Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Is it unprofessional to use a Wordpress theme?

mariahlullaby

mariahlullaby

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jan 19, 2005
852
3
NYC
I have installed Wordpress on my web site and am trying to out the best way to integrate it into my site. The web site is for my web design/MySpace design/online marketing business, and I'm thinking using a (customized) Wordpress theme would not look professional since I'm supposed to be in this business. Unfortunately, I have no experience making wordpress themes and it's currently kicking my a**.

Why isn't there an option just to display the elements of the blog into the design I already have on my site? *sigh*

Your thoughts? Should I keep working on my original design? Or is it OK to use the Wordpress theme customized to my liking?

The web site is http://www.w3promotions.com. I'm currently playing around with the blog at http://www.w3promotions.com/blog but the design up there is by no means my final one... just messing around so far.
 
Personally, I don't think so. As long as you have a good portfolio of your work, what you use for your home page shouldn't be a problem. I have done work for people who wanted quick websites built and a modified WordPress theme was the perfect solution.

:)
 
Island Dog said:
Personally, I don't think so. As long as you have a good portfolio of your work, what you use for your home page shouldn't be a problem. I have done work for people who wanted quick websites built and a modified WordPress theme was the perfect solution.

:)
Click to expand...

Sounds cool....I appreciate your help! Thanks!
 
If you're happy with your customization of the theme, then it's fine. Most people who will be coming to your site for business won't likely be able to tell it's a WordPress powered site (except for those really attentive blogoholics) because they'll likely be less web savvy than yourself. And you're definitely not the first to do this.

Honestly, I'm a web designer (by hobby mostly, though occasionally by profession) and when I come across blogs or whatever I don't make any big deal about what powers it. The exception being a web site sponsoring a web design tool, then I check to see if their site was made with the tool they're selling. Usually yes.
 
while many people in the world have forgotten this.

The main purpose of business is the provide the purchaser with the best possible product. If the best way for you to give the best possible product is to free up your production time by using a content management system such as wordpress than so be it. If anything you can use this as a launching point for a service you might not of even dreamed of which is to show that you can successfully install and manage a public yet sort of complex system as wordpress and show others how to use it and grow with it on their own. So use it and be happy knowing that the time you save with your own website is time save which in turn gives you more time to make money on someone elses website.

Have fun.

Btw: I have wordpress installed on my site and edited a few of the standard/stock themes and it works great. Wordpress is quite dynamic and a joy to work with.
 
I think it's fine and professional. We all use off-the-shelf software for our work and projects. Using Wordpress, to me, is no different than using PhotoShop or Quark, etc.
 
mac 2005 said:
I think it's fine and professional. We all use off-the-shelf software for our work and projects. Using Wordpress, to me, is no different than using PhotoShop or Quark, etc.
Click to expand...

I suppose, though, I don't just mean using Wordpress to back my blog, but to use a theme I downloaded elsewhere rather than designing my own.
 
Well you still need to give credit to whoever originally designed the theme. I don't see any problem using someones theme or modding them, as long as they give permission to do so.
 
Wordpress is Amazing

I think Wordpress is an absolutely amazing business resource.

The problem you are most likely facing is more-so just a fading stigma towards open source products. While, it might be true that open-source projects traditionally project a more unprofessional image, Wordpress has really made an exception to that stereotype.

If you are going to use Wordpress, just make sure that you fit it to the them of your site. Looking at what you currently have posted, under "Blog"... I would suggest that you widen your current template to be closer to the size of your actual website. Right now, it is fairly obvious that your blog and your website are not designed on the same platform. You have the color match down... now you just need to get the dimensions right.

I forget where the file is that controlls that... but if you are familiar at all with PHP, just start with the index.php file and work your way from there.... No, wait. Actually, i think it is in your style sheet... the .css file. You should be able to edit that within Wordpress actually.

Let me know if you cant find the file.

-Zac

Current project:
http://www.henrypenix.com/
http://www.henrypenix.com/blog
 
Zac.ice9 said:
I think Wordpress is an absolutely amazing business resource.

The problem you are most likely facing is more-so just a fading stigma towards open source products. While, it might be true that open-source projects traditionally project a more unprofessional image, Wordpress has really made an exception to that stereotype.

If you are going to use Wordpress, just make sure that you fit it to the them of your site. Looking at what you currently have posted, under "Blog"... I would suggest that you widen your current template to be closer to the size of your actual website. Right now, it is fairly obvious that your blog and your website are not designed on the same platform. You have the color match down... now you just need to get the dimensions right.

I forget where the file is that controlls that... but if you are familiar at all with PHP, just start with the index.php file and work your way from there.... No, wait. Actually, i think it is in your style sheet... the .css file. You should be able to edit that within Wordpress actually.

Let me know if you cant find the file.

-Zac

Current project:
http://www.henrypenix.com/
http://www.henrypenix.com/blog
Click to expand...

I really appreciate your help + advice on this situation. I took your advice and widened up the blog, and I'm happy with how it turned out. Since I am using a free theme that I modified, I kept the original links on the bottom, but I actually don't think they detracted too much.

Also, I love the stuff you've done.....the site looks great, and I love how you incorporated the video into the theme. Also, do you do a lot of WordPress themes? Yours looks really great.
 
Not my theme

Actually... that is not even my wordpress theme....

If you scroll to the bottom of the page (on the blog), you will see a link that says "WP Theme"... click that, and you should be directed to the creator of that theme. Granted, I have made some modifications but he/she should be credited with its design.

-Zac
 
Also...

thanks for the compliment on the site...

It is still a work in progress.
The main sight is flash based... so I am still working on getting that page to work well with the all-might google search....

Oh, one more comment on your site... just something you might want to look into:

If I were you, (specifically on the main and connect pages) I would add a bit more spacing on the left side of the text, between the text and the edge of the white box it sits in, or rather the orange background.... I didnt look at your code, but I assume that the text is sitting in table, so it might be as simple as increasing your padding on the table, or indenting your text... or was that the spacing... I get them confused. Either way, on the main and connect pages... the text (in my browser, which is firefox btw) is almost touching the left edge...

Give it some thought, and feel free to ignore me at will. :)

Best of luck with everything!
 
Zac.ice9 said:
thanks for the compliment on the site...

It is still a work in progress.
The main sight is flash based... so I am still working on getting that page to work well with the all-might google search....

Oh, one more comment on your site... just something you might want to look into:

If I were you, (specifically on the main and connect pages) I would add a bit more spacing on the left side of the text, between the text and the edge of the white box it sits in, or rather the orange background.... I didnt look at your code, but I assume that the text is sitting in table, so it might be as simple as increasing your padding on the table, or indenting your text... or was that the spacing... I get them confused. Either way, on the main and connect pages... the text (in my browser, which is firefox btw) is almost touching the left edge...

Give it some thought, and feel free to ignore me at will. :)

Best of luck with everything!
Click to expand...

Thanks, fixing the problem!
 
I use it for my site which will turn "pro" when my first commerical game is released next year. I won't be changing it, except the content of posts will become less blog, more pro (right now it's a mix of devblog and "hey I've just been holiday heres some pics..." style posts).
 
Great job.

As someone whose used WordPress in just about every way possible, I can admire the work you've put in to this website.

Looks nice!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back