joomla fan and has been using Joomla for a few years. So I will be using both

Regards
Para

Getting search engine ranking and traffic generation are the keys not the aesthetic appeal of a website. I use WordPress themes but also sometimes outsource the graphics and headers to end up with a pretty unique looking site. There is no point trying to be a web designer yourself it justs wastes time and you lose focus from what you should doing.

WordPress is just a CMS system which can look any way you want, there is no qualitative difference between a WordPress site and an HTML site they both use HTML. So use Wordpress as is, if you want some uniqueness get a new header made and you will have a great looking site. Then concentrate on the actual purpose of the site i.e to generate traffic and business. I use this approach and have had no complaints so far.

Good themes to Try : Revolution , Hybrid, Flexibility, Woo.