When you have the task of looking through so many resumes, you’re not only looking for candidates with the most experience or best skills, but you’re also looking for something that makes them stand out. That is especially true when applying for jobs in the creative industry.

And that is why resume design has such an important role in the application process.

There are plenty of web-based services for creating a resume, and yes, the internet is chock full of basic resume templates. However, not many of those have been designed with creativity in mind. They certainly don’t consider modern design trends or the competitiveness of applying for a creative role.

The free resume templates for designers we have for you are the perfect starting points for creating a CV that will help you stand out and land your dream job. They have all been created by designers for designers.

Which Resume Template Format Should You Choose?

The right format depends on the application you prefer to work in and how the finished resume will be submitted. Some formats give you greater control over the layout, while others make ongoing edits easier.

• Figma: A good choice for designers who want browser-based editing, familiar layout controls, and easy PDF export.
• InDesign: Best suited to detailed page layouts, precise typography, and resumes with matching cover letters or portfolio pages.
• Illustrator: Useful for highly visual designs and custom vector graphics, although editing longer sections of text can be less convenient.
• Photoshop: Suitable for image-led layouts, but it is not always the best option for a text-heavy resume.
• Microsoft Word: Practical for frequent updates and applications that request a DOCX file. Word templates may also be easier for recruiters to open and review.

Check the required application version, included fonts, and available file types before downloading. If a template includes several formats, choose the one you already know well.

Free to Download and in Photoshop PSD Format

The Neat Resume is a contemporary, highly customizable free template with an eye-catching header, well-organized content sections, and a clean, minimalist design that focuses on beautiful typography.

In Photoshop PSD, AI & InDesign Formats

This resume template prioritizes readability, making it a polished option for creating a professional resume. In addition to a resume template, you will also get a cover letter and a printable portfolio template.

Free to Download and in Figma Format

This free resume template is simple and minimalist, with well-organized and spacious content sections. It is fully customizable in Figma, with editable colors, fonts, and layout.

In Word, Photoshop PSD, AI & InDesign Formats

This highly creative resume template features a clean, minimalist design and clearly labeled, organized layers, making it easy to customize in your favorite application.

Free to Download and in Figma Format

This professional resume template focuses on beautiful typography and perfectly laid-out content sections. In addition to the resume template, you will also get a printable portfolio template designed in the same clean style.

In Photoshop PSD, AI & Word Formats

This modern resume template has a minimalist layout with a focus on big and bold typography. It’s fully customizable to match your personal branding and includes sections for education, work experience, and skills. It also comes with a matching cover letter template.

Free to Download and in InDesign Format

This free resource is a highly customizable resume and cover letter template with a minimalist, professional design and well-organized sections to highlight your skills, education, and experience.

In Word, AI & InDesign Formats

With its focus on creativity, this resume template is perfect for designers and creatives who want to create a polished and highly professional resume.

Free to Download and in Sketch & Photoshop PSD Formats

This free resume template has a simple and stylish design, well-organized sections, and customizable Sketch and Photoshop files. Its attention to detail and readability make it an excellent option for creating a professional-looking resume.

Free to Download and in Figma Format

This free resume template has been designed for UX and UI roles with plenty of space for projects and skills. Built in Figma for easy editing. It is perfect for portfolios and product design roles.

Free to Download and in Illustrator AI Format

Whether you’re looking for your first creative job or a professional looking to update your resume, this free and highly customizable minimalistic resume is all you need to make a memorable first impression.

Free to Download and in Photoshop PSD, Sketch & Word Formats

Clean, colorful, and highly customizable, this free template is an excellent choice for creative job seekers and professionals who need to create or update their resumes quickly.

Free to Download and in Figma Format

This is a collection of 20 modern, minimally designed resume templates. All templates focus on clarity and readability, making them an excellent option for creating a professional resume in Figma.

Free to Download and in Figma Format

This collection of five free Figma resume templates features bold typography, eye-catching graphics, and minimalist layouts. It is perfect for designers, developers, and marketers looking to create a professional resume.

Free to Download and in Figma Format

This spacious resume template features a black-and-white color scheme and is perfect for highlighting your work experience, portfolio, education, and contact information.

Free to Download and in Word & InDesign Formats

Make a great first impression with this resume template, which features bold and beautiful typography. It can be edited in InDesign or Microsoft Word.

Free to Download and in Word & InDesign Formats

This minimalistic resume template has a clean design and a two-column layout. It also has plenty of room for your profile photos. This free template can be edited in InDesign and Word.

Free to Download and in Illustrator AI Format

This two-page resume template features a bold design that’s perfect for promoting your skills and projects. It can be edited in Illustrator.

Free to Download and in Photoshop PSD Format

If you want a creative resume design, take a look at this resume template. You can edit it in Photoshop and use it to apply for a job in any creative field.

Free to Download and in Photoshop PSD Format

This resume template has a clean, two-column layout that’s easy to edit. The template has been designed in Photoshop and comes with well-organized layers.

Free to Download and in Photoshop PSD Format

Check out this resume template featuring an elegant and minimalist design. This Photoshop PSD template includes a one-page resume layout and well-organized layers for easy editing.

Free to Download and in Illustrator AI Format

This resume was designed in Illustrator and contains a two-page resume and a matching cover letter template. Thanks to its minimal design, it can be used for any type of job application.

Free to Download and in Photoshop PSD & Illustrator AI Formats

This stunning resume template will capture the attention of any employer. It has a beautiful header section and uses modern, clean typography that makes an impact.

Free to Download and in Illustrator AI Format

This clean resume template has a standard two-column layout. In the larger column, you can showcase your education and work history. In the sidebar, you can share your contact information and skills. This template can be edited in Illustrator.

What to Include in a Designer Resume

A designer resume should communicate your experience quickly while giving recruiters a clear route to your work. There is no need to fill every available section if the information does not support the role.

• Name and role: State your name and the type of design position you are applying for.
• Contact details: Add a professional email address, phone number, and general location. A full postal address is rarely needed.
• Portfolio link: Place a direct link near the top of the page so it is easy to locate.
• Professional profile: Write a brief overview of your experience, specialisms, and the type of work you do.
• Work experience: List relevant roles in reverse chronological order. Include results and responsibilities rather than a list of routine tasks.
• Selected projects: Mention relevant client, freelance, or personal projects when they add useful context.
• Design skills: Include methods, disciplines, and applications that relate directly to the position.
• Education and training: Add relevant qualifications, courses, and certifications without giving them more space than your professional work.

References can be supplied when requested, so they do not need to take up room on the resume.

Final Recommendations

Choose a template that suits both your experience and the position. A recent graduate may need more room for education and selected projects, while an experienced designer will probably want greater space for employment history and results.

Treat the template as a starting point. Replace every piece of sample content, remove sections you do not need, and adjust the type sizes and spacing around your own information. Check that links work, dates follow a consistent format, and the smallest text remains comfortable to read.

Before sending the resume, review it at its actual size and ask someone else to proofread it. Export a PDF for direct applications, but keep an editable copy for future updates. If a recruitment portal requests a particular file type, follow that instruction rather than submitting the most decorative version.

A restrained design with clear information will usually serve you better than a complicated layout. The resume should give employers a useful overview of your experience, while your portfolio provides the fuller picture of your design work.

Read more articles by Paul Andrew

The post 20+ Best Free Resume Templates for Creatives in 2026 appeared first on The NOKIA Blog.

There are also big differences between hosting providers. Some focus on low-cost shared hosting, while others offer managed WordPress hosting, cloud hosting, or plans built for businesses and agencies. The tools included with each plan can vary just as much. Backups, staging sites, caching, security, migrations, CDN access, and developer tools may be included, limited, or cost extra.

This comparison looks at six popular WordPress hosts: WordPress.com, Bluehost, Pressable, Cloudways, Kinsta, and SiteGround. Each provider has been tested and compared across the areas that matter when running a WordPress website.

The goal isn’t to name one host that works for everyone. A personal blog, WooCommerce store, client website, and busy online publication have very different hosting needs. Instead, the results should make it easier to see where each provider works well, where it falls short, and which type of WordPress website it suits best.

Best WordPress Hosting: Quick Recommendations

Not everyone needs to compare every plan and technical detail. These recommendations offer a quick starting point based on common WordPress projects. Each host has been selected for a different type of user, with performance, management tools, support, pricing, and the overall hosting experience taken into account.

Best Overall WordPress Host: WordPress.com

WordPress.com is our best overall host because it combines managed WordPress hosting with the flexibility and ease of use many websites need. It works well for blogs and business sites, with plans suitable for larger publications and WooCommerce stores.

Much of the technical work is handled for you, including caching, security, updates, SSL, and CDN access. All paid plans now support third-party plugins and custom theme uploads. Business adds daily backups, staging, SFTP, SSH, database access, WP-CLI, and other developer tools.

WordPress.com is run by Automattic, a company with deep ties to the WordPress open-source project and WordPress.org. That experience carries through to its managed hosting and support, which is useful when a problem involves both WordPress and the hosting platform.

There is less server maintenance to handle, while developers can choose Business when they need more advanced access. Those needing full server control may prefer cloud or VPS hosting.

Pricing varies between plans, so always compare promotional rates with the normal renewal price.

Further Information:

WordPress.com Plans & Pricing

• Personal: Supports third-party plugins and themes, custom CSS and code, along with security, support, and migration tools.
• Premium: Includes everything in Personal, with additional design, analytics, SEO, advertising, and monetization tools.
• Business: Adds daily backups, staging, SFTP, SSH, WP-CLI, database access, GitHub deployments, and other developer tools.
• Commerce: Includes the tools available with Business and adds WooCommerce and online selling tools.

All data correct as of August, 2026.

Best WordPress Managed Host: Kinsta

Kinsta is our choice for the best managed WordPress host. It is built for WordPress sites that need strong performance, reliable hosting, and useful management tools without the site owner having to manage the server.

