If you’re interested in redesigning your current site or build a new site, you’re probably wondering which one is best when it comes to custom website design vs. template. Atiba understands you want your website to be the best it can be so you get your expected ROI, which is why were believe it’s important to know the difference between them.
Custom Website Design vs Template
The following will explain the differences of custom website design vs template, so you can make an informed decision on which one is best for your business website.
Limitless or Limitations
Custom website design is limitless. As long as you have a highly experienced custom web developer, you can essentially do anything you want to your site.
With a templated site, you are limited to what you can do to it, which can lead to disappointment now or in the future. As a business grows, many business owners want to offer more to their online customers or clients. Unfortunately, many of our customers end up having to do a website redesign because their website template doesn’t support the growth of their business.
Content Management System
One of the biggest struggles people have when trying to decide between custom website design vs template is the CMS web design. Content is everything to the success of a website, but not all template designs cater to that, which can be a huge problem for ROI.
When choosing a template website over a custom web design, it’s important to know what the CMS is for the template. Ensure it will meet your demands to achieve your goals. If not, it could stifle your online visibility and marketing efforts.
On the other hands, a custom web design can be built with any CMS desired. The web developer will review what is available and the best options for what you’ll need for your custom designed website to be successful.
The additional benefit with CMS web design is that it can be scaled. As your business growths, you can make changes to the CMS to accommodate your needs.
Read More: How Web Design Impacts Content Marketing
Unique or Standard
Another difference between custom website design vs template is how unique the website will be when complete. Custom-built websites are unique. They are designed according to the vision and needs of the business owner. Since visions and needs are so different between individuals, custom built websites are very unique.
A templated website is one that many business owners have used. This means that you may see similar websites on the Internet, especially for businesses with similar products and services.
Since branding is important to the success of a business, it can be an issue if there are two websites that have similar layouts, colors, etc. While a template design can be customized, businesses in the same niche may have the same brand colors, which is how two sites can be quite similar.
Expensive or Cheap
A new website that has a custom design costs much more than a template-based website. A template site doesn’t take as much work to set up for a business website.
A custom-built site is created from scratch, especially if it’s a brand new site. Even a simple website can have a high level of design and develop work that can take a lot of experience and time, which means it costs more.
Many business owners, especially those with a small business, may lean towards a template-based website because it’s cheaper. This makes sense for some small businesses since they are not making enough to afford a customized website. Unfortunately, with web design and development services, you get what you pay for.
When considering your budget and the cost of a new website, consider it a priority. The functionality and design aspects of a custom site does not compare to a template site.
Speed and Performance
Speed and performance is important to user experience and it’s one of the biggest factors in search engine optimization. Many people choose custom website design vs template because of the struggles they’ve had in the past with their templated site being too slow or not being able to handle the traffic the site receives.
A custom-built site is created with best practices in mind. This means it’s not bloated with a lot of codes that don’t serve the needs of the site.
Templated websites have a lot of extra code because they need to meet business needs for many different people. Unfortunately, that excess coding can slow a site down and cause a lot of errors over time.
Online shoppers have a need for speed online. A skilled developer can build a website that meets the desires of your target audience so that they are happy with your website. Web templates simply don’t have the capabilities that a custom site can provide.
Good Website or Okay Website
One of the biggest differences between a custom website design vs template is having a good vs. okay website. A website should be something you’re proud of when you show it off to your prospective customers and stakeholders – not one that you’re indifferent about or worse – ashamed of.
Web templates are the right solution for many people, but custom websites are the best bet for growing company’s needs. They are better for businesses in the long run because they don’t need to be redesigned every two years like templated one. They can be adjusted along the way to meet a business goals as they change.
How to Decide Between Custom Website Design vs Template
The following are reasons you should choose a template vs custom website design.
- You have a low budget.
- You have a small business
- You’re not interested in growing the website.
- Your vision for your site is simple.
Choose a custom website design vs template for the following reasons.
- You have a growing business with big goals to achieve.
- Your vision for the website is grand and beautiful.
- You want to eventually build a large site that meets the needs of your existing and/or prospective customers.
- You have a decent budget to invest.
- You want a return on your investment with a website that not only looks good but performs well when it comes to marketing it and converting visitors into customers and buyers.
How Atiba Can Help You with a Custom Website Build
If you’ve decided custom web design services is what you need for your company’s needs, Atiba has a team of skilled developers who can help you get started.
We have been in business for over 30 years, so we’ve built thousands of custom websites. When you’re looking for a web design and development company that knows what its doing, you’re looking for Atiba.
Let’s talk about your new website! Complete the form below to schedule a call. Our custom web design and development is ready!
