WordPress powers 43% of all websites. Most of them are slow, insecure, and difficult to maintain.
We specialize in fixing WordPress sites that aren't performing well, or migrating them to modern platforms that deliver better results. If you're stuck with WordPress, we'll make it work properly. If you're ready to move on, we'll help you migrate.
What We Do with WordPress
We provide three primary WordPress services:
1. Performance Optimization
Pattern: Your WordPress site is slow. Load times are 5+ seconds. Visitors leave before pages finish loading.
What we fix:
- Bloated plugins - Remove unnecessary plugins, replace heavy ones with lightweight alternatives
- Unoptimized images - Compress and properly format all images
- Poor caching - Implement proper caching layers
- Slow hosting - Migrate to better infrastructure if needed
- Database bloat - Clean up and optimize database tables
- Theme issues - Fix poorly coded themes that slow everything down
Typical results: Load times drop from 5-8 seconds to 1-2 seconds. Google PageSpeed scores improve from 30-40 to 70-85.
Read our analysis on why performance is so difficult with WordPress and what alternatives exist.
2. Custom Theme and Plugin Development
Pattern: Off-the-shelf themes don't match your needs. You need custom functionality.
What we build:
- Custom WordPress themes - Tailored exactly to your brand and requirements
- Child themes - Safely customize existing themes without breaking updates
- Custom plugins - Add specific functionality not available in existing plugins
- Plugin customization - Modify existing plugins to match your workflow
- WooCommerce customization - Custom checkout flows, product types, integrations
- API integrations - Connect WordPress with external services
Typical timeline: Custom themes: 3-5 weeks. Custom plugins: 1-4 weeks depending on complexity.
3. Migration to Modern Platforms
Pattern: You're done with WordPress. Too slow, too much maintenance, too many security issues.
What we migrate:
- WordPress to Astro - Maximum performance, minimal maintenance
- WordPress to Next.js - For sites that need dynamic functionality
- WordPress to Shopify - For e-commerce sites that want simpler management
- WordPress to headless CMS - Keep WordPress as backend, build fast frontend
What's preserved:
- All your content (posts, pages, images)
- URL structure (proper redirects for SEO)
- Design and branding
- Core functionality
- Search engine rankings
Typical results: 70-85% reduction in load times. Hosting costs drop 50-80%. Maintenance time drops to near zero.
Learn about our web development approach and the modern frameworks we use.
Our WordPress Engagement Process
Every WordPress project follows the same structured process, regardless of whether it's a speed fix, custom build, or migration:
- Audit (Day 1-2): Full technical review of hosting, plugins, theme code, and database health. You get a written report before any work starts.
- Scope Agreement (Day 2-3): Fixed price and timeline based on the audit findings — no open-ended hourly billing on core work.
- Staging Build (Week 1+): All changes happen on a staging copy of your live site. Nothing touches production until it's tested.
- QA Pass: Cross-browser, cross-device testing plus a Core Web Vitals re-check before go-live.
- Go-Live & Handoff: Deployed with rollback plan documented, plus a short walkthrough so your team knows what changed.
This is the same staging-and-QA discipline referenced in our WordPress speed optimization guide — the difference here is we run it for you end-to-end instead of you implementing it yourself.
Common WordPress Problems We Fix
Slow Load Times
Problem: Pages take 5+ seconds to load. Visitors abandon before content appears.
Solution: Remove bloat, optimize images, implement caching, upgrade hosting if needed. Target: Under 2 seconds.
Security Vulnerabilities
Problem: Outdated plugins, weak passwords, no security monitoring. You're one breach away from disaster.
Solution: Update everything, remove unused plugins, implement security best practices, set up monitoring.
Plugin Conflicts
Problem: Plugins break each other. Updates cause site crashes. You're afraid to touch anything.
Solution: Audit all plugins, remove unnecessary ones, test updates in staging environment, implement proper version control.
Poor Mobile Experience
Problem: Site looks terrible on phones. Text too small, buttons don't work, images don't fit.
Solution: Implement responsive design, optimize for mobile-first, test on real devices.
SEO Issues
Problem: Not showing up in Google. Technical SEO is a mess. Meta tags are missing or incorrect.
Solution: Fix technical SEO, implement proper schema markup, optimize page structure, create XML sitemaps.
See our SEO services for comprehensive optimization.
Maintenance Burden
Problem: Constant updates required. Something breaks every month. You spend more time maintaining than growing your business.