Every WordPress site runs in its own isolated container, with access to Kinsta’s cloud infrastructure and a choice of 30 data center locations. Server caching, edge caching, a Cloudflare-powered CDN, security, daily backups, and performance monitoring are included.

Kinsta also provides a strong set of developer tools, including DevKinsta. SSH and SFTP are included with all WordPress hosting plans, WP-CLI is installed by default, and staging gives developers a separate platform to test changes. MyKinsta also offers database management, logs, analytics, and Kinsta’s APM performance tool.

The main drawback is price. Kinsta costs more than budget WordPress hosting, so it is harder to justify for a small personal site. But for businesses, busy publications, stores, and other sites where performance and support matter, the extra cost makes sense.

Further Information:

Kinsta Plans & Pricing

• Single Site Plans: Built for one WordPress website, with several levels based on traffic or bandwidth. All include CDN, edge caching, daily backups, staging, security, migrations, SSH, SFTP, and WP-CLI.
• Multiple Site Plans: Designed for users who manage several WordPress installations. These plans increase the number of sites and available resources while keeping them under one Kinsta account.
• Agency Plans: Made for agencies that manage larger collections of client sites. They provide higher limits and more capacity while retaining the same managed WordPress platform and development tools.
• Custom Plans: Available for WordPress projects that need more resources than the standard plans provide. These are better suited to very busy sites and projects with unusual hosting requirements.

All data correct as of August, 2026.

Best WordPress Blogger Host: Cloudways

Cloudways is our choice for the best WordPress blogger host, particularly for established blogs and publications that have grown beyond basic shared hosting. It provides managed cloud hosting while still giving site owners more control over server resources than most managed WordPress platforms.

With Cloudways Flexible, WordPress can run on cloud infrastructure from DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode, AWS, or Google Cloud. You choose the provider, server size, and location, while Cloudways handles much of the server setup and management. Resources can also be increased as traffic grows.

WordPress tools include server caching, staging, cloning, automated backups, SSL, migrations, security tools, SSH, SFTP, Git, and WP-CLI. Multiple WordPress sites can also run on the same server, provided it has enough resources.

This flexibility is why Cloudways works well for established bloggers. A growing publication can increase its hosting resources without moving to another platform. The tradeoff is complexity. There are more server settings to understand than with WordPress.com or Kinsta. But for bloggers comfortable managing WordPress, that extra control can be useful.

Further Information:

Cloudways Plans & Pricing

• DigitalOcean: The most practical starting point for many WordPress blogs. Plans provide dedicated cloud resources, SSD or NVMe storage, vertical scaling, and a choice of server locations.
• Vultr: Offers a broad choice of data center locations and server configurations. It is useful when the main audience is closer to a Vultr location or a different server setup is required.
• Linode: Another option for blogs that want predictable cloud resources and a choice of server locations while keeping Cloudways responsible for much of the server management.
• AWS: Uses Amazon Web Services infrastructure and provides more server configuration choices. It is generally more expensive and is better suited to sites with requirements that justify the added cost.
• Google Cloud: Runs WordPress on Google Compute Engine through the Cloudways dashboard. Like AWS, it provides flexible server resources but usually costs more than the simpler cloud options.

All data correct as of August, 2026.

Best WordPress Developer Host: Pressable

Pressable is our choice for the best WordPress developer host. It is a fully managed WordPress platform from Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com and WooCommerce, and runs on its WP Cloud infrastructure. That WordPress focus is one of the main reasons it works so well for development work.

Developers get staging and sandbox environments for every site, along with SSH, SFTP, WP-CLI, Git, database access, and other tools needed for building and maintaining WordPress sites. DupliKits can also be used to create reusable site templates, which can save time when several projects start with a similar setup.

Pressable handles much of the hosting work in the background. Hourly and daily backups, caching, security monitoring, automatic scaling, a global CDN, and site migrations are included. There is also 24/7 support from a team that works with WordPress every day.

Pricing is higher than budget hosting, but that is not really what Pressable is competing with. The value comes from reducing server maintenance while keeping the development tools needed for regular WordPress work. For freelance developers and teams managing several sites, that balance makes Pressable a strong choice.

Further Information:

Pressable Plans & Pricing

• Signature 1: Supports one WordPress site, 30,000 monthly visits, and 20GB of storage. Suitable for developers managing a single business or client site.
• Signature 2: Supports three WordPress sites, 50,000 monthly visits, and 30GB of storage. Useful for developers who manage a small collection of client sites.
• Signature 3: Supports five WordPress sites, 75,000 monthly visits, and 35GB of storage. Offers more room for freelancers maintaining several active WordPress projects.
• Signature 4: Supports ten WordPress sites, 150,000 monthly visits, and 50GB of storage. Excellent for developers and small teams that manage a larger group of websites.
• Signature 5 and Above: Plans increase from 20 to 100 WordPress installations, with higher traffic and storage limits. They are aimed at larger development teams and agencies with many sites.

All data correct as of August, 2026.

Best WordPress Agency Host: SiteGround

SiteGround is our choice for the best WordPress agency host. It combines managed WordPress hosting with tools for building, testing, managing, and handing client websites once a project is complete and launched. GrowBig and GoGeek also allow multiple websites under one account, which makes them better suited to agency work than the single site StartUp plan.

SiteGround handles many routine hosting jobs, including WordPress updates, daily backups, caching, CDN access, SSL, security, and server maintenance. GrowBig and GoGeek also include WordPress staging, while developers have access to SSH, SFTP, WP-CLI, databases, and other common development tools.

The agency tools are the main reason for choosing SiteGround here. Team members can be added as collaborators without sharing the main account login. Finished websites can also be transferred to clients while the agency remains attached as a collaborator. GoGeek adds white label client access, so clients using Site Tools do not see SiteGround branding.

The main drawback is renewal pricing. SiteGround offers large discounts for the first year, but regular rates are much higher. Agencies should use those renewal prices when calculating the long-term cost of hosting client websites.

Further Information:

SiteGround Plans & Pricing

• StartUp: Supports one website, around 10,000 monthly visits, and 10GB of storage. It includes managed WordPress tools, daily backups, caching, CDN access, SSL, and email. The single site limit makes it less useful for agency hosting.
• GrowBig: Supports unlimited websites within its resource limits, around 100,000 monthly visits, and 50GB of storage. It adds more server resources, WordPress staging, on-demand backups, and collaboration tools. This is a good starting point for smaller agencies.
• GoGeek: Supports unlimited websites within its resource limits, around 400,000 monthly visits, and 100GB of storage. It provides more server resources and adds white-label client access, making it the strongest shared hosting plan for agencies managing client websites.

All data correct as of August, 2026.

WordPress.com is our choice for the best WooCommerce host. WooCommerce can now be installed on any paid WordPress.com plan, giving store owners more choice over how much hosting and how many store tools they actually need.

The close connection with WooCommerce is a major advantage. WordPress.com and WooCommerce are both part of Automattic, so the hosting platform is built and supported by people with a deep understanding of WordPress and WooCommerce. This becomes useful when a problem involves the store, WordPress, and the hosting environment.

For larger stores, the Commerce plan includes everything in Business, along with WooCommerce and additional selling tools. This includes real-time backups, staging, SFTP, SSH, database access, payment tools, shipping integrations, automated taxes, product recommendations, and other WooCommerce extensions.

WordPress.com also handles much of the hosting work, including caching, security, updates, SSL, and server management. Store owners can concentrate on products, orders, customers, and sales rather than maintaining the server. It may cost more than basic WooCommerce hosting, but the managed setup makes more sense as a store becomes busier.

Further Information:

WordPress.com Commerce Plans & Pricing

• Personal: WooCommerce can be installed alongside third-party plugins and themes. It provides a low-cost starting point for a very small store, but it does not include the advanced backups, staging, and developer tools available on higher plans.
• Premium: Includes everything in Personal, along with additional design, analytics, SEO, advertising, and monetization tools. WooCommerce can be installed, although growing stores may benefit from the stronger hosting tools available with Business.
• Business: Adds real-time backups, staging, SFTP, SSH, database access, WP-CLI, and other developer tools. WooCommerce can be installed normally, making Business a good choice for store owners who want to build their own WooCommerce setup.
• Commerce: Includes everything in Business and adds WooCommerce with a collection of store tools and extensions. It supports unlimited products and orders, payments, shipping integrations, automated taxes, product recommendations, abandoned cart emails, and other selling tools.

All data correct as of August, 2026.

Best Budget WordPress Host: Bluehost

Bluehost is our choice for the best budget WordPress host. Its lower-priced plans provide the tools needed to run a blog, portfolio, small business site, or other WordPress project without paying the higher monthly cost of premium managed hosting.

WordPress hosting includes managed updates, SSL, CDN access, malware scanning, backups, migration tools, and a domain for the first year. Bluehost also provides a 99.99% uptime SLA and several server locations. WordPress setup and site management are handled through a dashboard aimed at users who may not have much hosting experience.

Starter is the obvious choice for smaller sites, while Business provides more storage, supports more websites, and adds further security and backup tools. Higher performance plans are available when a site needs more resources, so there is room to move beyond the entry-level packages.

The main issue is renewal pricing. Bluehost offers large discounts for the initial term, but the regular price is considerably higher. That needs to be included when comparing it with other budget hosts. For a smaller WordPress site where keeping the initial cost low matters, Bluehost still provides a strong set of hosting tools for the money.

Further Information:

Bluehost Plans & Pricing

• Starter: Supports up to ten websites with 10GB of NVMe storage. It includes managed WordPress updates, CDN access, SSL, malware scanning, weekly backups, migration tools, and a domain for the first year. It is the best fit for blogs and smaller WordPress sites.
• Business: Supports up to 50 websites with 50GB of NVMe storage. It provides more room for growing sites and is better suited to users managing several WordPress installations or a busier business website.

All data correct as of August, 2026.

