The difference between custom built websites and templates

It can be difficult as a business owner to know whether a custom or template site is best for your needs. There are a myriad of articles explaining what’s best and many of these articles are conflicting which makes it all very confusing. We’ve put together this clear information outlining the pros and cons of custom vs template websites to help you understand the difference.

Custom Pros

• One of a kind
• Competitive Edge
• A designer can build the website to your liking – there’s more freedom design wise
• Custom user experience and informational architecture
• Web designers can offer suggestions that you might overlook if you choose a template
• Web developers can ensure your website has a fast loading time (a fast page speed can help you minimise your bounce rate)

Custom Cons

• It can take a long time to build (you will need to allocate time to the designing of the user experience, graphic design and web development)

Template Pros

• Templates can give you inspiration (layout, colours and user experience)
• Great for small budgets
• You can have your website published in short time frame

Template Cons

• Anyone can buy the same template (potentially having a similar looking site to your own)
• Some templates are old – if the code is antiquated the website might not be compatible for all web browsers
• Future website updates are limited. The website is constrained to that of the initial design. For example, in the future you might want to add several paragraphs of text. Your website will look cramped because the designer only factored in a certain amount of content. Future visual changes can look tacked on and incoherent.
• Limited customisation of the template
• Time consuming and expensive to add customisation

You get what you pay for. While the return of a custom-built website may not be imminent, you’re investing in something unique to your brand. If you think your business might grow outside the constraints of a template website, you should consider a custom site. It’s better to allow for the customisation than find out later that your template doesn’t allow for it.

Contact us today to find out more or if you have any questions about custom vs template websites.