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Custom Websites vs. Website Templates: Which One is Right for You?

Everyone wants a website but not everyone knows what kind of website they should get. One option that you have is to purchase a website template. Another option that you have is to hire a web developer who will build you a customised and unique website.

With all the different options out there, it can be hard to know what your best move is. Will a custom website make more of an impact than a template? Is a template just as good as a custom website?

The pros and cons of each vary depending on your specific needs, which is exactly why we are here to help you make that decision. There are several factors to take into consideration before making your final choice, so let’s take a closer look at both.

Custom Websites

There are a lot of advantages to having a custom-built website vs. using a premade template. It’s quite easy to think that having a template is the best option considering how cheap most templates are nowadays. 

With a large number of online resources at your disposal, building your own site seems daunting and unnecessary. 

However, if you want to have your own identity and truly represent your company correctly, having a custom-built website could be the way to go.

If you are looking for a website that will differentiate your business from your competitors, it is advisable to go for custom web design. These days getting online is very important because people do their research online before buying something or giving out their personal and business information. 

A professionally designed website will make you look professional which in turn will help you attract more customers.

When it comes to creating a website, you also need to consider search engine optimisation (SEO). It is often a challenge for website designers to ensure their site is search engine optimised, but when you work with an experienced development company, it’s a little easier. Custom-built websites are typically more successful and preferred by search engines over templates.

You might also want to think ahead when choosing between paying for a custom website or using website templates. For a long time, website templates have been the choice for small businesses who couldn’t afford a custom website. However, web templates are highly limited and it is impossible to modify or add new features without making irreversible changes.

You can do more with a custom website, be creative with your choices, and make the experience better for those who will visit your site. Those features are a great way to show off what you can do as well as introduce new people to you and your business.

However, a custom web design will require more upfront capital than a website template, and the search for a talented, experienced web designer might take some time.

Website Templates

A few good reasons to go with a website template are affordability, convenience, and less time. Oftentimes, purchasing a template is cheaper than building an entire website from scratch, especially if you don’t have any domain names or hosting already.

Website templates are basically prepackaged sites that you can install and go live within minutes. Some features could be a blog, e-commerce store, portfolio, regular pages, etc.

Most of them give you a base theme to start from so you can add just the features you need for your site right away if you’re pressed for time. With a few updates and some customisations, you’ll have a full-fledged website ready to go live. It’s a great starting point if you’re not artistically inclined.

Website templates have revolutionised the way people can create a professional website that can compete with any other website. Today, you do not need to know HTML, CSS, or any coding language to create a website.

Despite all these pros, you may need to keep in mind that templates can be purchased by anyone online. Other businesses may also be using the template you’ve chosen, leaving a less than positive impression on first-time visitors.

There are also many issues associated with these templates once they have been used on live websites. These issues include browsers not rendering the HTML code properly, minimal or no support from the template designers and search engine optimisation being an afterthought during the development lifecycle.

Conclusion

A custom website is usually better because it is much more tailored to your specific needs. Most website templates are cookie-cutter sites that other businesses are also using. Yes, there may be minor tweaking to the layout and design, but there isn’t a lot of differentiation. If you have ever been on a website and wondered why the site looks just like every other site, you were probably on a template site that another company was using.

However, there is an alternative to hiring an expensive web dev team that can build a custom website for you. You can buy template-based themes that are designed with WordPress and your business in mind. This may be the right choice for small businesses and organisations on tight budgets; they can get a high-quality website without breaking the bank.

It can be hard to know ahead of time whether buying a theme or building from scratch will deliver more bang for the buck. So, in a nutshell, you’ll need to consider your budget, your business needs, and long-term goals before making a final decision.

If you’re looking to step up your online presence, reach a bigger market and convert more leads, we’re here to help.

Give us a call at (02) 8211 0668 or e-mail us at info@cornerstone-digital.com.au.

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Darlyn Herradura

A self-professed book and digital marketing nerd, Darlyn Herradura focuses on building trust between customers and businesses with the written word. She understands that creating valuable content is the best way to get found online and happily spends her time doing that.