Most WordPress hosts include more than just server space. Backups, staging sites, caching, CDN access, SSL, security, and migration tools reduce the amount of work needed to maintain a site. A host may advertise backups but run them only weekly, or offer staging only on its more expensive plans.

There is also a difference between a tool being included and it being well connected to the hosting platform. The right setup depends on whether the project needs simple management or greater control.

Developer requirements can be very different from those of someone running a single blog. Staging sites, SSH, SFTP, WP-CLI, Git, database access, logs, and local development tools will save a lot of time. They are also useful when testing updates or tracking down a problem without making changes directly on a live site.

Cloudways provides the greatest server control of the hosts compared here, while Kinsta and Pressable combine strong development tools with a more managed setup. WordPress.com also provides many common development tools on suitable plans. SiteGround covers most everyday development needs, while Bluehost provides enough access for many smaller projects.

The main question is how much control is actually required. More server access is useful for some developers, but it also means taking responsibility for more of the hosting setup.

AI tools are starting to appear in WordPress hosting platforms. Many providers now use it to help monitor websites, detect security threats, improve performance, and simplify routine management tasks. Some platforms also include AI assistants that can answer questions, troubleshoot common issues, or help configure hosting settings.

While these tools can save time, they shouldn’t be the main reason for choosing a host. Performance, reliability, support, and security still matter more. AI is best viewed as a useful addition rather than a replacement for a well-managed hosting platform.

The table below shows how the six hosts in this comparison currently approach AI.

All data correct as of August, 2026.

WordPress.com currently has the most complete AI setup of the hosts compared here. Its AI website builder can create a new WordPress site, while WordPress Agent continues working inside the site after it has been built. It can help with content, layouts, images, pages, and other editing jobs.

The more interesting addition for developers is MCP support. WordPress.com can connect with outside AI agents such as ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, and other compatible tools. These agents can read site information and, with permission, carry out tasks such as creating posts, managing content, working with media, and changing site settings. MCP is available across paid WordPress.com plans.

Other hosts are using AI in narrower ways, often concentrating on initial site creation, content generation, or hosting support. Those tools can still be useful, but they should not be a major reason to choose a host on their own. Hosting performance, support, backups, security, development tools, and long-term cost still matter much more.

How to Choose a WordPress Host

Choosing a WordPress host is one of the biggest decisions you’ll make for your website. Your hosting provider affects performance, reliability, security, and how easy your site is to manage. The right host will keep your website running smoothly and give you access to support when you need it.

No hosting plan suits every website. A personal blog has different needs than an online store or an agency managing client sites. Knowing what your website requires before comparing providers will help you narrow your options and avoid paying for services you won’t use.

When comparing hosts, look at uptime, page speed, server locations, backups, staging sites, security, support, and renewal pricing. These factors often matter just as much as the monthly cost.

The articles below cover the main topics involved in choosing a WordPress host. Whether you’re building your first website or moving to a new provider, they’ll help you compare your options and make a confident choice.

WordPress Hosting for Different Needs

Choosing a hosting plan that matches your needs can improve performance, make your website easier to manage, and help you avoid paying for resources you won’t use. As your website grows, you can move to a plan with more storage, power, and management tools.

Whether you’re building your first WordPress website, running an online store, or managing client sites, understanding the strengths of each hosting option will make it easier to choose the right provider.

WordPress Performance & Security

A good hosting provider gives your WordPress website a solid foundation, but hosting is only part of the picture. Your website’s setup, the tools you use, and your security practices all affect performance, reliability, and keeping your visitors safe.

Many WordPress hosts include caching, content delivery networks (CDNs), backups, malware scanning, and SSL certificates. Knowing how these features work will help you get more from your hosting plan. Regular maintenance also helps keep your website running well. Updating WordPress, plugins, and themes, monitoring performance, and following good security practices can prevent many common problems.

The articles below cover the tools and techniques that can improve website speed, strengthen security, and simplify day-to-day management.

Managing Your WordPress Hosting

Launching a WordPress website is only the start. Regular maintenance helps keep your website secure, reliable, and running smoothly. Many hosting providers include tools that simplify routine tasks, but it still helps to understand how they work.

Common tasks include migrating websites, installing SSL certificates, updating PHP, managing domains, restoring backups, and monitoring uptime. Learning these skills will help you solve problems more quickly and get more from your hosting provider.

Whether you’re looking after one website or several client projects, a regular maintenance routine can reduce downtime and keep your websites in good shape.

The articles below cover the most common hosting management tasks and show you how to handle them with confidence.

• When Your WordPress Website Has Outgrown its Hosting

  How do you know when a hosting change is needed? Here are a few things to consider.

• Hosting Your Client’s WordPress Website

  Learn how to avoid common hosting mistakes when hosting WordPress sites for clients.

• Understanding Your Web Host

  Your host may not cover all your needs. Take these steps to ensure your website runs smoothly.

• Building a Performant WordPress Website

  Learn how to boost performance with better hosting, lighter themes, and smart optimzation strategies.

• What To Know About Your Client’s WordPress Website

  We cover what to check first, including themes, plugins, custom code, hosting, and unused tools.

• Add an SSL Certificate to Your WordPress Website

  A quick SSL certificate setup can mean big benefits for your site and visitors.

• WordPress Website Email Issues

  Learn how to test sending, check logs, change the from address, set up SMTP, or use a mail delivery service.

Final Verdict: Which WordPress Host Should You Choose?

WordPress.com is our best overall choice because it works for a broad range of WordPress projects while handling much of the hosting management. It is suitable for blogs, business websites, larger publications, and WooCommerce stores, with access to plugins, themes, staging, backups, security, caching, and development tools on suitable plans.

Kinsta is the better choice for users who want premium managed WordPress hosting and are willing to pay more for it. Cloudways suits established bloggers and publications that want greater control over server resources. Pressable is our choice for developers because its managed platform includes a strong set of WordPress development tools.

SiteGround makes sense for agencies managing several client websites, particularly when collaboration and site management tools are needed. And Bluehost remains the budget choice for smaller WordPress sites where keeping the hosting bill low matters more than having advanced management tools.

No host wins every category because WordPress websites have different requirements. The best option is the provider that has enough performance and resources for the site, includes the tools that will actually be used, and remains affordable after introductory pricing ends. For most WordPress users looking for a balance across those areas, WordPress.com gets our overall recommendation.

WordPress Hosting FAQs

WordPress hosting can look more complicated than it needs to be. Hosting companies use different plan names, prices, limits, and technical terms, even when the services are similar. These answers cover some of the most common questions about choosing and using WordPress hosting.

• What is the best hosting for WordPress?
  WordPress.com is our best overall WordPress host because it combines managed hosting with good performance, security, backups, CDN access, and WordPress support. Kinsta is our choice for managed hosting, Cloudways for bloggers, Pressable for developers, SiteGround for agencies, and Bluehost for smaller budgets.
• How much should WordPress hosting cost?
  Basic WordPress hosting can cost only a few dollars per month, while managed hosting may cost $20 to $50 per month or more. Larger sites and stores can cost considerably more. Always check the regular renewal price because introductory rates can make the first term look much cheaper.
• Do I need managed WordPress hosting?
  No. Smaller blogs, portfolios, and business sites can run well on lower-cost hosting. Managed WordPress hosting becomes more useful for busy sites, stores, and businesses that benefit from automatic backups, security, caching, staging, and WordPress-focused support.
• Can I change WordPress hosts later?
  Yes. WordPress sites can be moved between hosting providers. Many hosts provide migration tools or will move the site for you. Keep the old hosting active until the new site has been checked and the domain is pointing to the new server.
• Does better hosting make WordPress faster?
  Better hosting can improve WordPress performance by providing faster servers, more resources, caching, and CDN access. But hosting cannot fix every problem. Large images, heavy themes, slow plugins, external scripts, and database problems can still make a site slow.
• Is WordPress hosting different from regular web hosting?
  WordPress hosting is web hosting set up with WordPress in mind. It may include WordPress updates, caching, backups, security, staging, WP-CLI, and specialist support. WordPress can also run on regular hosting as long as the server meets its requirements.
• Do I need separate hosting for WooCommerce?
  No. WooCommerce runs on WordPress and does not require a separate type of hosting. But stores can need more server resources because carts, checkout pages, customer accounts, orders, and stock changes create more database activity than a typical WordPress site.
• How much traffic can WordPress hosting handle?
  There is no single number. A cached blog and a busy WooCommerce store can use very different resources even with the same number of visitors. Check the host’s traffic, bandwidth, storage, CPU, memory, and other resource limits before choosing a plan.

Read more articles by Paul Andrew

The post The Best WordPress Hosting in 2026 appeared first on The NOKIA Blog.

Designers, photographers, illustrators, and other creative professionals also have practical requirements. Staging makes it possible to test layout changes privately. Automatic backups protect client work, while collaboration tools can help freelancers and agencies manage several websites. Good support is also valuable when a technical problem interrupts a project or affects a live site.

This collection compares WordPress hosts based on the features that matter most to creatives. These include performance, media handling, storage, theme and plugin support, staging, backups, client management, and long term cost.

Some options are suited to a single portfolio, while others provide the tools needed to manage client websites or run a creative agency. The best choice depends on the type of work being presented and how much control the website owner needs.

Quick Recommendations

Each of these hosts suits a different type of creative website. WordPress.com offers the simplest overall package, while Kinsta and Pressable provide stronger tools for studios and client work. Cloudways gives experienced users more control, and Rocket.net is a good match for image heavy portfolios.

WordPress.com is the best choice for creatives who want managed hosting with little technical maintenance. Kinsta is better suited to established studios that place greater value on performance, staging, and developer tools. Pressable is worth considering when several client websites need to be built, tested, and managed from one account.

Cloudways offers more flexibility but requires greater technical confidence. Rocket.net offers managed performance and a built in CDN for visual websites with an international audience. SiteGround and Hostinger cost less at the start, although their renewal prices are considerably higher.

Prices shown are monthly equivalents based on the billing terms displayed by each provider.

