Assume you are a business services provider serving a local region (e.g. Lawn Care, Construction, Maintenance, etc.), you need your website to help attract prospects, showcase your work, explain what services you offer, and make it easier for future customers to contact you. Will a design template do the job or should you consider hiring a pro to build a unique site?
Simply copy and paste the url below.
//www.company.com/questions/When-Should-You-Consider-A-Custom-Designed-Website-Vs-A-Template/11821949170391581
Now days, web design customers choose to purchase a template to create the website they need to draw the business needed to grow. There is nothing wrong with using a template (once you find the right one) because it can be manipulated with additions and subtractions to make the website the way you want to. Furthermore, having a custom website from scratch gives you the ability to choose what style you want, the features you need, and the functionality that will draw clients in and give you business. As a web designer, I had created some websites using a customer-driven web design plan and use a client's template to build on as a foundation. It has everything to do with the client's choice. It all depends on the client's budget, resources, time, type of business, and the company's need. If it's done right, a templated or custom website can open up doors to rewarding sales and revenue for your business.
After reading your question and because of the various things you want to achieve like attracting prospects, showcasing your work, explaining what services you offer, and making it easier for future customers to contact you. I would recommend a custom designed and develop website. These areas are things you can accomplish successfully with a template. Templates are primarily for providing information. This is because they are not deigned to allow you to present your information in a manner that will be appealing to your target audience. A a website designer and developer, I design sites in the price range of those of templates, and all my clients love them. My sites gives them the ability to choose the color scheme, layout, and overall presentation of their information, products, and/or services in a manner that their customers will find pleasing. You have to remember that you are designing for the user's benefit, not your own. This is why custom sites are always the preferred way to go if you want to grow your business. Also, templates just lack the professional aspects your gain by having a professionally designed site.
Tommie Anderson Jr., B.S.
Founder/Designer
Novadic Concept
Factors include: size of the site, purpose, budget, updates, uniqueness, etc.
For the present economy we have found a way to build websites at competitive prices any where in the planet that include SEO, Local SEO, SMO and Promotion to create Internet Presence.
We specialize in Small Businesses; http://www.landinidesign.com/services/for-small-businesses.html
*Please don't forget that building a website is just a chapter of the whole story and having a Blog is almost mandatory to bring traffic to it.
Happy 2012.
Cheers!!
I am a website & mobile designer/developer and I do recommend custom. I understand both sides : the clients needs and a tight budget and what my time involved is worth. I always ask a client if they prefer to do edits to the site after I build it or would they like to retain my services...most choose to edit. I install a Content Management System to their site if they choose to do edits and the client is a happy camper. So the answer would be individualized - what is your budget, would you fair better using an online website builder and pay a monthly fee or have a customized website created and still be able to do text and image edits. If you take your time and search the Internet, I can guarantee you can find a freelancer willing to work with you at a reasonable price to have a custom built website.
I just wanted to say that we use Volusion for our template and hosting. If cost is of any concern to you, and I think it is for everyone, a template is perfect for a small business. Custom designs are very expensive if you want them to look nice and a template is free. Not all templates look like templates anymore and they are completely customizable. You do not need to know HTML language as they have an HTML editor. It is the exact same as using Microsoft Word but when you have created what you like it converts it to HTML for you. A little work in understanding how it works and you save all that money and hassle contacting a "pro" to make every little change you need. Also, someone earlier said that the free ones do not allow you to have just your name in the URL, well, ours is www.stacksofracks.com and we use a free template, so...
I agree with Dawn Kelly on this that both a custom website and a template can do the same thing. The difference really seems to be more about how much money you have to spend and what time you have to apply toward your website? I originally had a custom website and the cost to maintain it was high. It looked nice and got some exposure. I still needed to direct the changes that were made and found out that I could do this quicker and less expensively when I changed to a template. There was the initial time of setting up the template, but updates can now be done timely and the cost is my own. Of course, it does depend on who you have to do your website. The original web company I used wanted a contract with the rights to manage and change. There was no way I would have been able to change the website on my own because they had their own software/codes. A template allows me or someone I can train to make the changes. And I have still been able to customize it on my own with my own banner logo at the top, adding video, etc. It took some time to learn but I think it was worth it. And over time, since I knew the best about my business, my SEO has increased multiple times compared to the web company's custom design. This might be because I know the best buzz words to use in the content, tags, etc. and can easily change it to what I see in other sites that I like, plus I am listening to what people say they want.
