Custom Design Vs. Template Websites - Which One Is Best For You?

 

When it comes to building a website there are two basic methods that can be used:

You can hire a designer to have a custom design created or you can use a template.  There are pros and cons to each of these methods, and it is critical to understand both of them so that you can determine which method will meet your business's budget and needs the best.

 

Template Website Design

For individuals who would like to build a website themselves, there are a number of different options that are available.  A very common way is setting a Wordpress website up and then applying a template - (which is called a theme in WordPress), that gives the website its functionality and appearance.  Sites like Elegant Themes and ThemeForest offer a wide selection of themes that can be purchased and applied to websites to provide various features and create a certain look. 

A service like Squarespace or Wix can also be used by people who want to build their own websites.  Usually, those services come with e-commerce, email, and hosting, along with themes.  You will need to pay a monthly fee for some of these services, while others are offered free of charge.

Whether you use a Wordpress theme or are using a site-building service for your website, a theme allows you to get a website setup relatively easily and quickly, although there is certainly a learning curve involved if you would like to have more complex features like e-commerce or forms integrated into your website, and there may be limitations in terms of what options are available to you. 

One thing to note: Numerous themes have built-in functionality and features that you may not end up using and could end weighing down your website.

Another drawback to using a premade theme: If the underlying coding is changed, either by someone else or you, it can be impossible or very difficult to update your theme if there are any upgrades that are released.  What might start out as a method for quickly getting a website set up could end up taking up a lot of money and time that you weren't anticipating. 

 

Custom Website Design

Getting a custom website design created involves getting a website design firm hired to do most of the work for you.  A reputable website design company will get a creative session set up with you in order to learn more about your customers and business, and how you would like your website to work.  This will allow you to control the design process and also have custom features built directly into your design so that it is easy for your website to be managed by your administrator.

Since there is more to a custom website design than just the appearance of a website, the process might take longer.  However, in the long run, it can end up saving you time since your website design firm can ensure that your website does exactly what you would like it to do.

You will need to determine whether you would prefer to spend your valuable time trying to figure out to get your website to work the way you would like it to, or have experts handle this process for you so that you can focus on building and running your business.