Perfect example of needing a design update…
Personalized Marketing Inc 2009 Year verses 2019 …
Talk about a design difference… (Thank you Cindy for creating a beautiful new design!)
When it comes to many purchases, we often look at brands we trust, listen to our friends, check return policies, or hopefully read reviews by actual buyers. If you are shopping on Amazon, I am sure you are looking at items with 4 stars or more. Buying website designs requires the same evaluation process as you might have done when purchasing your computer or smart phone.
We all know that a poorly made phone or computer will give us more headaches than the potential money we saved. Website designs are the very same. Yes, you might be able to buy that theme on one site for $49 or perhaps you are including the cost of it in the fee you are paying a developer? However, if you are paying for a theme, make sure you are paying for the right one. I often hear a client say that they do not have the purchase order, ownership files, or an account where a previous developer purchased a theme for them. Or they found a theme they liked but then saw the same theme layout with a few changes but a different name.
Over the last decade I have seen where a client would have paid for a website design, that was set to expire. Often it is due to WordPress versions, eCommerce plugins and PHP versions. It’s also more frequent that the previous developer used a copy of a theme to ‘make one’ without making it a child theme. Which generally means that when it’s time to update the theme because of a new version of PHP something can and will break. Or they cannot upgrade because they don’t have that all important proof of purchase. If a developer decides to use the groundwork from another theme, they will either create a child theme and leave credit for the original developer, or they will provide a proof of purchase.
Yes, some themes expire and for no other reason than the coding is too old for current requirements, the developer did a great job and it’s just time to look at how your website works. When buying that next design, look at what comes with the purchase. Is it going to require a subscription? How long will the support last? Can you add on additional support time? You might think that buying additional support is not worth the money, but when you buy an electronic, you pay for or expect a warranty. Support time is the warranty behind your purchase, especially when it comes to a WordPress theme or Plugin.