Solution: If you want to stay with WordPress, our WordPress website management service handles all staging, testing, updates, and performance tuning for you. If you're done with the hassle, we migrate you to a modern platform with minimal maintenance.
Our WordPress Development Process
For Optimization Projects
Week 1: Audit and Analysis
- Measure current performance
- Identify bottlenecks
- List all plugins and assess necessity
- Check hosting quality
- Review code quality
Week 2-3: Implementation
- Remove bloat
- Optimize images
- Implement caching
- Fix code issues
- Test thoroughly
Week 4: Testing and Handoff
- Performance verification
- Cross-browser testing
- Mobile device testing
- Documentation
- Training on maintenance
For Custom Development
Week 1: Requirements and Design
- Understand what you need
- Design custom functionality
- Create mockups and wireframes
- Get approval before coding
Week 2-4: Development
- Build custom theme or plugin
- Test in staging environment
- Iterate based on feedback
- Optimize for performance
Week 5: Launch and Training
- Deploy to production
- Train on new features
- Provide documentation
- Support period included
For Migration Projects
Week 1: Content Audit and Planning
- Inventory all content
- Plan URL structure
- Design new architecture
- Select target platform
Week 2-4: Migration and Development
- Export all content
- Build new site
- Migrate content with proper formatting
- Set up URL redirects
- Test everything thoroughly
Week 5: Launch
- Switch DNS to new site
- Monitor for issues
- Verify all redirects work
- Check search engine indexing
- Training and documentation
Why We're Transparent About WordPress
WordPress has serious limitations. We won't pretend otherwise.
We stopped using WordPress for new projects because modern frameworks deliver better results. Here's the reality:
WordPress Strengths:
- Huge ecosystem of themes and plugins
- Familiar to many developers
- Powerful content management
- Extensive community and support
WordPress Weaknesses:
- Performance bottlenecks are inherent to the architecture
- Security requires constant vigilance
- Plugin conflicts are common
- Maintenance burden is significant
- Scaling is expensive
Our recommendation:
If you have an existing WordPress site and it's working well enough, we'll optimize it. If you're frustrated with WordPress and open to alternatives, we'll show you better options.
If you're starting fresh, we strongly recommend building with modern frameworks like Astro or Next.js.
WordPress vs Modern Frameworks
Performance:
Typical WordPress site: 4-8 second load time, 40-50 PageSpeed score.
Modern framework: 0.5-1.5 second load time, 90-100 PageSpeed score.
Maintenance:
WordPress: Weekly updates, constant plugin management, regular security patches.
Modern framework: Minimal maintenance, automatic security updates, no plugin conflicts.
Cost:
WordPress hosting: $20-200/month for decent performance.
Modern framework hosting: $0-20/month for excellent performance.
Security:
WordPress: Constant vigilance required, frequent security vulnerabilities.
Modern framework: Minimal attack surface, inherently more secure.
Read more in our modern web technology stack guide.
Pricing and Timeline
Performance Optimization: $1,500-$3,000 (2-3 weeks)
Complete performance audit and optimization. Includes image optimization, caching setup, plugin cleanup, and hosting recommendations.
Custom Theme Development: $3,000-$8,000 (3-5 weeks)
Fully custom WordPress theme built to your specifications. Includes responsive design, custom post types, and basic functionality.
Custom Plugin Development: $1,000-$5,000 (1-4 weeks)
Price depends on complexity. Simple functionality: $1,000-2,000. Complex features with integrations: $3,000-5,000.
Migration to Modern Platform: $3,000-$10,000 (4-6 weeks)
Complete migration preserving content, URLs, and SEO. Price depends on site size and complexity. Most service business sites: $3,000-5,000. E-commerce or complex sites: $6,000-10,000.
WordPress Website Management: $300-$800/month
Comprehensive WordPress website management service. Our monthly package explicitly groups staging, testing, updates, and performance tuning together so your site stays fast and secure without breaking. Most clients: $300-500/month.
Who This Works For
This is ideal if you:
- Have an existing WordPress site that needs fixing
- Need custom functionality WordPress doesn't offer out of the box
- Are frustrated with WordPress performance and want to migrate
- Don't have time to maintain WordPress yourself
- Need ongoing WordPress expertise without hiring full-time
This won't work if you:
- Expect WordPress to perform like modern frameworks without significant work
- Want the cheapest possible option (use managed WordPress hosting)
- Aren't willing to invest in proper optimization or migration
- Need bleeding-edge features WordPress can't support
Get Started
First step: Site audit (free, 30 minutes).
