One of the biggest choices in the process of building a website for your business will be whether you should have a custom website or create it out of a pre-designed template. As you can imagine, there are advantages and disadvantages to both options and which is the right choice depends entirely on how your business functions, your budget, and your end goal. Here In This Blog we will discuss the differences between a custom website to a template, and help you decide which suits your business.
What is a Custom Website?
A custom website is your own website created for your business from the base. It is custom-made for your brand identity and objectives and aligned according to user needs. Custom sites usually require significant work by a web developer or web design team, and the site is coded in HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and other coding languages
Advantages of Custom Websites:
1. Unique Design for each website:
You can create a custom website, that is designed to match your business. You will build your website from scratch so that it truly reflects your business the way You wish it to represent
2. Complete Flexibility and Functionality :
When it comes to features and functionality, a custom website leaves you in control. You can build whatever you need, from the average e-commerce site to a special animation or even third-party tool integration, a custom website will your needs.
3. Scalability:
Custom websites are more flexible when the business evolves. You can add new features, pages, or functionalities without facing difficulty in adding in template.
4.SEO Optimization:
You can make your own custom sites that are fully SEO optimized to appear in the top rankings in searches. SEO best practices can be directly inculcated in architecture and content, which are often heavily constrained in template sites.
5. Better User Experience:
Custom websites are developed considering the audience so you can stay focused on delivering a great user experience. True custom design and user flows make for optimized navigation with more conversions.
Disadvantages of Custom Websites:
1.Higher Cost:
Custom websites are usually more expensive because of the time it takes for a developer to build. It also takes longer to build, which means it will cost you more to build than a template website.
2.Longer Development Time:
A custom website will require more time to make, develop, and test in which case it can take longer to go live than using a template site.
3.Requires Ongoing Maintenance:
Custom websites require continuous ongoing maintenance, you will need to keep them monitored if you are adding new features or making updates. This is going to cost you more in the long run.
What is a Template Website?
A Template website is a Pre-designed, ready-to-use website template that you can customize according to your needs. These templates are available to us on website builders like WordPress or Wix / Squarespace. They have default structures, themes, and styles to offer a wide variety of formatting which are easy to customize.
Advantages of Template Websites:
1.Cost-Effective
In terms of price, template websites are often built for a fraction of the cost of a professionally designed custom website. Since template websites are designed versions of pre-made templates, it only costs for customization, hence cost will be less compared to custom-made websites.
2.Easy to Launch
A template website allows you to get your website up and running in less time. The design is out there so it only takes time for the customization of your ideas into the website.
3.User-Friendly
The drag-and-drop interface with all template website builders is used in such a way that even if you are not a programming expert, it is simple to customize your template.
4.Responsive Designs
Most templates are designed with the intention of being mobile-friendly and responsive and do not require your work to achieve a responsive site. Ensuring your site looks good on all devices without additional effort.
5.Built-in Features and Plugins
Most templates that one gets come with built-in features ranging from contact forms, and SEO packages all the way up to social media integration and e-commerce functionality making it simple enough for any person to build a functional website.
Disadvantages of Template Websites:
1.Limited Customization
Although templates can be edited, Templates are still inherently limited to the original design of the template. Advanced customizations can be hard or impossible without high-level knowledge in the technical space.
2.Lack of Uniqueness
Because most businesses are using templates you will probably have a similar-looking website compared to your peers in your industry. And thus, it makes it more difficult for you to differentiate yourself from the competition.
3.Potentially Slower Load Times A lot of template may be over-packed with features or code, which negatively affect the speed and output of your website.
4.SEO Limitations Whilst many templates are friendly towards SEO, unfortunately, they are not optimized as well as a custom site will be. It is probably going to be less clean code, also some SEO elements can be more difficult to change.
Which Option is Right for Your Business?
Whether you require a custom website or a template website will be based on your business requirements, budget, and goals. Here are some factors to consider:
Go with a Custom Website if:
You have enough budget and are looking for the exclusive design conserved for your company.
You Require advanced Functionality or Specific Features that Templates do not have.
You need scalability to scale and adapt the website with the scaling of your business.
This is the ultimate go-to for SEO and one of the most valuable premium user experiences you can get.
Go with a Template Website if:
If you are pinching pennies, have a small budget, and therefore need a speedy and low-maintenance site.
You are a Small Business or Startup that does not need all the complex features.
You need a user-friendly website that does not require extensive development time.
You are looking for a simple website to showcase your business, products, or services.
Both custom and template websites design have their own pros and cons, the difference comes from the personalization and level of resources a business needs. The custom website is for those looking for a highly customized, very specific website, with countless features and if you are ready to invest in the website. However, a template website can be the best solution if you want a quick website to be launched with a low budget and only require limited features. In reality, the choice should come down to your objectives, budget, timeline, and preferred user experience for your users.