There are more than 30,000 free plugins available for WordPress, not to mention all the premium options out there. While many of these plugins duplicate one another, that is still a lot of features that can be added to your site for free or at a relatively low cost.

However, if it turns out that there isn’t a plugin already available that meets your needs, you may have to hire someone to develop one. In this article we will take a look at a few situations in which using an existing plugin might not be the best option.

1. The Plugin Exists but It Doesn’t Look Right

You may find a plugin that looks like it’ll meet your needs, but something about it makes you think twice about installing it. Perhaps the plugin hasn’t been updated for a while, or the user rating and reviews are less than stellar. Whatever the reason, sometimes a plugin isn’t all it appears to be, and installing it on your site can be a risk that isn’t worth taking.

If you find a plugin that exists but looks wrong, then it might be best to contact a developer who can create one for you.

2. Right Features, Wrong Implementation

You might have a specific idea of how the features you want to add to your site should be implemented, but when you find a plugin that provides similar functionality, it doesn’t deliver it in the way you envisioned. Perhaps you want to add a customer survey or a newsletter sign up form, but the plugins that cover those features don’t match the look of your site or the design you had in mind.

In this situation you can either compromise on your vision and install the existing plugin or work with a developer to get exactly what you want.

3. Bespoke Upgrades

This is probably the most common scenario. Sometimes you find a plugin that works in the way you imagined, but only delivers 50% (or even 80%) of the functionality required. In this case you may want to contact the plugin developer directly, and ask whether he or she offers bespoke development services covering the addition of new features to the plugin. Sometimes developers will advertise this service on their website, but even if they don’t it can still be worth contacting them.

4. When No Existing Plugin Comes Close

On some occasions the feature you want to add to your site might be so specialized that there isn’t a plugin available which even comes close to covering it. The best solution in this situation is to find a WordPress plugin developer.

Conclusion

You should now have a better idea of whether an existing WordPress plugin is your best option, or whether it’s time to commission the services of a professional developer to create a bespoke product especially for your site.

Image Credits: Roberto Verzo