How do I design a custom WordPress website?
Design a custom WordPress website by starting from a strategy brief, building a child theme (not a marketplace theme), using a page builder like Bricks or GeneratePress for speed, and adding only the plugins you need. Avoid the 40-plugin trap.
The 5-step custom WordPress process
1) Discovery and content map. 2) Pick a lightweight base: Bricks, GeneratePress, or a custom block theme. 3) Build a child theme so updates do not overwrite changes. 4) Add only essential plugins (SEO, cache, forms, backup). 5) Performance audit before launch.
Plugins to use, plugins to avoid
Use: Rank Math or Yoast (SEO), WP Rocket (cache), Gravity or Fluent Forms, UpdraftPlus (backups). Avoid: page-builder bloat (Elementor pro on small sites), security plugins from unknown vendors, and 'all-in-one' bundles that load 200KB of unused CSS.