Your website is an online extension of your business. It should reflect the quality and precision of your product or service. Having a poorly executed website simply won’t cut it in our digitally driven world.
Custom websites give the flexibility of presenting exactly what you want to your audience. The web designer will create a website based on customer requirements. With so many sites going up every hour of every day, you want as much originality as possible.
Don’t get trapped into using a cookie-cutter design offered by a hosting site. Keep reading for the pros and cons of custom websites vs templates.
Custom Websites vs. Templates
The biggest difference between using a website template and going with custom website design is the ability to do modifications. A website template gives designers an easy product that can be up and running in hours.
You may love the template but become frustrated by certain features that are not interchangeable between template designs.
Not being able to take the features you like the most and create what you want can be annoying. Here are some other things to consider.
Cost Savings
Web design and development can be a costly endeavor. This is one reason why website builders such as Wix, Squarespace, and GoDaddy are so successful. They work for small businesses with limited budgets that want to get a site up quickly.
For a company that has the resources and can afford to retain someone to maintain their website, going with a custom site has its rewards. You are not trapped into a design that you may not like six months down the road. Plus, your brand can avoid being a carbon copy of every other website.
Time to Build
If time is of the essence, going with a website template may be the only solution. The average custom built website will take 14 weeks but could be longer depending on the design specs and testing.
There are several phases of the project that must be considered. Before the web designer can begin, there has to be a consensus of what can and cannot be done. A lot of decisions will be based on your budget.
After the site is completed, there will be a testing phase. This can cause big delays.
Limitations
When dealing with website templates, you may face limitations. Things like the size of storage, available bandwidth, and file security need to be considered. If you decide to change providers, will you have time to download all of your content?
With custom websites, you have the freedom to purchase additional space. Plus, having a web designer alleviates the headache of trying to rebuild a site from scratch when you choose to change platforms.
Going with a website template may also limit your access to quality technical support.
What’s Right for Your Business?
Now that you know the pros and cons of custom websites, you decide. Each business is different and comes with individual needs.
If you enjoyed this article, check out our piece on SEO optimized WordPress themes for your website’s blog.