What Creatives Should Look for in WordPress Hosting

Creative websites often contain large images, complex layouts, video, animation, and interactive features. These elements can place more pressure on hosting than a basic blog or small business website.

• Image and media performance: Look for server caching, CDN access, and enough storage for a growing media library. Image compression and support for WebP or AVIF can also help portfolio pages load faster.
• Theme and design tool support: The host should support custom themes and third party plugins. Designers using page builders, animation plugins, or Advanced Custom Fields may also benefit from higher PHP memory and stronger server resources.
• Staging and development tools: Staging allows design changes, theme updates, and new layouts to be tested privately. SFTP, SSH, WP CLI, Git, database access, and PHP controls are also useful for custom and client websites.
• Client and team management: Freelancers and agencies may need collaborator accounts, separate permissions, site cloning, and a central dashboard for managing several projects. Site transfer and billing handover tools can also simplify client delivery.
• Backups and site recovery: Automatic backups provide protection when an update, code change, or plugin conflict causes a problem. Check how often backups are created, how long they are stored, and whether the website can be restored with a single click.
• Pricing and renewal costs: Check the regular renewal rate rather than relying on the introductory price. Storage, traffic, staging, backups, email, and additional websites may depend on the plan, so the cheapest option is not always the best value.

Top WordPress Hosts for Designers & Creatives

1. Best Overall for Creatives: WordPress.com

WordPress.com is a good choice for creatives who want managed hosting without spending much time on server maintenance. Updates, security, backups, caching, and performance tools are handled for you, leaving designers to manage their website through a familiar WordPress dashboard.

The Business plan is the best fit for a professional portfolio or creative business. It includes 50GB of storage, a global CDN, staging, real time backups, and 250GB of separate VideoPress storage. Custom themes and third party plugins are supported, so designers are not limited to the themes and tools supplied. SFTP, SSH, WP CLI, Git commands, and GitHub deployments are also available for more advanced projects.

The main drawback is cost. Each website requires its own plan, which may not suit freelancers or agencies managing a large number of client sites. However, it remains a practical option for individual designers, photographers, illustrators, and creative businesses that want strong performance without dealing with the technical side of hosting.

• Recommended plan: Business.
• Best for: Professional portfolios and creative business websites.
• Key strength: Managed hosting with strong media and development tools.
• Main drawback: A separate plan is required for each website.

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2. Best for Creative Studios: Kinsta

Kinsta is well suited to established designers and creative studios that need dependable managed hosting for a professional portfolio, company website, or online store. Its platform handles caching, security, backups, and server maintenance, while the MyKinsta dashboard provides access to staging, analytics, redirects, and other WordPress tools.

Every plan includes a global CDN, automatic daily backups, free migrations, application performance monitoring, and malware removal. Designers can create a staging copy before changing a layout, installing a new plugin, or updating a custom theme. Site transfer and user access controls are also useful when a studio works with outside developers or needs to hand a project over to a client.

The main limitation for visual websites is storage. The entry plan includes 10GB, which may be restrictive for a large photography or video portfolio. Visitor, bandwidth, storage, and CDN limits can also lead to additional charges. Kinsta costs more than shared hosting, but its performance and management tools make it a strong option when the website supports an established creative business.

• Recommended plan: Single 20GB
• Best for: Established creative studios and professional portfolios
• Key strength: Managed performance and development tools
• Main drawback: Limited storage on the entry plan

Further Information:

3. Best for Freelance Designers: Cloudways

Cloudways is a good option for freelance designers who want more control than a typical managed WordPress plan provides. Websites run on cloud servers, with Cloudways supplying the dashboard, security tools, caching, backups, staging, and technical support.

The Flexible Micro plan includes 2GB of RAM, one virtual CPU, 50GB of storage, and 2TB of transfer bandwidth. It can host multiple WordPress installations, although every site shares the same server resources. Designers can create staging sites, clone existing projects, change the PHP version, and access files through SFTP or SSH. Monthly and hourly billing also make it possible to increase server resources as client work grows.

Cloudways requires more technical knowledge than WordPress.com or Kinsta. The dashboard includes server settings that may be unfamiliar to less experienced users. Cloudflare Enterprise is a paid addition on Flexible plans, while offsite backup storage is charged separately. Business email is not included. These extra costs need to be considered, but the flexible setup remains useful for freelancers managing several client websites.

• Recommended plan: Flexible Micro
• Best for: Freelance designers managing several websites
• Key strength: Flexible cloud resources and server controls
• Main drawback: More technical than fully managed alternatives

Further Information:

4. Best for Managing Client Websites: Pressable

Pressable is designed for WordPress professionals who build and maintain websites for clients. Its dashboard provides access to production, staging, and sandbox environments, giving designers separate spaces for development, testing, and client review.

The Signature plans include automatic backups, a global CDN, edge caching, free migrations, malware monitoring, and WordPress support. Granular collaborator permissions allow developers, designers, and clients to receive different levels of access. Pressable also provides site templates through DupliKits, which can save time when several projects use the same plugins, theme, or starting configuration.

The Signature 1 plan is suitable for a single client website, while higher plans support several installations. Storage and monthly visits are limited, and additional usage can result in extra charges. Pressable is also more expensive than placing several sites on one shared hosting account. However, its staging, sandbox, cloning, and collaboration tools make it a practical choice for designers who include hosting and maintenance in their client services.

• Recommended plan: Signature 1
• Best for: Designers building and maintaining client websites
• Key strength: Staging, sandbox, and collaboration tools
• Main drawback: Additional charges for storage and visitor overages

Further Information:

5. Best for Small Creative Studios: SiteGround

SiteGround is a practical choice for designers and small creative studios that need to host several websites without paying for each installation separately. Its custom Site Tools dashboard provides access to domains, email, backups, caching, security, and development tools.

The GrowBig plan supports unlimited websites and includes 50GB of storage, a CDN, daily backups, on demand backups, collaborators, and WordPress staging. Designers can test theme and layout changes before publishing them, while collaborator accounts allow clients or team members to access individual websites. Email hosting is included, which can reduce the need for another paid service.

The introductory price is low, but the renewal rate is much higher. SiteGround also uses shared hosting, so demanding WooCommerce sites or portfolios with heavy media libraries may require a more powerful plan. Even so, GrowBig offers a useful balance of storage, development tools, and multiple site support for small studios. Agencies needing Git, white label access, and priority support should consider the GoGeek plan.

• Recommended plan: GrowBig
• Best for: Small creative studios hosting several websites
• Key strength: Multiple websites with staging and collaboration tools
• Main drawback: A large price increase at renewal

Further Information:

6. Best for Portfolio Performance: Rocket.net

Rocket.net is a managed WordPress host built around Cloudflare Enterprise. Its global CDN caches website content closer to visitors, which can improve the delivery of portfolio images, fonts, scripts, and other visual assets to an international audience.

The Starter plan includes one WordPress website, unmetered visitors, 10GB of storage, 50GB of bandwidth, unlimited PHP workers, and a 99.99% uptime guarantee. Security features include a web application firewall, malware protection, and automatic updates. Daily backups are retained for 30 days, while free migrations are available for existing websites.

The 10GB storage allowance is the main concern for photographers and other creatives with large media libraries. Storage overages cost $2 per GB, so images should be resized and compressed before being uploaded. Video should usually be hosted through a separate video platform. Rocket.net is not the cheapest option for a single website, but its CDN, managed security, and straightforward pricing make it a strong choice when portfolio performance matters more than storage capacity.

• Recommended plan: Starter
• Best for: Portfolios serving visitors in several countries
• Key strength: Cloudflare Enterprise CDN included with every plan
• Main drawback: Only 10GB of storage on the Starter plan

Further Information:

7. Best Budget Option: Hostinger

Hostinger offers low cost managed WordPress hosting for designers creating a first portfolio, personal website, or small creative business site. Its custom dashboard handles WordPress installation, updates, backups, domains, email, and other common hosting tasks.

The Unlimited plan is the better choice for creative work. It includes 50GB of NVMe storage, daily backups, a CDN, and support for unlimited websites. One click staging allows designers to test theme updates and layout changes before publishing them. Email accounts, ecommerce support, and AI tools are also included, although some features are only available during the initial contract period.

The advertised monthly price requires payment for 48 months in advance. The plan renews at a much higher rate, so the full contract cost should be considered before signing up. Unlimited website claims are also governed by a fair usage policy, which means the account still has resource limits. Hostinger does not provide the same level of server control or advanced management tools found as other hosts, but it offers useful features for creatives working with a smaller budget.

• Recommended plan: Unlimited
• Best for: New portfolios and budget conscious creative businesses
• Key strength: Generous storage and multiple website support
• Main drawback: The lowest price requires a four year commitment

Further Information:

Performance Tips for Creative WordPress Websites

Good hosting can only do so much if images, video, fonts, and animation are not properly managed. The following steps can help keep a visual WordPress website responsive.

• Resize images to match the largest dimensions at which they will be displayed.
• Use WebP or AVIF files where browser support and image quality allow.
• Compress portfolio images before uploading them to WordPress.
• Use lazy loading so images outside the visible area are not loaded immediately.
• Serve images, scripts, and stylesheets through a CDN.
• Host long or high resolution videos through a dedicated video platform.
• Limit unnecessary font files, background videos, and complex animations.
• Test important portfolio pages on mobile devices and slower connections.
• Monitor storage and bandwidth use as the media library grows.

How the Hosts Were Assessed

Each host was assessed using its published plan details, feature documentation, pricing, and suitability for creative WordPress websites. The recommendations place particular weight on the following factors:

• Performance when serving images and other visual content.
• Storage, bandwidth, and visitor limits.
• Support for custom themes, plugins, and design tools.
• Staging, backups, site cloning, and recovery options.
• Developer access through SFTP, SSH, WP CLI, or Git.
• Tools for managing team members and client websites.
• Introductory pricing, renewal rates, and additional charges.

