Case Study
Developing custom WordPress plugins
Custom WordPress plugins might seem like a luxury, especially on a platform that is designed to be plug and play. However, we have found that going the custom route for plugins when developing a website gives our clients exactly the flexibility and functionality that they require.
Earlier in 2024, we did some case studies on the two plugins that we developed for our internal products – TrackEasy and SendEasy. Now that we’ve spent more time working on building bespoke plugins for WordPress, it’s time to look at those benefits.
The benefits of custom WordPress plugins
- Only the features you need – When plugins are developed for general use and made available on WordPress, they’re usually made with the most commonly used features and functions in mind. You’ll often see a range of features on one plugin, but all of them simple and not necessarily with scope for more specific functionality. This is true even for the paid plugins. When you go with a bespoke plugin that’s been made for your website, you only get the features you need and they are designed to work exactly the way you want them to.
- Don’t have to worry about defunct plugins – A lot of the plugins available on WordPress are not updated regularly. Developers will make them in their spare time to get a bit of extra money coming in and will update them when they have capacity to do so. This can lead to plugins becoming defunct, and that means that your website could break and your users (customers) could head elsewhere
- Easy to add features – As your website grows and you want to offer new options to your users, you can easily update your custom WordPress plugins to provide these features. You don’t need to hunt for a new plugin. Your developer can run up the upgrades for you.
Challenges we’ve faced
TAs with all plugins, the major challenge is ensuring ongoing compatibility. WordPress is continuously working on their platform and their own plugins, which means they regularly release updates. The major plugins will also continuously update and adapt to shifting conditions on the internet.
With this in mind, we stay on top of all update announcements from WordPress and any of the other major plugins that we integrate with (WooCommerce, Contact Form 7, etc.). It’s only through consistent monitoring and understanding of what the updates are changing that we can keep our custom WordPress plugins relevant.
When to choose bespoke plugins
For many websites, the simpler plugins that are readily available will do the job. However, if you have slightly more complex features and functionality that you want to offer your website users, then it’s definitely a good idea to consider going with a custom WordPress plugin.
