The Wordpress Myth
A common misconception among business owners is that WordPress equals professionalism. Many people assume that because a website wasn’t built with WordPress, it must somehow be less capable or less modern. In reality, WordPress was designed to make website creation accessible to anyone, which is great for those without coding experience. But that accessibility often leads people to believe that all websites are built the same way, when in fact, those who hand code sites (like I do) work at a much deeper level, writing the very framework that makes the web function.
Before I Get Yelled At
That’s not to say all WordPress users lack technical skill, there are plenty of talented developers who use it well. But those who understand code don’t need WordPress to create, manage or repair a website. Writing in clean HTML, CSS and JavaScript gives complete control over structure and performance. There is no plugin bloat, no theme limitations and no conflicts slowing your site down. It’s the difference between custom tailoring and buying off the rack, both serve a purpose, but one fits perfectly because it’s built from scratch.
- Built for Performance: They are often faster and more efficient because they don’t carry the extra weight of unnecessary plugins or themes.
- Tailored Flexibility: Custom coding allows for unique designs and functionalities that aren’t constrained by the limitations of pre-made templates.
- Long term stability: With fewer dependencies on third party plugins, hand coded sites are less likely to break with updates or changes in technology.
In short, hand coded sides are:
Don't Wordpress Sites Rank Better on Google?
Another misconception is that WordPress sites 'rank better' on Google. In truth, Google doesn’t care what platform a website uses, it cares about quality, performance and relevance. Search rankings depend on factors like speed, mobile responsiveness, clean code and meaningful content, not the CMS behind it. A well coded site is often faster and more stable, giving Google exactly what it wants, a great user experience.
With the Introduction of AI
And now AI is transforming the web development process even further. Intelligent tools can analyse and debug code, generate optimisations and help developers work faster without cutting corners. That means clients can enjoy the speed, precision and performance of a bespoke build often in the same timeframe (and at a similar cost) as a template based site. The gap between convenience and craftsmanship is closing and that’s great news for everyone who values both beauty and brains in their website.
In Summary
At the end of the day, it’s not about being for or against WordPress, it’s about understanding what’s under the hood. A well built website should be fast, secure and easy to evolve as your business grows and that comes down to craftsmanship, not the platform used. With modern tools and AI streamlining development, hand coded websites are now more accessible than ever, delivering the same convenience clients love with the precision and performance only clean code can offer.