The final rankings reflect how useful each hosting service is for designers, photographers, freelancers, and creative studios. Pricing and plan limits were checked against the information published by each provider while this article was being prepared.

Final Verdict

WordPress.com is the best overall choice for designers and creatives who want managed hosting with strong media support. The Business plan includes 50GB of storage, separate VideoPress storage, staging, backups, a CDN, and developer tools. It is particularly well suited to professional portfolios and creative business websites.

Kinsta is a stronger option for established studios that value managed performance and detailed site controls. Pressable provides useful staging, sandbox, cloning, and collaboration features for designers maintaining client websites. Cloudways offers more server control and flexible resources, although it requires greater technical confidence.

SiteGround works well for small studios that want to host several websites from one account. Rocket.net is suited to portfolios with an international audience, but its storage limits need careful management. Hostinger is the most affordable option at the start and provides enough storage for a new portfolio, though its long contract and higher renewal rate should be considered.

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The post Best WordPress Hosts for Designers & Creatives in 2026 appeared first on The NOKIA Blog.

That tendency fades as you build your business. You move on to the bigger fish in the pond in an effort to make more money and expand your reach. Any small fish left in your portfolio could potentially hold you back from leveling up.

Even so, you’ll still hear from potential clients who want you to take on their small project. Or you might be asked to undercut a competitor’s price on a large WordPress site. Either way, it may lead to mixed feelings. How should you respond?

Established agencies don’t need to take every project. It’s worth considering where you draw the line, however. How small is too small? Does a lower upfront cost mean there’s no potential for future profit? And, is it ever worth taking on a large project for a bargain price?

These are important questions to ask as your business evolves. Let’s explore the pros and cons of “going low”. We’ll also share some tips for determining the minimum requirements for accepting a project.

Does the Project Offer Any Additional Benefits?

Money is an important part of any project (we all need to keep the lights on and the AI tokens flowing). However, there are other potential benefits. That may be enough to make a small or heavily-discounted project worthwhile.

For example, consider working with a charity or other non-profit organization. These clients are often bootstrapped and have a limited budget. As such, the project is more about doing good than making a big profit. This is both a source of pride and something you can use in your marketing efforts.

Likewise, some projects can open the door to a specific industry or clientele level. If you don’t have experience in the enterprise WordPress space, offering a discount could increase your chances of booking the gig. You exchange a bit of money for prestige in your portfolio. Proving your worth to one such client could make others take notice.

This won’t be the case for every project. There will always be clients looking to cut costs however they can. Others won’t have the resources to work with your agency. Still, some opportunities are beneficial beyond money.

Consider the Potential for Future Profit

Just because a project starts with a smaller profit doesn’t mean it has to stay that way. There is usually a path to increasing your revenue in the long term.

Maintenance packages are a great vehicle for keeping clients in the loop while creating dependable income. WordPress requires routine software updates, security monitoring, and hosting. Clients may also want to add new features as their website evolves. These are all things you can and should charge for.

Such recurring revenue is important for every agency and freelancer. New projects are harder to come by, and budget-conscious clients may be wary of spending big on redesigns. Maintenance and related subscription services improve your business’s sustainability.

This strategy also mirrors what we see in other industries. Clients are acquired with a lower starting cost, while the “real” money comes in the form of future services.

Book enough of these arrangements and you won’t be as susceptible to the boom/bust cycle of new design and development projects. Note that this is part of a bigger plan, rather than something to do on a one-off basis. So, think about how it fits into your business before making a decision.

Find the Price Point of Diminishing Returns

Every agency should have a minimum project price. This helps you avoid losing money and gives you more room to focus on your goals. But how do you determine that number?

You could come up with an arbitrary amount. Some agencies won’t touch a project for under $5,000, for example. It sounds reasonable. However, you still risk losing money on the proposition. It’s better to study your workflow and resources before setting a minimum.

The first consideration is the cost of taking a project from start to finish. Time spent on design and development is a part of the equation. But don’t forget about client communication, the revision process, and testing. Commercial theme and plugin licenses can also be a factor.

If your agency has employees, think about who will do the work. Their salary counts toward the ultimate cost. You might also consider where else they could be spending their time. For instance, will a small project take them away from a bigger one?

The same thing applies to solo freelancers. Lesser projects don’t always mean less work. They can overwhelm your calendar and take time away from your top clients.

Don’t leave it to guesswork! Set a minimum price based on facts. The result should be a profit margin you’re comfortable with.

Accept WordPress Projects That Are Worth Your While

Experience will help you determine which projects to accept and which ones to turn down. Yet, there’s value in digging deeper before deciding. There could be more to the story than you think.

Some projects offer long-term benefits that are easy to miss. You may find opportunities to stabilize your agency via recurring revenue. They might also be a gateway to establishing a new niche. In some cases, it’s worth taking a leap of faith.

Understanding the time and resources involved is key to the decision-making process. This will put you in a position to say “yes” or “no” with confidence. You’re also less likely to experience regret after the decision!

Take time to figure out what makes the most sense for your business. That will free you to move onward and upward.

here. He recently started a writing service for WordPress products: WP Product Writeup. He also has an opinion on just about every subject. You can follow his rants on Bluesky @karks.com.

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Keynote is a powerful presentation application that is part of the Apple iWork productivity suite. It offers various features that allow you to quickly create beautiful slideshow presentations.

In this collection, we have the best free Keynote templates for you to download and use. These templates can be used for various purposes, from business presentations and investor pitches to proposals and portfolios.

So why not take advantage of these free keynote slideshow templates and save yourself some time and effort?

If you’re looking to take your presentations to the next level, you might also like our collection of Keynote tutorials.

Packaged with over 90 slides and three color options, Muli is a beautifully designed Keynote template that can be used for various project types or purposes.

Created by Rits Studio, Softly is a classically designed free Keynote template with an impressive 60 individual slides that are all completely editable.

Drawing inspiration from the metaverse, Virtual for Keynote is a beautifully designed presentation template with over ninety easy-to-edit slides.

Blanc embodies minimalism. Its stylish and spacious design ensures your presentation content shines, offering clarity without clutter. For slides that resonate with simplicity, Blanc is your top pick.

Xiumin Urban is a bright, bold, and ultra-modern free template for Keynote. It would be perfect for edgier design presentations. This template is also available for PowerPoint.

Every is a minimally designed free Keynote template that would be perfect as a base for any creative or business presentation. It has been built using the golden grid system.

Perfect for minimalists, the multi-purpose Envirion template comes with 38 beautifully designed slides and can be used to create presentations for many different business types.

Designed in a bold and playful style, Circle Brand is a free Keynote template for making a memorable statement. It is also available for PowerPoint.

With 28 slides, 400+ icons, and all the components needed to create a detailed presentation, this Keynote template is perfect for most creative and business purposes.

Merging modern elegance with a clean design, this free Keynote template ensures your presentation stands out.

Born Ink is a free Keynote template with ten slides and a muted color scheme. It would be perfect for any type of business or presentation.

The free Keynote template Montana has been designed with simplicity in mind, giving you the base to edit the fonts, color schemes, and content to make a stunning presentation in no time.

This free version of the Geometry Keynote template comes with 25 slides, enough for creating most creative presentations. It has a professional and modern design.

Balance is a modern and minimalist Keynote template. It has 145+ unique slides and fully editable shapes and icons. The template was designed in widescreen format.

Appo 3.0 is a free Keynote template designed for the modern presenter. Its clean and professional style makes it an excellent choice for those wanting to communicate clearly and effectively. Simplicity meets style.

The Agency Keynote template is an excellent choice for an agency or freelance designer looking for an attractive, modern presentation template. It comes with 21 unique slides and subtle slide animations.

With bold typography and minimally designed components, Pattern is a free Keynote template that allows you to create a stunning presentation quickly.

This free Keynote template stands out from the rest thanks to its beautiful typography and stunning color schemes. You can also download the PowerPoint version if you need to.

Created by David Felipe, this free Keynote template offers a minimal and spacious layout with bold typography, giving you a simple base for quickly creating your next presentation.

If you need to create a professional proposal or share detailed data with your clients, the free Keynote template Yellue is exactly what you need.

Ultra-modern, bold, and memorable, Altezza is a beautifully designed free Keynote template that would be perfect for any creative presentation.

Self One is a free Keynote template (email required for the download) that packs every possible slide so that you can quickly create a detailed and beautiful presentation for your new mobile app.

The free Keynote template Easy is packed full of all the easy-to-edit slides you need to create a detailed business presentation. It is perfect for building a quick slide deck.

Space is a free Keynote template with a modern design. It has over 40 colors and 100 unique slides with thousands of custom icons. The template is easy to edit, and it uses free Google Fonts.

This pastel Keynote presentation is an excellent choice for anyone looking for a soft and gentle presentation template. It includes several slides and various presentation elements, such as icons and charts.

This presentation template has a stylish and minimal design. It’s an excellent choice for fashion or beauty presentations. It features large images, perfect for showcasing your fashion and jewelry pieces.

The Voodoo template for Keynote has a clean design. It includes 100 animated slides, bonus icon packs, and 40 color themes, which you can use as a starting point for your next presentation.

The Blockchain Keynote template offers 135 unique slides, all based on master slides for easier editing. The template also has an impressive number of icons and graphics you can use throughout your presentation.

Planets is another modern and minimalist Keynote template. It includes 150 slides, light and dark versions, and has been designed in widescreen resolution.

The Balance is a minimal Keynote template. Thanks to its simple design, it can be used for any type of presentation and comes with over 18 unique slides, drag-and-drop object placeholders, and resizable vector elements.

As the name suggests, this template features a duotone color scheme, a trend that has been gaining in popularity over the last few years. This free template has an impressive number of pre-designed slides – over 132, and you’ll also get a duotone Photoshop action as a bonus.

If you’re looking to create a presentation with a feminine and elegant feel, take a look at this free Keynote template. It features 21 pre-designed slides and beautiful typography.

