Are you looking to build a new website for your business? If so, one of the first decisions you must make is whether you will use a custom design or a template to build your site. While there are differences between designing a custom-built site and using a standard template, the right choice depends on the needs of your specific business. Here are some pros and cons of each option to help you determine whether a custom design or template-based website is right for your business.
Custom Website Designs
Pros:
Customizability
When creating a custom website, you are building the site from the ground up. This means you have complete control over every aspect, from what the site looks like to how it functions. Since custom websites are entirely designed to fit the needs of your specific business, they are great if you are looking to create a website that strongly reflects your brand.
Uniqueness
Since you are making all the design decisions on a custom website, your website is sure to reflect your brand. Whereas a website built using a template shares its design with dozens of other sites, a custom website is yours. This means your website will more likely stand out from others and be targeted to your specific audience.
SEO Potential
Custom websites tend to have better SEO potential and, in turn, rank higher on search engine results pages. This is because custom websites can be built to enhance SEO potential through the customizable structure and content of the website. If you want to gain the most visibility for your business, a custom website is the way to go.
Cons:
Time
Custom websites take longer to build and launch than template websites. It can take several weeks or months for your custom website to be ready to be published on the web. If you want to get your website up and running in a shorter time frame, a custom website may not be the right choice.
The Need to Hire a Web Designer
Unless you have experience creating custom websites, you will probably need to hire a web developer to help you build your website. It is essential to find someone who is skilled and who you can trust to help develop your website. If you want to modify your website in the future, you may need the support of the web designer to implement those updates.
Expense
Custom websites are more expensive to build than template-based websites. A template-based site might be the better option if you do not have a large budget. However, the expense of creating a custom website can be looked at as an investment. It would be best to determine whether spending more money now on your website may pay off in the long run.
Template-based Websites
Pros:
Easier Set-Up
A template-based website is more straightforward to set up than a custom site. You can do it entirely yourself, even if you do not have experience building websites. After choosing a template, you must input your content since all design features will be pre-programmed for you.
Cheaper Price
Since you can most likely do all this yourself you do not need to hire a web developer, all it costs is your time. If you do not have a large budget to spend on your website design, using a template is a great starting point.
Takes Less Time
Since a template does half the work for you, template-based websites take much less time to create. If you have the time and need to get your website up and running quickly, a template will allow you to create and publish your website fast.
Cons:
Lack of Customizability
You are limited to a set number of designs when using a template. This may mean that your website may not reflect your brand image and may look like other websites already published. While you can customize all of the content on the site to be specific to your business, the layout and design of template-based websites are inflexible.
Not Always Mobile Friendly
Template-based websites are not always mobile-friendly due to the way they are coded. This means they may only work when visited from a desktop computer and may not be optimized for mobile use.
Slower Response Time
Template-based websites are not often built with site speed in mind, which means they usually take longer to load than custom sites. Slower response times may frustrate users and potentially turn consumers away from using your website.
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Works Cited
“Custom Website Design vs Template: Pros, Cons & Comparison.” Seattle New Media, 3 May 2023, Custom Website Design vs Template: Pros, Cons & Comparison (seattlenewmedia.com).
Hou, Andrew. “Template vs Custom Websites: What Should You Choose?” LinkedIn, 23 August 2016,
