When it comes to creating a website for your small business, it’s a big decision. Do you choose from a website template or hiring a web design expert for your website. We are all at different stages of our business. Some people they don’t see the value of hiring a custom web designer to do their website for them. At the end of the day it comes down to which is a better fit for you and your small business. You can buy website templates usually for a lower cost, but cheaper websites initially can also be costly in the long run. That being said, a custom web design team may not be for you, either. The problem is that over 90% of your customers could be lost because of poor website design, and you want to avoid losing any customers at all.
Your choice between a custom web design and website templates will depend on what’s right for your business at the time. So let’s take a look at the differences between the two to help you to make that decision.
Three Factors To Decide Where You Are On Your Business Journey
Before you can decide whether to choose custom web design or website templates, you need to know where you are on your business journey. For example, if you are a newly created small business, it may be that you are still finding your business feet. By that I mean – getting knowing who your clients and audience really are, understanding what services/products/packages are most desirable by your clients, conveying how you help them and having your branding together. It’s with these factors you can choose where you are on your journey.
Time
You need to spin many plates as a business owner, often you won’t have the time to maintain your website. Between running your marketing strategies and creating other lead and sales generating activities, you need to consider the time it takes to create a website. If you don’t know how to do it yourself, you have to learn a whole new skill plus know the tech. That takes time that you may not have.
Cost
When your budget is limited, your options are limited, too. If you don’t have the budget to pay for a web design expert, you may not have a choice as to whether you use cheaper website templates. The only real issue here is that an initially cheap website becomes expensive as time goes by, with glitches and fixes necessary repeatedly. You will also find that if you don’t spend appropriately on your website, you will be paying out a lot of cash for the time your business spends wasted.
Mindset
You have to decide if you can support your website being created or whether you can manage the project by yourself. A website isn’t an easy thing to deliver to your customers, and you need to know whether you are in the position to do it yourself. If you’re not, then website templates are an easy solution to that problem.
Website Templates: What To Consider
Website templates should be considered by those who don’t have the necessary budget for a custom web design service. They’re easy to manage and are usually hosted by providers on servers and so are easy to access.
Positives:
Website templates are easy to install on the whole, with most themes a “one click” installation process. They also come with small training videos to teach you how to use them, and this is helpful as you can go back, again and again, to keep up with what to do. If you know what you’re doing, they don’t take very long to fit your small business.
Other Things To Consider:
- If you find that there are many other people in your niche using the same website template, it can be challenging to stand apart from the competition.
- When you don’t already know the platform for the theme, there is a lot of time spent learning how to use it. This then leads to procrastination and feeling overwhelmed.
- If you are struggling with the theme behind the website template, you can speak to the designers who created the template in the first place. Sometimes, these creators offer a service to ensure that your use of website templates is as easy as possible, and they are usually very accommodating.
Custom Web Design: Things To Consider
Custom web design is an option that is usually used by businesses that see websites as an asset and marketing tool. There are plenty of reasons to go for custom website design as an option; it stands out from the crowd, for one. Custom web design will ensure that your website is not like any other in terms of the design behind it. So it looks more professional as it captures the attention of those who are looking for your products and services. You can find something to uniquely fit your business needs and meet all of your requirements.
Other Things To Consider:
- When you think of custom web design, you may think the investment is too much for your budget. What you may find, though, is that plenty of designers will offer payment plans for your custom web design. This means that you’re not putting up a lot of money for the initial outlay, and you will be able to benefit from a custom-designed website.
- Most people see custom web design as an asset, so while there is a cost, it’s an investment and the return is often more significant when it comes to conversions.
- It’s vital that you get on well with your website designer as they would usually want you involved in the design process. If you have an option for ongoing support, you should want to use it, and this is easier if you want to be involved.
There is no wrong or right decision. It depends on your business needs, your own skill set, time and your own mindset. Understand for yourself why you need a website (a digital brochure to direct customers to, a place to share your products and service, a place to make connection to your audience) and what you want it to do (to share resources, a place for potential customers to book a call, a place to take payment for products and services). Once you know this, along with any future ideas you have, use that information to guide you to your choice. If you want to talk through which approach is best for your business, book a call.
