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In the digital world, few things like WordPress have stood the test of time. As we celebrate its 20th birthday, we at Flow.asia can’t help but reflect on our decision to use this potent platform. Over the years, we’ve carved out a niche in the industry by harnessing WordPress’s capabilities and adapting it to the specific needs and limitations of the Chinese market.
It’s essential to clarify a common misconception at the outset: while WordPress.com, the hosted version of WordPress, is blocked in China, WordPress itself isn’t. This crucial distinction allows agencies like us to leverage the power of WordPress while still complying with Chinese regulations.
The Great Wall of No Theme Builders
At Flow.asia, we take a different approach to WordPress than many digital agencies. You won’t find theme builders like Elementor in our toolkit. While they can offer convenience and speed, they often come at the cost of website performance. Furthermore, many theme builders rely heavily on third-party services. While this may not present a problem in other parts of the world, many of these services are blocked in China due to the Great Firewall.
We craft custom themes to ensure top-notch performance and compatibility within the Chinese market. This allows us to bypass any potential third-party service issues and tailor our websites precisely to our client’s needs, with no unnecessary bloat slowing things down.
The Art of Customization
Crafting custom themes is more than a functional decision; it’s a creative choice. It gives our designers a limitless canvas, enabling them to create original designs tailored to our client’s visual identity and audience. Our websites stand out due to their distinctive, sustainable design, performance, and compatibility.
Traveling Light, Moving Fast
In the same vein, we’re extremely cautious when using plugins. WordPress’s plugin ecosystem is vast and varied, but it’s important to remember that not every plugin is created equal. Some can significantly slow down a website, creating a poor user experience. Again, the issue is further complicated in China, where specific plugins can cause loading issues due to regional restrictions.
At Flow.asia, we believe that less is often more. Rather than overloading a website with many plugins, we select only those that provide essential functions, ensuring that our websites remain fast, efficient, and China-friendly.
Custom Themes, Custom Backend
Finally, a cornerstone of our approach to WordPress involves creating custom backends for our clients. This allows for a smooth, intuitive content management experience that won’t risk breaking the website.
In conventional setups, a minor mishap like a misplaced shortcode or a malfunctioning plugin can wreak havoc on a website. Building a custom backend provides a safe, easy-to-use environment where clients can manage their content with peace of mind. It’s like having a custom-made suit; it fits perfectly, looks great, and you know precisely where every seam and stitch is.
Conclusion
Celebrating WordPress’s 20th birthday is about more than just acknowledging its longevity. It’s also about appreciating its flexibility and adaptability. As a digital agency working primarily in the Chinese market, Flow.asia has harnessed these traits to deliver top-tier, performance-optimized, and reliable websites. As we look forward to the future, we remain committed to our unique approach, adapting and evolving with the ever-changing digital landscape. Happy birthday, WordPress! Here’s to many more years of powering the web.