The Basics template comes with 31 pre-designed slides and drag-and-drop object placeholders, so you can easily replace the demo content with your own.

This template includes over 6000 icons, Venn diagrams, vertical and horizontal timelines, and more.

The ProBusiness template has a professional and corporate feel, so it’s perfect for your corporate clients who need a presentation that matches their company’s image.

This template includes drag-and-drop placeholders, vector icons, and a widescreen layout.

If you want to use Keynote to make proposals for your clients, consider the Business Proposal template. It has an impressive selection of premade slides and includes elements such as section breaks, text and image slides, and various diagrams like timelines, graphs, and charts.

The Air template includes stunning full-width placeholders for images and split-screen layouts that are perfect for showing off your portfolio or other designs. It also features beautiful typography, more than 60 premade slides, and 450 vector icons as a bonus.

The Eva Keynote template is an excellent choice for working with clients in the fashion and photography industry. Its layout and overall design are perfect for creating a slideshow portfolio.

You can also use this template for your own design business. This Keynote template includes more than 200 slides, a light and dark color scheme, and 250+ vector icons.

This Keynote template is perfect for when you need to make an impression on potential clients, investors, or partners. The free template includes a variety of slides to present facts about your company, your team members, and any other information you need to include for a successful presentation.

The last template in our collection, X, offers 18+ unique creative slides and features a clean and fresh design. The template comes in a 16:9 format and includes drag-and-drop placeholders and resizable vector elements such as icons, maps, charts, and more.

How to Import & Install a Keynote Template

1. Download the Template: Find and download the Keynote template file you want to use from the collection above.
2. Locate the Template File: Once downloaded, locate the template file on your computer. It’s usually in a .key or .keynote format.
3. Open Keynote: Launch Apple Keynote on your computer.
4. Create a New Presentation: You can either open an existing presentation or create a new one to apply the new template to.
5. Access Themes & Slide Masters: Go to the View tab in the Keynote menu and select Show Master Slides.
6. Import the Template: In the Master Slides view, go to the Slide Master menu and select Choose… or Import Theme. Navigate to your downloaded template file and select it.
7. Customize and Apply: The template’s master slides will be added to your Master Slides view. You can customize the template by editing text, images, colors, fonts, and other elements in the master slides.
8. Exit Master Slides View: Once you’ve customized the master slides, go back to the normal view by closing the Master Slides view.
9. Apply the Template to Your Presentation: With the template master slides available, you can now apply them to your presentation. Go to the slide where you want to use the template’s design. Go to the Format tab in the Keynote menu and select Slide Background & Border. Choose the template’s background from the list of master slide backgrounds.
10. Repeat for Other Slides: You can repeat the process of applying the template design to other slides in your presentation.
11. Save Your Presentation: After applying the template and making the necessary adjustments, save your presentation.

More Presentation Templates

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Our clients are also starting to grasp the implications of using AI. Or, they’re at least interested in what the technology can do for them and their website.

Once again, that’s a double-edged sword. It’s great that AI improves our efficiency and coding capabilities. Agencies and freelancers now have access to a valuable resource that can help take our businesses to new heights.

However, it may also lead to a shift in client expectations. They’re going to want more from us in less time. Oh, and they’ll also want it cheaper than before. It’s understandable, if not completely realistic.

So, how do we keep clients from asking for the moon at the speed of light (and for the price of a cup of coffee)? It’s all about process and communication.

You’re Still the Expert

One might assume that AI is smarter than humans. Sure, it may be fast and answer questions with unwavering confidence. For some, this leads to a false belief that these apps can and should do everything for us without our input.

But AI isn’t a perfect fit for every task. And even in those areas where it excels, humans should still verify the results.

Using ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini on its own won’t solve every problem. Much depends on the person using these tools. A skilled developer will know what to ask for, as will a content writer or marketer.

When it comes to generating WordPress plugins, future maintenance is also a concern. As such, the ideas behind the software must have a solid foundation. The details matter.

Without human intervention, there is no way to guarantee accuracy, security, or even the appropriateness of the results. AI can perform the task, but shouldn’t be left to make all the important decisions.

This is why your expertise is still a necessary ingredient for success. These apps are most useful when we’re there to guide them.

There’s More Time To Get Things Right

In the right hands, AI speeds up the development process. What used to take days can now be done in an afternoon. There’s no question that the technology saves us time.

The question is: What should we do with this extra time? Do we want to rush to launch our project or step back and consider what else we can improve?

Building custom layouts and functionality has traditionally been an obstacle – particularly for small agencies and solopreneurs. We only have so much time to dedicate to a project, and those items typically have the highest priority. They also require a lot of trial and error. Bugs must be squashed, and adjustments are made as we go deeper into the process. It’s easy to go down a rabbit hole.

That often led to little extras being left behind. Worse yet, things like accessibility or performance were half-baked, rather than being fully thought out. Projects didn’t always reach their full potential.

AI affords us more time to consider those other important aspects. Instead of development headaches leading to a mad scramble, we can now take a more holistic approach to site building. We can test thoroughly and make improvements.

Theoretically, AI facilitates a faster turnaround time. It’s also an opportunity to ensure quality.

Project Outcomes Are Your Value Proposition

Some clients will undoubtedly expect you to lower your prices. They may even ask you about your use of AI and how it impacts cost. It sounds reasonable, but there’s a flaw in this logic.

Successful outcomes are your biggest value to clients. How you get there isn’t the point. It’s a debate we’ve had before in the WordPress ecosystem.

The advent of page builders led to similar questions. Since we’re no longer building layouts by hand, does that mean our design skills are worth less money?

That’s like asking a carpenter if they charge less because they use power tools instead of a screwdriver. Likewise, automation in other industries doesn’t necessarily lead to lower prices. New vehicle prices go up every year, despite the presence of robots on the assembly line. And better software doesn’t lead to discounts from your accountant.

One reason we invest in new technologies like AI is to produce better results. If anything, we should look to increase our profit margins, not lower them. This shouldn’t be a race to the bottom.

It’s a discussion worth having with clients who challenge your pricing model. Yes, anyone can use AI. But anyone can use a page builder or even an SEO plugin. That doesn’t guarantee results.

We can produce outcomes that are tailored to client needs. AI is but one tool we can use to get there. It’s no substitute for our skills and experience.

AI Means More Is Possible, Within Reason

AI opens a world of possibilities for WordPress agencies and our clients. It can also lead to imaginations running wild. That’s why setting realistic expectations is important.

It’s up to us to set the tone. We must consider how we talk about AI and any claims we make about its capabilities. Our messaging should reflect how this technology helps us better serve clients, while avoiding hyperbole about miracle cures for every challenge.

That’s hard to do in an ecosystem where others are pumping out big promises. Then again, it’s no different than other can’t-miss solutions from years past. As always, agencies and freelancers should be the voices of reason.

Doing so builds trust with clients. That’s still the cornerstone of a successful business, regardless of the technology we use.

here. He recently started a writing service for WordPress products: WP Product Writeup. He also has an opinion on just about every subject. You can follow his rants on Bluesky @karks.com.

Read more articles by Eric Karkovack

The post Keeping Your WordPress Client Expectations Realistic in the AI Era appeared first on The NOKIA Blog.

Adopting this technology has significantly changed our role. It’s no longer about poring over each line of code. Now, we’re closer to a symphony conductor, orchestrating projects as a large language model (LLM) does the dirty work.

We can certainly appreciate the increase in productivity. Fewer moments spent knee-deep in documentation or support forums means more time to get things done.

This also makes it tempting to remove humans from the picture. Some agencies and development shops have cut staffing in favor of AI. It makes sense on a few levels. An AI tool is cheaper than an employee or freelancer. And the gains in efficiency mean one person can do the work of many.

But there’s a fine line between increasing output and relying too heavily on AI. Here’s why humans should still be a part of the process.

Knowledgeable Humans Are Essential for Quality Assurance

There’s something to be said for a well-trained eye. A seasoned developer can envision how an app should work. Their experience helps them effectively structure projects and avoid common pitfalls. They understand the importance of performance and security.

On the other hand, AI models are great at generating code, but they don’t think like a human. They may use techniques that aren’t as efficient for a particular purpose. They can also misinterpret what we’re asking them to do. Like their human counterparts, AI tools aren’t perfect.

Even the most advanced coding tools can make mistakes. It could be as simple as a syntax error. However, they may also produce work that doesn’t account for edge cases or future maintenance.

That’s why a human should carefully review all AI output. Generated code should be tested with a mix of manual observation and automated tools. It’s no different than a senior-level developer keeping a watchful eye on what their team is producing.

Remember, automation isn’t an excuse to lower your standards. If anything, it provides an opportunity to squash bugs and refine functionality. Building with AI works best when done in tandem with a knowledgeable person.

Developers Can Shift Their Focus to the Bigger Picture

Solo developers and teams alike have traditionally struggled with the little things. Tight deadlines and shoestring budgets make it hard to get the details right. So often, it’s a race to the finish line, rather than a quest to create the best possible result.

The details are often what make a WordPress plugin or theme great. This happens when we go beyond software that merely works and focus on things like the user experience. AI gives us a chance to take a larger view of our projects.

We no longer have to write code by hand. That may bring a tear to your eye (or make you leap for joy). The bright side is that you now have time to create a comprehensive plan for each project. You can define how it looks, how it works, and how it will adapt to future needs. Even if you were doing these things before, you’ll have a chance to think bigger and better.

All of a sudden, deadlines are a little less important. You’re free to explore options and test them. Most of all, you can afford to make a mistake or two along the way. Rewriting a code snippet isn’t a disaster that puts you behind. Rather, it was just a failed experiment you encountered along the way.

The additional room for creativity could be a difference-maker. We can go from “we’ll get to it later” to “let’s get it right from the start” – that’s powerful for developers of all stripes.

