As a web designer and developer with 5 years’ experience serving Cameroonian businesses, I’ve built dozens of company websites from Douala to Bamenda.
Over and over I see that entrepreneurs want websites they can update themselves, not projects that leave them calling a developer for every change.
In this post I compare two approaches: a WordPress site versus a fully custom-coded site.
Drawing on my local experience, I’ll explain why WordPress is usually the better choice for small businesses in Cameroon.
WordPress is easy to use and low-maintenance, so you can manage it yourself. In contrast, custom-coded sites often cost thousands more and require a developer for updates.
My clear recommendation: for most small business websites in Cameroon, go with WordPress (and I include 2 hours of training so you can update it yourself).
WordPress is the world’s most popular web platform (powering about 43 to 44% of all websites).
In practice, WordPress’s huge popularity comes from its ease of use and flexibility. Here’s why I often recommend WordPress to local business owners:
User-friendly editing
WordPress comes with a simple dashboard where you can add pages, blog posts, images, and more without touching code. Its “no coding needed” design means even a non-technical owner can update content. For example, page builder plugins like Elementor or Thrive Architect let you drag and drop elements to design pages visually. You literally point and click to edit. No programming required.
Low maintenance
Updates for WordPress (and its plugins or themes) are usually one-click. Routine tasks like installing security patches or new features are quite user-friendly. You don’t have to rebuild pages from scratch or code fixes by hand. In contrast, a custom site often requires a developer for even small updates.
Drag-and-drop design
There are countless WordPress themes and plugins available. These pre-made design templates and tools can add features like contact forms, photo galleries, or online stores without custom coding. For example, I often use visual builders so clients can adjust layouts by dragging elements on the screen. This speeds up design and lets you make on-the-fly changes later.
Cost-effectiveness
Starting a WordPress site can be very affordable. If you use a free theme and basic hosting, the only ongoing costs are your hosting and domain. Even with premium themes or hiring a WordPress designer, it typically costs far less than building a site from scratch. Code based sites can charge thousands, even tens of thousands of dollars, whereas a WordPress developer usually charges a lower hourly rate for similar work. In short, WordPress won’t break the bank.
Strong community and support
Because WordPress is so widely used (even major brands like Sony and Disney), there’s a large community constantly improving it. Thousands of free tutorials, forums, and plugins mean common problems usually have quick solutions. WordPress has a huge library of themes and over 50,000 plugins, so there’s likely an existing plugin or template for most business needs.
By contrast, fully coded websites have several disadvantages for a non-technical small business owner:
Hard to update
A coded site has no built-in visual editor. Every change, even simple text or photo updates, requires editing the source code or database. In other words, you must know how to code or pay someone who does. With a code based site, any updates or new features typically require a developer’s help. That means the website owner can’t make day-to-day edits, which slows down marketing efforts.
High development cost
Building from scratch is labor-intensive. Because each feature is coded by hand, a code based site usually costs much more upfront than WordPress. Professional developers may charge thousands of dollars to create a full site custom. For most Cameroonian startups or small shops, that huge initial outlay is hard to justify compared to the inexpensive WordPress setup.
Longer time to launch
Coded sites often take much longer to build. WordPress projects can often go live in days, sometimes a week, whereas hand-coding a whole site can take months. A faster launch is important for small businesses that want to start getting customers from their site right away.
Developer dependency
With a coded site, you’re tied to whomever built it. If that developer is unavailable or the code is complex, making future changes is risky. You’re tied to the developer for future adjustments unless you learn to code yourself. This can be costly or complicated if you switch developers later on. In practice, that often leaves owners stuck: they either pay for pricey developer time or avoid making necessary updates.
No easy DIY
A custom backend typically isn’t designed for an end-user. Unless a developer has specifically built a user-friendly admin area (which adds to cost), the normal business owner has no way to log in and edit content. In short, custom sites offer less DIY than WordPress.
Consider one of my recent clients: a training school in Douala. Their old site was custom-built and out-of-date, and the director always had to email a web developer for the smallest change. We redesigned the site using WordPress and a fresh custom theme. Now the school staff can log in any time and update courses, news, or photos instantly with no coding.
The results speak for themselves. After launching the new WordPress site, the number of student enquiries more than tripled. Dr. Kum Basil, founder of STEM University in Douala, was thrilled, saying our work is “clean, fast, and professional” and highly recommended it to other institutions.
Another example: BG Petroleum’s finance director Michel Penandjo noted that once we redesigned his company’s WordPress site, “I couldn’t be happier with the results. Bobvalla took the time to truly understand our vision and brand identity.”
In each case, the clients loved how easy it is to update their WordPress websites, a huge relief from their earlier struggles.
Importantly, after handoff we provide a 2-hour training to every client. This session shows you exactly how to update your content, use the drag-and-drop editor, and keep the site running smoothly. This means once your site is live, you won’t need a developer for everyday changes, empowering you to manage your business website on your own.
With WordPress, managing your business website becomes much simpler.
You get:
Content control: Update your products, menu, or services any time. No more waiting or extra fees.
Cost savings: Because you’ll handle many updates yourself (after our training), you save on developer bills.
Growth: Add new features later like e-commerce, blogs, or booking by installing plugins instead of rebuilding pages.
By contrast, a fully custom site would lock these advantages away.
WordPress gives you both a professional look and easy website management for your small business.
And you’ll have a local Cameroonian designer who understands the context.
I have built 30+ sites for brands in Douala, Yaoundé, Buea and beyond, always focusing on what works here.
If you run a small business in Cameroon and need a WordPress website setup, I’m here to help. I offer full web design and development services.