In this post, we discuss one of our WordPress development projects: the customization of an existing theme. You will learn about the challenges we faced and the solutions we provided.
Among many requests that we receive from our clients, one particular service is probably sought after more frequently than others: the customization of WordPress themes. This is not surprising.
While no ready-made theme can equal the uniqueness and flexibility of a fully custom WordPress website, customizing a WordPress theme brings several tangible benefits, especially to small businesses often constrained by shoestring budgets:
Even with their user-friendly features, though, WordPress themes may require expert customization help for various reasons:
Facing some of those challenges and looking to gain the main benefits of customization, a client recently contacted us for assistance with selecting and customizing a WordPress theme.
Today’s post is about this project. It showcases our commitment to providing cost-effective solutions and supporting our clients throughout the development process and as long as our expertise is required.
UAB Modul IT Solutions is the distributor of multiple brands. It boasts more than 3,000 active customers in nearly 30 European countries.
The company offers everything that is needed for Pro AV installers and system integrators, beginning with ergonomic solutions for offices and ending with a full range of audio-visual equipment from over a dozen brands from Europe, the United States, and Southeast Asia.
They also provide system design consultations and cost-effective logistic services all across Europe.
We were approached by Modul IT Solutions with a request to select and customize a cross-device WordPress theme for the website of one of their brands, Qtex. They wanted us to deactivate the shopping cart on all the pages, as well as remove specific blocks to match their business needs precisely.
The site structure was supposed to be as follows:
Adding the content to the website was the client’s responsibility.
The first step was selecting a suitable WordPress theme that met all or at least most of the client’s requirements. After a careful review of available options, we chose Artday, a fully responsive single-product WordPress theme that is normally used for websites that sell goods such as prints, posters, and other art pieces.
Among some of the most notable Artday’s features are the following:
The theme seemed to be the right fit for the client’s business type and matched their criteria regarding cross-device compatibility. It was also quite affordable, costing just $38 for a regular license.
We offered Artday to the client for consideration, and they gave us a thumbs-up. The next phase was the customization of the selected theme.
As requested by Modul IT Solutions, we deactivated the shopping cart everywhere, including the product pages. This way, customers can only view products in the Catalog and need to select the Where to Buy option in the navigation bar to be directed to the Modul IT Solutions website where they can purchase them.
We’ve added the same 3D Parallax image to the Homepage as in the original theme.
3D Parallax image on Artday Homepage
3D Parallax image on qtex.pro Homepage
The client also asked us to delete the Featured Products block from the page, which we did.
We removed several blocks, including the Story section, leaving essential information about the company only.
Compare the original About page with its live equivalent:
Artday About page
qtex.pro About page
Here, we removed everything that indicated that the product could be purchased on this site, including the shopping cart functionality.
Original Product page
qtex.pro Product page
On the client’s request, we also created a dropdown for selecting product attributes like length and color:
Dropdown for selecting product attributes
Finally, we added the reviews section where visitors can rate the specific product and leave their comments.
Reviews section on a product page
We slightly reworked the Contact page, removing some of the original content such as the sign up form and the social media section.
Original Contact page
qtex.pro Contact page
The customization of the Artday theme took us around 15 business hours. However, our participation in the Qtex project was not over yet. When the Modul IT Solutions web administrator began adding content to the website, she had various questions and update requests for us.
We promptly responded to all her queries, advising her on the best methods to approach certain tasks and giving her recommendations on communicating with the hosting provider’s team.
We are always ready to support our clients even after we finish the development of their projects, teaching them on how to work with their new website, solving launch-related issues, or helping them overcome any other technical challenges.
As a result of our cooperation, Modul IT Solutions received a website that met all of their requirements for a fairly modest price when compared to building a custom solution from the ground up, including design.
Want to be our next happy client? Reach out to us today!
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