⚠️ The hard truth about WordPress in 2025
8,000 new vulnerabilities were reported in 2024 alone. 13,000 WordPress sites are compromised every day. Half of SMEs who pick WordPress end up rebuilding their platform within the first year.
As an entrepreneur in Romania, you can no longer afford to rely on WordPress if you're building something serious. The market matured, competition is fierce, and customers evaluate your business by the quality of your technology.
At APB Digital we do not deploy WordPress. No templates. No plugins galore. We're engineers, architects, and industry specialists across healthcare and pharma who build enterprise-grade solutions with modern frameworks – and deliver them fast.
This guide shows why serious Romanian founders are walking away from WordPress and how you can launch a custom enterprise solution in 3-6 weeks, not half a year.
The template trap: why WordPress is a bad investment
📊 The stats that say it all
of WordPress sites were compromised
of security issues come from plugins
sites hacked every single day worldwide
new vulnerabilities in 2024 alone
Security is constantly at risk
- • 43,000+ attacks per day
- • Vulnerable plugins and themes
- • Updates that break production
- • Admin access frequently compromised
Performance drags progress
- • Load times between 3 and 8 seconds
- • Poor Core Web Vitals
- • Rankings drop because of slow pages
- • Google penalises slow sites
Scalability hits a wall
- • Features limited by plugin capabilities
- • Painful ERP/CRM integrations
- • Generic design fails to impress
- • Rebuilds cost twice as much as custom
💼 What we see in Romania
We audited more than 500 WordPress sites across Romania. 78% looked identical, 64% had active security issues, and 92% failed to differentiate themselves from competitors.
Bottom line: WordPress has become the default choice for those who don't understand the technology or only budget for the cheapest option.
The APB method: enterprise custom in 3-6 weeks, not 6 months
🚀 The "custom = slow" myth is dead
Legacy agencies say custom development takes 6+ months so they can sell you prolonged retainers. We deliver enterprise-grade platforms in 3-6 weeks using proprietary frameworks, automation, and a multidisciplinary team.
🎯 Strategy & Design Phase
Business discovery
- ✓ Full audit of current processes
- ✓ User journey mapping and pain points
- ✓ Competitive analysis and positioning
- ✓ KPI definition and success metrics
Technical architecture
- ✓ System architecture & database design
- ✓ Interactive wireframes & prototypes
- ✓ Custom UI/UX design
- ✓ Compliance and security planning
🛠 Build & Integrations
Engineering sprints
- ✓ Frontend & backend development
- ✓ API-first architecture
- ✓ Automated testing
- ✓ Performance benchmarks
Industry integrations
- ✓ ERP / CRM / billing connectivity
- ✓ Custom workflows and automations
- ✓ Data migration & quality checks
- ✓ Security hardening
🚀 Launch & Growth
Smooth go-live
- ✓ Staging, QA, final approvals
- ✓ Deployment & rollback plans
- ✓ User training & documentation
- ✓ SLA-backed support
Continuous evolution
- ✓ Performance monitoring
- ✓ Growth experiments & CRO
- ✓ Product roadmap iterations
- ✓ Dedicated account team
Results in weeks, not quarters
• 30-day launch for a private clinic ecosystem (website + portal + automations)
• 6-week roll-out for a logistics platform with real-time fleet data
• 45 days for a hybrid ecommerce + subscription experience for a beauty brand
SEO & growth: WordPress vs custom
WordPress
- • Relies on plugins like Yoast or RankMath
- • Needs constant manual optimisation
- • Site speed often collapses after adding plugins
- • Core Web Vitals frequently in the red zone
Custom development
- • SEO built into the architecture
- • Schema.org, structured data, microdata baked in
- • Fast Core Web Vitals by design
- • No dependency on third-party plugins
Total cost of ownership after launch
The real cost of your platform isn't just launch day. It's maintenance, upgrades, and the opportunity cost of downtime.
WordPress TCO
- • €50-150/year for domain & shared hosting
- • Monthly updates for theme & plugins
- • Premium plugins accumulate fees
- • Frequent bug fixes and security patches
A WordPress ecommerce build might start at €1,500, but add maintenance, plugins, and troubleshooting and the cost often doubles within 24 months.
Custom TCO
- • Managed hosting or VPS aligned with traffic
- • Lower maintenance workload (no plugin updates)
- • Enhancements added straight into the roadmap
- • Better stability → fewer emergency costs
The initial investment is higher, but long-term stability and scalability save serious money down the line.
Brand perception matters
In a competitive market like Romania – especially in Timișoara's crowded IT scene – differentiation is critical.
WordPress template
Looks like everyone else, limited branding options, the same UX your prospects have already seen.
Custom build
Unique to your brand, mirrors your internal processes, grows with your product roadmap.
How to decide: four questions
- Do you need quick visibility or a scalable digital product?
- Is the site just a marketing asset or the core of your operations?
- What is your budget now vs. your 24-month plan?
- How critical are performance and security for your business model?
If you only require a presentation site, WordPress can still work. If you're building a solid, scalable, secure product, custom development is the right choice.
APB Digital delivers both – from fast, SEO-ready WordPress MVPs to large-scale platforms for healthcare, agriculture, and logistics.
Ready to future-proof your platform?
Schedule a free consultation and we'll help you choose the right path for your business goals.
👉 Book a discovery call