People and AI Are Better Together

Every WordPress developer should be exploring AI and how it can benefit their workflow. We’re well beyond the point where it’s just a curiosity. The future of our industry depends on how we use and adapt to this technology.

The sad truth is that AI will continue to cause some businesses to reduce their staff. It seems like an unavoidable consequence.

We must be careful, though. To borrow from WordPress terminology, this doesn’t mean we should cut people out of the loop. Humans are still integral to building great software. As such, we shouldn’t cede everything to the machines quite yet.

Things like quality control and holistic thinking are too important – and it’s what we do best. We should use AI as a vehicle to put those traits into action. Doing so will put us on a path to greater efficiency and better outcomes.

here. He recently started a writing service for WordPress products: WP Product Writeup. He also has an opinion on just about every subject. You can follow his rants on Bluesky @karks.com.

Read more articles by Eric Karkovack

The post Why Humans Should Still Be a Part of WordPress Development appeared first on The NOKIA Blog.

There are also opportunities to build professional relationships. We hire each other for coding tasks, marketing, support, or even business consulting. It’s a way to expand our capabilities and boost revenue, not to mention the new products and services that were launched as a result of these relationships.

Like everything else in our industry, artificial intelligence (AI) is poised to impact these professional bonds. We’re experimenting with this technology, looking for ways to make us leaner and more productive. Perhaps we’re in the early stages. But it’s reasonable to assume that there will be a human cost to adopting AI.

Let’s look at the potential benefits and drawbacks of going all-in on AI and its impact on our relationships.

Greater Productivity and Expanded Capabilities

If there’s one thing we’ve discovered about AI, it’s the relative ease with which it writes code. It can spin up a new WordPress plugin (or a framework for one) within a few minutes. It can also troubleshoot a code snippet in the blink of an eye.

These tasks used to take hours, days, or weeks to complete. AI has saved me from countless searches of support forums and blog posts. In some cases, I might have broadcast my pain points on social media, hoping for a kind soul to offer advice.

These days, AI generally points me in the right direction. There are several positive aspects to this arrangement.

For one, I feel more self-sufficient when working with code. Perhaps that’s ironic, as the machine is writing the code for me. Still, there’s something to be said about not placing my burden on anyone else.

AI also improves my productivity and expands my capabilities. Those client requests that used to drive me crazy aren’t as stressful these days. It’s not always easy, but I’m still producing solutions faster than ever.

What’s the downside? An individual working this way might not have a big impact. The problem arises when we use AI for all the things at scale.

Web Developers Working in Silos

The cumulative effect of “doing it ourselves” with AI is less collaboration. For example, why would I send a task to a fellow freelancer if I can perform it with AI? I’m saving time and money.

Agencies that rely on contractors will do the same thing. They’ll have less incentive to outsource all or some of a project because AI is cheaper and easier. Never mind that it potentially adds more to an employee’s plate.

This will result in fewer gigs for some of us. There will be an economic impact, as we’ll lose some of the recurring revenue we depend on. It will also require a shift to building our own things, rather than building for others.

The other potential side effect is becoming more insulated from the community around us. We might find ourselves interacting more with bots than people (it’s already the case for me). We could be less likely to share what we’re doing or explore what others have done.

If we’re not careful, it might also lead to less in-person interaction. AI won’t make conferences and WordCamps irrelevant. However, some may feel less desire to learn from other humans. Again, why travel and sit through a session when AI will do whatever I want?

Sharing knowledge is such a big part of what web professionals do. Once we’re past the experimentation phase of AI, we might have fewer tips to share – not to mention fewer people willing to listen.

Let’s Keep the Human Element in Web Design

For all the amazing things AI can do, it shouldn’t replace what makes the web design industry so unique. We are a community of thinkers and doers. We’re at our best when working together.

Just think, the open-source movement wouldn’t be where it is today without collaboration. People built the foundation of this work. Technologies like AI can contribute, but only humans can be the thinking and breathing stewards of such projects.

I hope we don’t lose sight of what we’ve accomplished. In the rush to use AI for this and that, we shouldn’t leave our traditions behind. If anything, we should use technology to create more time for human interaction.

Less time working, more time getting together. That sounds like a better future to me!

here. He recently started a writing service for WordPress products: WP Product Writeup. He also has an opinion on just about every subject. You can follow his rants on Bluesky @karks.com.

Read more articles by Eric Karkovack

The post How AI Could Change Collaboration for Web Designers & Developers appeared first on The NOKIA Blog.

It’s more than just business as usual, though. WordPress also boasts a global community of users and contributors. As such, agencies don’t have to operate in a vacuum. There’s an opportunity to connect with people and pay it forward.

Community engagement is a win-win situation. First, you’re helping others learn and use WordPress more effectively. There’s a great sense of satisfaction that comes with getting involved.

There are also benefits to your business. It puts your name out there and helps you build relationships. That could result in booking more clients. At the very least, you’ll create goodwill and establish a strong reputation.

Giving back is also easier than you think. Here are a few ways to say thanks to the WordPress community!

Join or Host a Local Meetup

If you want to impact the WordPress community at a grassroots level, Meetups are a great place to start. They’re local get-togethers that welcome people of all skill levels, including beginners.

These events open up a world of possibilities. You might have meetings dedicated to a specific subject, guest presentations, or group projects. It’s also an opportunity for attendees to help each other with site issues or plugin suggestions.

Agencies are uniquely positioned to help. Your team of experts can give talks and connect with your local community. That makes you a trusted resource – one that prospective clients will remember when it’s time for a new website or other project.

Finding a place to hold regularly scheduled meetings is challenging in some communities. So, hosting a meetup at your office or another space is a huge help.

Plus, not every city has a meetup. In that case, you might consider establishing one. It brings people together and builds enthusiasm for the WordPress project.

Being part of the meetup space requires a commitment. However, connecting with others one-on-one is worth the effort.

Set Aside Time To Contribute to WordPress

The WordPress project includes several teams tasked with building and maintaining the software. There are also teams dedicated to providing technical support, writing documentation, language translation, and reviewing themes/plugins.

Joining one or more teams is an opportunity to improve WordPress and its community. This could include anything from fixing bugs, building new features, or improving the user experience. That’s only scratching the surface of the potential impacts.

Contributions of all kinds are welcome – even if they don’t involve writing code. So, think about which team(s) interest you and fit your skillset. It’s also worth considering how much time you can dedicate to the project.

The Five for the Future program is a compelling option for agencies willing to commit 5% of their time to the project. Individuals are also welcome to join.

However, the type or number of contributions you make isn’t as important as your willingness to participate. One way to look at it is that every contribution helps someone. That makes a difference!

Build Free Plugins, Themes, or Educational Resources

There’s also a more traditional approach to paying it forward. Your agency is likely building custom plugins or themes for your projects. And teaching is a key part of working with clients. Why not level up and share what you know?

Once again, this benefits everyone. The community receives something useful. Meanwhile, you increase your visibility across the WordPress ecosystem. It’s a way to generate leads while doing good.

What you share and how you share it are up to you. It might be as simple as posting your GitHub repository link on social media. Or, you might opt to distribute your work via the official WordPress theme and plugin directories.

We should note that some responsibilities are involved with either approach. Plugins and themes must be maintained and supported. Community engagement is part of the deal. It’s also a good idea to keep sales pitches to a minimum if your goal is to give back.

Offering educational resources, such as online courses or tutorials, is also a possibility. Being a guide to users or developers will showcase your expertise. Do it well, and you’ll have loyal visitors returning to your site or YouTube channel.

Say Thanks to WordPress and Its Community

If your agency builds websites with WordPress, it benefits from the open-source software. It also stands to reason that you’ve benefited from the knowledge shared by community members. Every code snippet or piece of advice is valuable.

Giving back is simply the right thing to do. It says that you care about the project and the people surrounding it. Consider the potential boost to your business as good karma.

It’s also a chance to connect with other people and organizations. You never know what may come of these relationships. Friendships, business ventures, and side projects could be in store.

So, think about ways to give back and pick one that’s right for you. It will help you grow as a person and a web professional.

here. He recently started a writing service for WordPress products: WP Product Writeup. He also has an opinion on just about every subject. You can follow his rants on Bluesky @karks.com.

Read more articles by Eric Karkovack

The post How WordPress Agencies Can Give Back to the Community appeared first on The NOKIA Blog.

These days, it seems like everyone already has a website. And clients aren’t necessarily keen on spending large sums on building new ones. For many, it’s about improving what they have. This strategy makes sense, as websites have grown more complex by the year. Starting from scratch isn’t an attractive option.

It also leaves agencies and freelancers in a strange spot. We traditionally rely on new website projects as a major source of revenue. This model isn’t nearly as reliable as it used to be.

The emergence of WordPress and other open-source content management systems (CMS) also created a strong market for website maintenance. That continues, but is it enough to grow your business?

It’s time to look for new opportunities in the WordPress market. Here are a few ideas on how your agency can adapt to the time we live in.

Start Selling Solutions

Existing and prospective clients may already have a website. However, they still face challenges. Identifying their pain points and creating solutions is a natural extension of your business.

It’s an opportunity for your WordPress expertise to shine. For example, let’s say your clients using WooCommerce have a common issue with managing orders: perhaps they find the process confusing or it has too many steps.

You can use that knowledge and experience to build a better solution. It could be a custom plugin or even a dashboard that provides all the data your clients need. You can sell it as an add-on to your current customers. Even better, you might also sell it to the general public.

The key is to find a problem that needs solving. From there, you can create a repeatable process for addressing it.

This strategy can increase your revenue and diversify how you earn it. The result is no longer relying solely on new website projects to survive. Now, you’re proactively improving your business and connecting with clients.

Become a Resource for Client Education

Both the web and WordPress never stop evolving. There are always new tools and technologies to consider. It’s our job to learn about them to improve our workflow and better serve clients.

Why not share what you know? Even if you already have a newsletter or blog to serve this purpose, you can still level up.

