If you have landed here then either you already own an online Magento store or are planning to get one. Magento, no doubt is one of the best platforms for eCommerce websites and kudos for selecting it for your store. Appearance is key for the success of your store. An attractive store that is easy to navigate would obviously compel the visitor to stay longer, browse and make a purchase. However, it is easier said than done. Online store owners often face this dilemma of choosing between a ready-made theme and Custom Magento Theme Development. Each of these options has their own set of pros and cons, that we are going to discuss in here.
Ready-Made Themes
You would come across millions of ready to adopt themes. Available in both free and paid versions, all you have to do is download it, install it and modify as per your requirement. These are generic themes that can be installed on any store running on the Magento platform.
Pros
There are basically two main benefits of ready-made themes. The first is cost. As these themes are available either free or at an affordable cost, it doesn’t really hit your budget. The second one is the support. Not all, but most of the paid themes offer timely updates, proper support, and an active community ready to assist with set up or any other issue.
Cons
Whether to choose a ready-made theme or not depends largely on where you’re buying them from. Is the code clean? Did the developer follow Magento requirements? Is the developer providing support? You would obviously not want to install a buggy theme that would compromise the security and performance of your store. Another thing is the level of customization. Doesn’t matter what theme you choose, you can only customize it to a limited extent, within the boundaries set by the developer.
Tip: It is always advised to install a theme from the Magento marketplace or a reliable website. Make sure to go through the comments and ratings. It will give you a fair idea of how it performs and if there are any underlying issues.
Custom Themes
Custom themes are basically the ones that have been developers from scratch. These are designed to meet your business requirement, your store’s resources, and offer a personalized end-user experience.
Pros
The topmost benefit of going for custom Magento theme development is the exclusivity of design. With more than 250,000 stores running on Magento, it is rare that you come across a ready-made theme that has not been adopted by other stores. Custom theme development will give you the opportunity to stand out from the crowd.
The second benefit is the functionality. You would obviously be installing various plugins on your Magento store. A custom theme developer will ensure a complete compatibility with all the resources of your store. In short, you will get a store that is not only aesthetically stunning but also offers a great user experience.
Cons
The only disadvantage of getting a custom theme is its price. You might have to spend some extra bucks to get the theme of your choice. However, if you consider the advantages it offers, performance and the fact that your customers would love the experience, it seems to be the right choice.
Tip: Make sure you enlist all the plugins you’re using on your store or plan to use in the future. You can also negotiate with the developer on the pricing part.
Conclusion
We can go on and on with why custom Magento theme development is the best investment. But for now, you know the hidden secrets of both ready-made and custom theme development. So what would you choose, ready-made or custom theme designs?
