Your company’s website is arguably your most valuable asset and, in most cases, acts as your first impression to the world. Despite its importance, some business owners are still opting to save money and time by utilizing a DIY website builder. Sure, it’ll be up and running in no time, but what are you sacrificing for the quick turnaround and low price tag?
Is it truly the “easy way out”?
When it comes to website builders, there are a variety of options that cater to different degrees of experience with design, development and web interface knowledge. This may sound easy, but like any other shortcut, there are some issues with taking this approach. When it comes to the overall look and feel of the website, the templates tend to be bland and very basic visually. They don’t allow much room for personalization, so if your goal is to match your current brand, you will likely be disappointed. If you don’t have any knowledge of coding and development, you’ll be forced to hire an outside developer to make any high-level tweaks. So what once was “easy and cheap” now becomes tedious and costly. In this situation, having a custom site built would have been a more streamlined process—and even more cost-effective given the longer shelf life.
Designers listen first and create second.
Professional web designers create websites that are tailored to your brand. They research your goals and understand how to translate your brand through custom interface design and proper functionality. Templates, however, are designed to be easy to use and broad enough to work for many different types of websites, as those developers are paid in number of downloads.
Customization is built in the process.
Web design trends are always changing and a good design team is always looking for ways to raise the bar and create more compelling sites. When a business owner is ready to have a custom website built, the process is customized for them before the actual design is unveiled. This is yet another added value in breaking away from the “convenience” of using a template and making the investment this type of undertaking deserves. From the ground up, your site will be your own and will be better received by your audience.
Web templates have become omnipresent as they gain in popularity, making them an even worse option for a business that wants to stand out from the crowd. The more the web is flooded with these multi-purpose templates, the more your ingenuity will fade. To reach your audience and convey the message your company has worked so hard to create, make the investment to have a site built for you—not for the masses.
