Once you have made the decision to invest in a new website, there are still many more choices to make. As a company that designs and builds websites, we are constantly asked by business owners why they should have our company build a site for them when they could just purchase a website template for a much cheaper price. Albeit, as a company that creates customized websites, we are a little biased when it comes to custom websites vs. templates. But, as with any purchase, it is a good idea to compare products to help decide which one is right for you.
The Pros & Cons of Custom Designed and Built Websites
- The website will have a completely unique design that will incorporate your company’s branding and will be based around the needs of your business.
- A Content Management System (CMS) can be built into the site to make it easy for the owner to manage the content of the site themselves from anywhere.
- The process to create a custom site takes longer than a template site.
- The site will be built to be search engine friendly.
- The website is more adaptable to your company’s needs.
- A customized website is more expensive than a template.
- The site will be tested to work across all browsers.
- The website will be built to the business owner’s specifications, so it will work exactly how they need it to operate for the best user experience possible.
- The site will grow with your business. If you know how you will need your site to operate in the future, a professional web developer will install technologies that will work with those ideas.
- The company that built your site will be there for support if you need it.
The Pros & Cons of Using a Template for Your Website
- Templates site have a shorter development time.
- There is a cheaper cost upfront.
- Lots of other businesses/competitors could be using the same template which means your site won’t stand out as much.
- You are limited on how much you can customize the site; what you see is what you get.
- Some templates are not built to be search engine friendly.
- Templates may not work on all browsers.
- Templates are great for a low budget.
- A template website can be created without knowing HTML/CSS coding.
- Template sites will mostly likely not have as good of a support system as a custom built site.
- Any images/copy added to the site must be adapted to fit in the areas predetermined on the template.
When creating a new site using a template, you are on your own making all of the decisions. Professional designers and developers know the ins and outs of website functionality and can help you choose the best options for your site that will help optimize it for your business’s needs. When creating a new website, you get what you pay for. The best decision to make for your company’s website will be the one that makes your company stand out and helps it function in the best way possible for your clients; your website should have the ability to meet every one of your visitors’ needs. Websites creating lasting impressions can be one of the most important business assets you own. Templates may seem like a convenient and easy way to create a site for your company but in the long-run, a custom built site is more cost effective and the right choice for your business to make you stand out from the crowd.
The post The Pros and Cons: Customized Websites vs Templates appeared first on Inverse Paradox.
