Asaaju Peter, a Nigerian website developer and founder of Phemight Technologies, has raised concerns over a growing issue affecting thousands of websites globally: the widespread use of unlicensed, commonly known as “nulled,” themes on WordPress and Shopify platforms.
According to Asaaju Peter, many website owners are unaware that their poor search rankings, slow website performance, and declining visitor traffic often stem from the themes used to build their sites. While nulled themes may appear identical to licensed versions, they often contain hidden malicious code that negatively impacts website security and search engine visibility.
“Nulled themes are one of the silent reasons websites derail online,” Asaaju Peter explained. “Most people focus on content or ads, but the foundation of the website which is the theme is already compromised.”
Industry experts note that these unlicensed themes frequently violate search engine guidelines. Google’s algorithms are designed to detect malware, suspicious scripts, and unethical practices. When a website is flagged, rankings can drop significantly or the site may be removed entirely from search results.
Beyond SEO damage, Asaaju Peter emphasized the performance risks. Many nulled themes are bloated with unnecessary code, lack proper optimization, and are unable to receive official updates. This leads to slow loading times, broken features, and poor mobile responsiveness, all of which directly affect user experience and conversion rates.
Security is another major concern. Without official updates, websites using unlicensed themes remain exposed to vulnerabilities that hackers can exploit. These attacks often result in spam injections, phishing redirects, or complete loss of website control.
Asaaju Peter also addressed the misconception that using nulled themes is a harmless shortcut. “Nothing valuable in tech comes free,” he stated. “What people save in theme costs, they lose many times over in lost traffic, credibility, and business growth.”
He advises website owners and developers to prioritize licensed themes, clean code, and proper optimization as foundational steps toward long-term online success. According to Asaaju Peter, investing in the right tools from the beginning is far cheaper than repairing a damaged online presence later.
As the digital space becomes more competitive, experts agree that ethical development practices and secure website foundations will continue to play a critical role in visibility, trust, and growth.
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