Custom Web Design vs Template Design

Creating an online presence has more factors influencing it's success than a university degree. Domain name, hosting environment, target audience, search engine infrastructure, content and website updates are just some of them. Probably more so now than before, website design has become a key criteria. How aesthetically pleasing a website is could determine how much returns it bring a business. The more professional it looks, the more credible it looks.

Every business owner will have some image in their mind how their organisation's values and beliefs should be represented. These values and beliefs are usually projected using a logo, marketing and advertising material and importantly, website.

Taking this into consideration, would it be better to custom design a website or use a pre-made template?

Template design

First let's see what template designed websites offer.

1. They are a cheaper option than custom designs. Usually prices range from anywhere between $40 up to $300. It will have almost nothing in common with the logo or the identity of the business uniquely.
2. Since the entire site is pre-designed and come with the main set of pages like a homepage, about us, contacts, enquiry form completed, the amount of time to get your website up and running is actually much shorter. All that's really needed are the contents and a logo.

Template web design result in similar looking sites for two different businesses

3. The amount of customisation that can be done with a template web design is limited. Usually just a change of colours in selected areas of the site, and not enough to make it look all that much different from the template that was purchased.
4. There is a high risk that there are other websites that will have the exact same look and feel. The lack of uniqueness ends up making the business look less serious about how they present themselves and treat their service.
5. Template designed sites are also not always geared for search engine optimisation (SEO). Though with the growing popularity and demand of SEO friendly websites are seeing templates with better SEO options, this would become insufficient with the ever increasing demands of SEO requirement as well.

Custom web design

Now let's list of the advantages and disadvantages of custom web designs.

1. A custom designed website accurately captures your business identity. It conveys to the customer the style and feeling of a business, for example, approachable, friendly, corporate or trustworthy. It can also create a sense of awareness for the logo of the company and enforce a uniqueness that visitors would tend to associate with the service or products. Rest assured no two sites will look exactly alike.
2. Playing a more active role on the creation of your site design and including your own set of pages is usually included in the custom design. For instance if you wanted different layout for each type of product or service, this can be discussed and created for by your web developer or designer. This could be useful when catering products or services to multiple target audience, each page could suit and attract the specific set of viewers.
3. Good web designers who understand SEO will design your site to enable incorporation of search engine infrastructure. Placements of headers, navigation, content in the best areas, the requirement of live text and the amount of flash to graphics will all be taken into consideration.

Custom designed websites using colours and logo to create a unique style

4. The cost of a custom web design is always a lot higher than template designs. This is simply because of all the customisation and revisions requested. Designers will usually allow a set number of revisions and charge extra for continued changes to the design.
5. With all the feedback put into it, though the outcome will be better, the development time for a custom designed website can take at least one or two months or more to complete while a template design may only take a day or two.

When comparing custom design and template design, many think of gourmet food versus regular everyday fair. Not everyone can afford fancy restaurants and it doesn't always mean that gourmet is better, but it definitely will leave an impression on the diner.