Creating online courses is a way to attract new clients and engage with existing ones. It’s useful information for people outside of our industry. It also enables you to teach them at scale.

What’s more, WordPress is a great platform for creating online courses. There are several learning management system (LMS) plugins available to help. Find your favorite and use it organize lessons, create quizzes, and add multimedia content.

You don’t have to focus solely on new technologies. There are plenty of “evergreen” topics, like the Block/Site editors, accessibility, and security best practices. Look for topics that interest your audience.

On the business side, you can follow up with students to collect feedback. There may also be an opportunity to book projects based on your course topics.

It’s worth noting that educational content is a long-term investment in your business. You may not see an immediate impact. But it can position you as an expert clients can turn to when they’re ready to move forward.

Adapt to What’s Next With WordPress

Technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) are changing rapidly. Not only is it impacting how we build sites, but it also changes how we manage them.

New features coming to WordPress will also make it easier for developers to add AI to any website. It could fundamentally change how people work with the platform. We’re likely to see changes in everything from content creation to security.

SEO is a prime example. These days, search engines are prioritizing AI-generated summaries on results pages. Maintaining a solid ranking may require a different approach, even if we don’t have all the answers yet. Tools and strategies to optimize client websites will be in demand.

This is another opportunity for agencies to both create solutions and educate clients. It may also be something more. AI and other technological advancements offer agencies the opportunity to reinvent themselves. It’s a chance to branch out into new service areas and gain expertise.

Learning to leverage AI could improve your efficiency and capabilities. That means you can accomplish complex tasks faster than before. Plus, our clients will need someone to guide them during this shift.

Your Agency Can Still Thrive in a Changing Landscape

It seems like the agency business model changed in the blink of an eye, or at least in the past few years. Technological and economic shifts have kept us on our toes and changed client expectations. At least it hasn’t been boring!

The challenge is to keep up with the times and find ways to make the most out of what’s changing. It’s daunting, but far from impossible. The good news is that we have options.

By combining smart technology use with old-fashioned creativity, we can deliver greater value to our clients. It’s a sustainable way to grow into the future.

Surely, more shifts are on the horizon. But navigating this one will help us prepare for whatever comes next.

here. He recently started a writing service for WordPress products: WP Product Writeup. He also has an opinion on just about every subject. You can follow his rants on Bluesky @karks.com.

Read more articles by Eric Karkovack

The post Finding New Opportunities for Your WordPress Agency appeared first on The NOKIA Blog.

These projects didn’t do much for my bank account. However, I learned a lot about web development and building professional relationships. It was a time and place to experiment and find what worked (and what didn’t).

Starting small seemed like a rite of passage for new designers and students. It was a way to get our feet wet in a growing industry. The goal was to “graduate” to something more lucrative and sustainable.

This is now a market targeted by artificial intelligence (AI) applications. We’re seeing new build tools that generate websites from a prompt. AI agents are now helping users navigate their content management system (CMS) and make changes. We’re at the beginning of a new era.

So, where does that leave the bottom portion of the web design market? Will AI destroy opportunities for new designers? Let’s try to make sense of what’s happening and what it means.

Is the Low End a Dead End?

Web technology has evolved over the past two decades. This means that even the simplest modern website is more complex than we could have dreamed of back in the day. For instance, old-school sites rarely required databases or languages beyond HTML. Now, we’re building brochure websites with PHP and various JavaScript flavors.

Client expectations have also trended upwards. The web is a mature platform, and features like e-commerce and automation are now commonplace. The costs of adding them have gone down considerably. As such, website owners across all market segments expect this sort of functionality.

Meanwhile, DIY website-building tools are becoming more capable. They’re now easier to use and more powerful than earlier versions. Perhaps the results aren’t at a professional level, but that’s good enough for a sizeable portion of the market.

This was becoming the case before AI entered the picture. The landscape was already flooded with web designers trying to undercut each other on price. AI site generators have accelerated the diminishing returns in this race to the bottom.

In that way, AI is yet another competitor that makes it harder to build a business on the lowest rungs of the ladder. Even so, new freelance designers have to start somewhere. So, what’s the alternative?

Identify Ways To Use AI to Your Advantage

Perhaps the answer lies in making the most out of these newfangled AI tools. After all, the results they produce are only as good as the person writing the prompts.

AI may reduce some technological barriers, but it’s not yet capable of reading your mind. It’s also unlikely to “think” of every need and niche use case. These tools work best when the user has a strong foundational knowledge. In other words, the more you know about building websites, the better the outcome.

In addition, web professionals don’t have to settle for what AI produces. We can take those initial results and expand on them. This scenario employs AI as a starting point – not the sole decision maker. And that’s where the potential lies for designers.

Your knowledge still holds value. Clients should still be informed about the consequences of using specific tools and technologies. They also need an expert to guide them on topics such as website performance and accessibility. Putting their business on autopilot is risky.

There’s an opportunity to help others get the most out of AI and other site-building tools. Thus, it’s worth experimenting with these apps, rather than dismissing them outright. They may help you serve the next generation of clients.

This also underlines the importance of learning (and continuing to learn) the fundamentals of web design and development. They will continue to serve as your advantage, no matter which tools you use.

New Web Designers Can Still Start Small

Yes, things are quite different from when I started my web design business. Everything seems to be on an accelerated pace these days. It’s enough to sow the seeds of doubt in your mind.

The positive of this blink-and-you’ll-miss-it landscape is that you’re forced to adapt. You’ll need that skill to survive in this industry. You may as well get used to it early in the game!

There are still opportunities to get your feet wet building websites for clients. As ever, it’s all about learning everything you can and applying it to your work. AI is just another stepping stone in your journey. Make it a point to experiment and become an authority.

The goal isn’t to stay at the bottom of the pricing scale forever. So, the more experience you gain, the faster you’ll move up the ladder.

That last part hasn’t changed a bit.

here. He recently started a writing service for WordPress products: WP Product Writeup. He also has an opinion on just about every subject. You can follow his rants on Bluesky @karks.com.

Read more articles by Eric Karkovack

The post How Will AI Impact the Bottom of the Web Design Market? appeared first on The NOKIA Blog.

This applies to our workflow just as much as it does to other parts of our business. The way we build websites must align with modern best practices. The good news is that you don’t have to scrap your tried-and-true processes. Rather, it’s about adjusting to your project’s needs.

Your workflow should reflect the tasks you perform and the technologies you work with. It should also improve your productivity. For example, writing code by hand was once a common practice. However, it’s no longer realistic when tackling large website builds with custom functionality. There are tools and frameworks to help you increase your efficiency.

Everyone’s workflow is different, so there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. There are some universal methods for identifying bottlenecks and making improvements, however.

With that in mind, here are our tips for streamlining your web development workflow.

Use Tools With the Integrations You Need

Modern web development often means using multiple third-party tools and services. We connect to social media APIs, track projects in productivity apps, and manage remote data sources.

For instance, we don’t just write code in an editor these days. We may first generate it via an AI model like Claude. Such code might be pushed to a remote Git repository.

Wrangling these different tools and sources manually isn’t easy. It could mean logging into multiple websites or downloading a collection of apps. There must be an easier way, right?

That’s why tools with built-in integrations are so valuable. VS Code is a prime example, as it can interface with your repositories and use AI for inline code editing. Everything you need is within a singular interface.

If you’re stuck working in multiple places, look for tools that bring them together. There will be a learning curve, and you’ll need to invest time setting things up. However, you’ll save time in the long run.

Be Consistent in How You Build Projects

There are so many tools and services available to developers. It may be tempting to dabble in several of them and experiment. For example, perhaps you want to try a different content management system (CMS) for a project. Or you may look for a WooCommerce alternative on your next e-commerce site.

Curiosity is a positive thing, but it can also wreak havoc on your workflow. These issues often creep up during the maintenance phase. What happens when something breaks, or you need to build a new feature? What if your chosen tool no longer exists? You may be left scrambling to find a solution.

Consistency is one way to prevent this type of scenario. Repeated use of plugins, themes, and hosting platforms creates familiarity. You’ll have a better understanding of how things work. That knowledge will serve you well when troubleshooting or making changes.

This approach also benefits your business. The expertise you gain can turn into a niche. From there, you’ll have the skills to replicate these processes for your clients. Plus, becoming an authority in a specific area has great value.

None of this means you shouldn’t try new things. But it’s better to conduct those experiments in low-stakes situations, like a local website. Learn as much as you can before using a tool or technology in a production environment.

Think About How You Work

The above ideas aren’t groundbreaking: Use better tools and create repeatable processes. They’re simple ways to level up.

However, pain points in your workflow aren’t always easy to identify. Sometimes, you might not realize how certain tasks or tools impact you. That’s when a decidedly low-tech approach can help.

Take a moment and think about how you work. List the tools you use and the steps you take to get things done, like launching a new site or updating software. Write it down on a piece of paper if you want go fully retro!

Merely seeing these items in front of you can help you identify what’s working and what’s not. For instance, you might notice an unnecessary step or a tool that has fallen behind the times. You might be surprised at what you find.

A better option may immediately come to mind. If not, at least you’ll know where to make changes. That’s the first step toward improvement.

Use Your Workflow To Work Smarter

It’s easy for developers to become overwhelmed with tasks. It’s especially relevant in a time when websites are more complex than ever.

As such, we need every advantage we can find. Our workflow provides a great starting point. We can improve it by removing inefficiencies and adopting tools that save us time. Things like automation, AI, and third-party integrations can help. Rethinking your strategies and processes also makes a positive impact.

Our work is often difficult, but a better workflow can simplify it and make life easier. Even better, these solutions are within our reach.

So, what are you waiting for? Invest a little time now to streamline your workflow and save a lot of time later.

here. He recently started a writing service for WordPress products: WP Product Writeup. He also has an opinion on just about every subject. You can follow his rants on Bluesky @karks.com.

Read more articles by Eric Karkovack

The post Tips for Streamlining Your Web Development Workflow appeared first on The NOKIA Blog.