Website design: to template, or not to template?
Pressing ‘go’ on a new website project is an exciting step, whether you’re a solo business owner or a Marketing Manager with years of experience under your belt. The possibilities feel endless and you’re already dreaming of all the sales you’ll make through your new, shiny site.
But before you get there, you’ve got a few decisions to make.
First and foremost: should you use a template for your website design or invest in a custom build? There are pros and cons to both, so it’s important to have a good think before you rush into anything.
Here’s our guide to choosing the right route for you and your brand.
Templates vs custom build: what’s the difference?
First things first, let’s get clear on what we mean by templates and custom builds.
Templates
Templates are pre-designed sites that you can drop your logo, colours, images and copy into (usually with an easy drag and drop editor) with minimal changes to the design. Most major platforms (WordPress, Squarespace, Wix, etc) offer template designs.
Templates tend to be cheap and easy to use, but don’t offer much flexibility if you want to switch things up from the original design.
Custom builds
Custom builds are sites designed and created from scratch by web designers and developers. The possibilities are pretty much endless with a custom build, because they’re created just for you and your brand.
Choosing between templates and custom builds
There are a few major factors to consider when you’re deciding between using a template or investing in a full custom build.
Budget
Budget plays a really important role here. A lot of template designs are completely free to use, meaning you just pay for hosting. But remember that you sacrifice a lot of flexibility with that reduced price.
On the other hand, like anything bespoke creation, custom builds are a lot more of an investment. As a rough idea, they can cost anywhere from a couple of thousand to over £10,000, depending on the functionality you need.
Timelines
As you can probably imagine, templates are also a lot quicker to get up and running if you’re working to a tight deadline. If you have your website copy and images ready to go, you could probably set up a small site by yourself in less than a day.
Again, because so much work goes into creating custom sites, they do take a lot longer to design and build, ready for launch. But good things come to those who wait, and the end product is usually well worth it.
Fancy features
Templates are great for straightforward sites with nothing more complicated than a contact form and maybe a simple e-commerce section. But you need more of a bells and whistles situation, you’ll probably have to opt for a custom build.
Things like bigger e-commerce sites, interactive features, and advanced integration with other platforms like your brand’s CRM will usually need the magic touch of a web developer to make happen.
The best of both worlds?
Sometimes you really want to spring for the fancy custom site, but your timelines and budgets are too tight to wait.
That’s when a template site can come in really handy to see you through until you have the time and money to spend on a really carefully considered custom build.
‘Okay, I’ve decided. Now what?’
You’ve made your decision about which route to take, but your job’s not quite done yet (sorry!).
Talk to a copywriter
It’s tempting to go full steam ahead and start designing your dream site. But it’s worth pausing here and thinking about why you’re investing time and money into a new site at all.
At least part of the reason will most likely be to increase sales – and a huge part of making that happen is your web copy itself. That’s why, before you do anything else, now’s the time to speak to a copywriter.
Yes it’s technically possible to write your copy once your design’s ready, but shoehorning words into pre-designed boxes won’t get you close to the results you could see when you start with the copy and design around it.
Get your copy nailed first and then design around it for your best chance of converting visitors into customers.
(If you’d like to talk about creating kick-ass web copy that converts, we’re all ears).
Choose your template
If you’re going down the template route, take your time looking through your options and choosing the right design for you. (Hint: it won’t always be the ‘prettiest’).
First and foremost, think about the function of your site. Is it a portfolio? A storefront? A blog? Most platforms allow you to filter their templates by type to help you find the right style for your needs.
While you’re at it, consider the customer experience your site visitors will get. As an example, animated elements that fly in as you scroll might look cool at first glance, but they can be distracting and slow your site down. Stick to what you need and avoid anything unnecessarily flashy.
If you need help choosing a template, speak to your copywriter. From what you’ve told them about what you need your site to achieve, they should be able to help you find a good fit.
OR find a web designer and developer
If you’re going for a custom build, you’ll need to speak to a web agency or freelancer to design and develop your finished product.
There are a lot of options out there, so it can feel overwhelming to start with. As a general guide, look for someone who:
Has experience building sites similar to yours
Will have an in-depth discovery call with you to scope out what you need
Is happy to design around your web copy
However you decide to create your website, always remember the end goal. Whether that’s sales, brand awareness, or a little of both, make sure copy, design and functionality align to give you the best possible results.
