When you need a virtual home for your business, hobby or self-presentation - websites - The dilemma is always the same: which to choose - one of the many ready-made templates or a bespoke website with a unique design? Let's take a look at both of these options and weigh up the pros and cons to help you decide which is best for you.
So let's start with the fact that your website is usually the first face of a business that a customer sees when they search for your product or just want to know more about you. We can all agree that this face should at least be fair and appropriate - and preferably as relevant to your business needs as possible.
In short: the pros and cons of a template website
A template design website is usually chosen from a wide range of existing design catalogues: you are presented with a website with a planned structure and layout. Just choose the template that best fits your vision of your future website design and arrange your text and photos in the appropriate places, adjusting colours and symbols. Templates may vary in price and complexity, but in principle they allow you to create a virtual home on the internet independently and quite quickly.
Pluses:
- relatively inexpensive;
- can be created quickly;
- easy operation.
Minuses:
- if the purpose of the website is not just a "virtual business card", it is usually difficult to find a template that is tailored exactly to your needs;
- usually remains less representative, design solutions are not unique.
In short: unique web
website pros and cons
With a unique website design, every element will be created specifically for you and your business needs. It's not even the design that will come first, but your strategy and content - the website is built from the understanding of what you want it to achieve. This is then used to determine its structure, functionality and visual elements.
Thus, the unique web page design - for your unique business. And it's much more than just colours or logos: before designing a website, specialists first spend hours digging into your business, your mission and the purpose of your future web product; getting to know your customer and helping you to reach them; and effectively showcasing your most attractive assets.
Pluses:
- design serves marketing strategy - not the other way around;
- a structure that meets precise needs;
- a unique and accurate face for your business;
- targeted at your customers;
- room for expansion, adjustment and improvement;
- is designed by professionals who help you think through and prepare every element of your website - from structure and design to visuals, text and online marketing solutions.
Minuses:
- higher price;
- the creative and quality implementation process takes longer;
- requires not only the involvement of the agency, but also of your staff to clarify tasks and objectives.
When you need a face for a solid business
A template page - as the term implies - gives you a simple template where you can easily change the text and photos, but the layout, structure and often the colours/fonts are as they are. So you have to think carefully when choosing whether this option will really reflect the solidity of your business and attract potential customers.
Chances are that the same template is already being used by a number of competitors or businesses similar to yours - maybe even one that you absolutely do not want to be like.
Don't forget that being unique helps you to be remembered: According to surveys, almost half of people say that one of the most common factors that help them decide whether a business is reliable and solid is its website. So in this respect a uniquely designed website is an advantage.
Speed and convenience
If the purpose of your image website is just to list the office and contact details of the people in charge, perhaps a template website will do.
But remember: most templates, especially if they date back, are not perfectly adapted to different browsing devices and platforms. Meanwhile, statistics show that more than 60% of businesses that have adapted their websites for mobile browsing have seen increased sales.
When creating a unique website, web designers carefully test it in all browsers and ensure compatibility with different platforms. And as technology is constantly evolving, it's essential to make sure your website is up-to-date - only then can you expect to have a serious tool in the competitive battle. Don't forget: more than 3 billion people use the internet worldwide, around 40% of them browse on a mobile phone or tablet, and one in three turn off a website if it takes longer than 3 seconds to load. These are figures to motivate you - if you are already making your business home online, make it welcoming and optimised.
Speed and convenience
If the purpose of your image website is just to list the office and contact details of the people in charge, perhaps a template website will do.
But remember: most templates, especially if they date back, are not perfectly adapted to different browsing devices and platforms. Meanwhile, statistics show that more than 60% of businesses that have adapted their websites for mobile browsing have seen increased sales.
When creating a unique website, web designers carefully test it in all browsers and ensure compatibility with different platforms. And as technology is constantly evolving at a rapid pace, it's essential to ensure that your website is up-to-date with the latest technological requirements - only then can you expect to have a serious tool in the competition. Don't forget: more than 3 billion people use the internet worldwide, around 40% of them browse on a mobile phone or tablet, and one in three turn off a website if it takes longer than 3 seconds to load. These are figures to motivate you - if you are already making your business home online, make it welcoming and optimised.
Make your website grow with your business
If you choose to build your website in a template, you will face a problem as your business grows and needs change: a template significantly limits the possibilities for modification, development and adjustment. So you will most likely either have to choose another template or seek professional help to create a unique website.
Meanwhile, if you start with a unique website, you can always expand it, tweak it or rebrand at a much lower cost and much faster. About when your website is overdue for an update - we've written here.
An accurate reflection of the brand
If you have a well-defined brand and its visual elements, creating a template website that accurately reflects it won't be easy - you'll still have to make compromises in some places. So to ensure that your visual identity is properly reflected and implemented, you will need to choose a uniquely designed representative website: this way, you can be sure that neither quality nor brand image and accuracy will be compromised.
How do the processes work?
With a template website, it's clear: you flip through dozens of options, choose the one that works best for you, and set about adapting it to your needs (or adjusting those needs according to the constraints dictated by the template).
Designing unique websites starts with a session with an agency that tries to get to know your business and its needs. In addition to all the other elements that go into creating a uniquely tailored website for you, it also takes into account the necessary SEO elements - so that nothing gets in the way of growing traffic to your new site and reaching the customers you need faster. And the great thing is that the people who create your unique website become part of your team, with a vested interest in the success of your business.