When a “cheap” website becomes an expensive problem
Now and then, people come to me with websites they no longer get support for.
And more often than not, we decide a rebuild is the better choice — because it becomes increasingly evident that the person who built it, the self-claimed “web developer”, didn’t really know what they were doing.
When everything is built on plugin overload, we’re often better off starting from scratch, ensuring everything is built with intention rather than workarounds.
A real example I see far too often
Just recently, I tried to help someone I know with their website, which had been outsourced to someone who “knew” WordPress.
We struggled on multiple fronts:
- First of all, my client (the site owner) didn’t have admin access to their own website. So we had to wait for the developer to provide appropriate access — already a red flag.
- Secondly, the website used a child theme. On its own, that’s not a problem. But in this case, the only file in the child theme was the stylesheet, while every other file was still calling original files from the parent theme. To properly customise or extend the site, we needed further access to overwrite parent theme files. Without that, the only alternative would have been editing the parent theme directly — which would result in all changes being lost the moment the theme updated (something we’d have no control over).
- The final straw, however, was the overall setup: Creating new pages was nearly impossible. We couldn’t replicate the main navigation and footer properly, not even when duplicating existing pages. The structure simply didn’t support growth.
Unfortunately, the word trying is doing a lot of heavy lifting here.
I eventually had to tell them to go back to the original developer — or accept that a rebuild was the only sensible option.
So… Is your web person really a developer?
(And does it actually matter?)
Familiarising yourself with a theme is easy. And to some extent, you can create decent, branded websites that way. I’m not saying you can’t — and if that’s what fits your budget right now, that’s completely fair.
Web designers without a development background can:
- Upload your logo, text and imagery
- Update colours and fonts to match your branding
- Make light layout tweaks within the theme’s limits
But if that’s where it stops, you may be missing out on two things that are both crucial (even though they sound like opposites):
- Flexibility: You want enough styling and layout options to adapt sections to different types of content, without fighting the system every time.
- Consistency: The core of the site should automatically carry through every page — navigation, spacing, containers, typography and branding — without you having to manually recreate it.
A professional WordPress developer builds with both in mind.
How to tell if they know what they’re doing
Most people won’t openly say they’re just tweaking an existing theme. But during early conversations, listen out for phrases like these:
“I don’t think the template will allow that”
Often means they don’t know how to extend or edit it, and likely aren’t actually building anything.
“We’ll just install a plugin for that” (for everything)
A few plugins are normal. Relying on plugins for core functionality is how you end up with bloated, fragile websites.
“It’s easier if you just don’t change that later”
Translation: the site isn’t built to scale or evolve with your business.
“You won’t really need access to that”
You should always have full ownership and admin access to your own website.
“This theme is used by thousands of sites”
Popular doesn’t mean suitable, and it definitely doesn’t mean tailored to your business.
These aren’t always deal-breakers individually, but together they usually point to someone configuring rather than developing.
How I work
All Healthy Pixels websites use a custom WordPress theme I have built.
That means full control over every template, every layout, and every detail. Your layouts become my playground, and I can weave your brand into the site — whether subtly or front and centre — without forcing it into someone else’s framework.
While I’ve built a solid underlying structure that carries across projects, that framework is fully customisable and never locked down.
For you, that means:
- Built-in flexibility without losing consistency
- Layouts that are genuinely bespoke to your business
- A site that’s easy to manage, extend and grow over time
Ready for a Website that actually supports your business?
If you’re looking for a reliable professional who can take your website where you need it to go, let’s talk.
With a custom WordPress build designed for easy management, you’ll get a site that balances flexibility with consistency — and builds trust with your audience instead of fighting you at every turn.
Book a Free Chat