We do vacation property management and we wanted a web site that was easy for renters to navigate and represented our houses clearly. We felt that we had to have it done professionally. We worked closely with the designer and have a very good site. When we grew, we revamped the site to what we have now. We do not have the time or the knowledge to develop or make changes on the website so we used/use a pro. As a result, have gotten many compliments on the site (nice to look at, easy to navigate, etc)
Since it's our design, we can change things easily. Last year we made changes to the home page, added some additional pages, added some information buttons on the home page, etc. It's a work in progress... it's always a work in progress! We have more changes lined up for the next few months. More information for renters, adding a blog, etc.
I think it's easier in the end to create what you want by working with a designer and having it professionally done. You want your site to be inviting and to KEEP people interested and on the site. How many times have we all gone to a site and found it too busy, too loud, too difficult to find information, and just backed out of it?
Sure, you can accomplish many of these goals with a template. For me, however, template web sites look... well... like templates. Oh, and the free web sites will have the host's name at the end of the url (www.mywebsite/hostsnamehere.com) which I never found to be professional looking. As opposed to it being YOUR name on the url (ours is: www.pinehollowlodging.com). Not free, but I think of a website and your own url as a form of brand advertising.
But, as it's been said here before, you have to evaluate your business needs (regarding reaching the public), your budget, and the effect you feel feel the site needs to have on the public.
VRCapital Investments, have found that a Custom Designed website is better because as a business, it offers an ability to update your website based on the economy trends ad aid to better marketing of a product or services. If an Entrepreneur, or individual entry into the realm of small business and funds are your marketing funds are limited, then a template website designed will suffice. Especially, if you do not know how to create a website or unfamiliar with the composite that make for a outstanding website. Be an Entrepreneur or individual, your business website,you give much though about.
The only thing with a Website based on Template design, you will want to add more advertising about your product or services to attract and create the desired customer base. The professional designed, website allows the business or individual to retain statistics of how their marketing efforts are reached. A Website designed by a professional, need not be that expensive.You will have to consider, SEO,Domain Registration,website Hosting Costs associated with the website and other factors based on the professional designer who develops the website.
However, an entrepreneur or small business owner, if you intend to market your business soley, then a website which has been custom designed based on your marketing requirements,no doubt, will attract customers to your business.
So you definitely should and want the website to be the most if not the best marketing that you can possibly achieve. Make the most of your marketing dollars, make certain that the website developer is superior and that you can preview your website. This will allow you to review and make any changes which might not appeal to your business or services which your marketing. After all, its going before the public and you want to make more than a Best impression! Try out a few free website
On deciding whether to use a custom page or a themed template to build a website for a local business-Which is better? Actually a template v/s a custom page either can do the job. The real question is a matter of how soon do you want your page up and running and what type of content do you want on your site? If a business wants a quick website that is essential for a specific upcoming marketing agenda-then a template is totally the primary option. If a business wants a particular look and feel that is not available by a template-then custom design is the choice to make. However, I prefer templates leaving custom effects to be maintained through graphics and content implemented into the template. by Dawn Kelly
I would probably answer this question in two parts. First of all, does the template really meet your needs? There are many factors to making a good website. One of those is browser compatibility. Your template might look good in Internet Explorer and not in other browsers such as Firefox. If the template does not do a good job at looking good in the most popular browsers then it does not do the job. SEO is also a huge factor. I have seen template built sites which had not had the proper factors set up to get good Search Engine placement. I actually saw one that didn't have anything done, not one feature, and would never be picked up on any Search Engine. In this case that site is not going to suit your needs. Finally, some Web Design companies, such as mine, offer small sites that are affordable. I also offer Template Website specials in which I will be personally responsible for making sure that the site is not only affordable but also compatible and effective. In the end I believe that if a website is an investment that a company really needs then a suitable one should be found within budget. Just like when we need a computer to do our work we buy one that will do the job sufficiently; it is just an essential investment.
Get URL