We'll review your WordPress site and recommend the best path forward.
What we'll cover:
- Current performance and issues
- Optimization opportunities
- Whether migration makes sense for your situation
- Timeline and cost estimates
- Maintenance options
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I stick with WordPress or migrate?
Depends on your situation. If your site works well and you're happy with it, optimization might be enough. If you're constantly fighting performance, security, or maintenance issues, migration usually delivers better long-term results.
Will I lose my Google rankings if I migrate?
No, if done properly. We set up proper URL redirects and preserve all SEO elements. Most clients see ranking improvements after migration due to better performance.
Can you migrate WooCommerce stores?
Yes. We can migrate to Shopify (simpler management) or build custom e-commerce with modern frameworks. All products, orders, and customer data are preserved.
How long does optimization take?
2-3 weeks for most sites. Complex sites with hundreds of pages might take 4 weeks.
What if something breaks during migration?
We test everything in staging before touching your live site. Your current site stays live until we're 100% confident the new one works perfectly.
Do you work with WordPress.com or just WordPress.org?
We work primarily with self-hosted WordPress (WordPress.org). WordPress.com has significant limitations that make custom development difficult.
Can you help with WordPress security?
Yes. We implement security best practices, set up monitoring, and can respond to security incidents. However, WordPress security requires ongoing vigilance. If security is a major concern, migrating to a modern platform is the better long-term solution.
WordPress Speed Optimization
Transform slow WordPress sites into fast-loading experiences that keep visitors engaged and rank higher in search results.
Want to learn DIY optimization techniques? Read our comprehensive guide: WordPress Speed Optimization: Step-by-Step Guide.
What it is: Systematic analysis and optimization of every performance bottleneck in your WordPress site—from database queries to image loading to plugin efficiency. We target sub-2-second load times and 80+ PageSpeed scores.
Who it's for:
- WordPress sites with load times above 3 seconds
- Businesses losing visitors due to slow page speeds
- Sites with poor Core Web Vitals scores affecting Google rankings
- E-commerce sites where every second of delay costs sales
- Companies spending heavily on ads but losing conversions to slow pages
Problems it solves:
- High bounce rates - Visitors leaving before pages finish loading
- Poor search rankings - Google penalizing slow sites in results
- Low conversion rates - Users abandoning purchases during checkout delays
- Expensive hosting bills - Paying for more server resources to compensate for inefficiency
- Poor mobile experience - Sites that are unusable on slower mobile connections
How we optimize: We start with performance profiling to identify the biggest bottlenecks. Then we systematically address issues: remove unnecessary plugins, optimize database queries, implement proper caching layers, compress and lazy-load images, minify CSS/JavaScript, and configure CDN delivery. We test on real devices and connections to ensure improvements work in practice, not just in tools.
Our SDCI Trust Group website demonstrates enterprise WordPress performance optimization, delivering fast load times even with complex content and functionality.
WordPress Security Services
Protect your WordPress site from vulnerabilities, attacks, and data breaches with proactive security implementation and monitoring.
What it is: Comprehensive WordPress security hardening including vulnerability patching, malware scanning, access control, backup systems, and 24/7 monitoring. We implement defense-in-depth strategies that protect against common and sophisticated attacks.
Who it's for:
- WordPress sites handling customer data or payments
- Businesses that can't afford downtime from security incidents
- Sites that have been hacked or compromised before
- Companies in regulated industries with compliance requirements
- High-traffic sites that are attractive targets for attackers
Problems it solves:
- Site compromises and malware infections - Hackers gaining control and injecting malicious code
- Data breaches - Customer information stolen through WordPress vulnerabilities
- Downtime from attacks - Sites taken offline by DDoS or other attacks
- SEO damage from hacks - Google blacklisting sites with malware or spam injections
- Plugin and theme vulnerabilities - Outdated software creating entry points for attackers
- Weak authentication - Brute force attacks compromising admin accounts
How we secure WordPress: We implement multi-layered security starting with server-level hardening, then WordPress-specific protections including web application firewall (WAF), malware scanning, two-factor authentication, file integrity monitoring, and automated security updates. We audit all plugins and themes for known vulnerabilities and remove or replace risky components. Regular backups ensure quick recovery if incidents occur. We set up monitoring that alerts us immediately to suspicious activity.
We also offer secure API integration services to connect WordPress safely with external systems without creating security vulnerabilities.