Houston Web Design Solutions: Custom vs. Template Websites

Need a website for your business, but not sure whether you should hire a professional for custom web design or use a website builder like Squarespace or Wix? Both options have their pros and cons, with the best choice being the option that meets your needs.

Whether you’re launching your business’ online presence with a brand new website or seeking to update a tired old website with a gorgeous redesign, you already understand how important a business website is. It’s your business’ online home and one of the first places new and existing customers come to when dealing with your business.

There is no “one size fits all” answer to the question of whether you should go down the DIY website template route or invest in the services of website design professionals. To make the right decision for your business, you need to know the advantages and disadvantages that come with either choice.

What Are Your Goals with Your New Business Website?

First things first! Before you even start weighing up whether a website template builder or a custom website design is the right choice for you, you need to know what your business goals are with your website.

For example, do you just want a one-page website with basic information that quickly tells visitors who you are, what you do, and why they should care? Or are you looking for a more complex website with elements like an online store, a blog, plugins, and beyond?

It’s a good idea to sit down and list what you want on your website and what exactly you want it to achieve. When looking at your options for building your website, you’ll better be able to decide whether a custom template or a professional web design agency is your best choice.

Custom Web Design Vs Website Templates: What’s the Difference?

The biggest difference between a custom website design and a website template is that with a custom website, you’re getting a unique website built around your needs, rather than fitting your needs around a template that might not be quite right.

This exposes the biggest disadvantage of a website template builder. While the templates are customizable, there are limits to that customization. Compare this to custom web design, where there are no limits; if you can think it, you – or rather, a skilled expert! – can create it from scratch.

Custom website design offers the freedom of choice to truly create a unique online business presence. If your competitors are all using similar website designs from website template builders, custom web design helps you to stand out from the crowd as a professional.

Go Custom for a Business Website with All the Bells and Whistles

Custom web design offers complete freedom and control when it comes to creating a professional website that’s unique to your business. Better yet, by hiring a web design agency to build your site, you can focus on running your business instead of struggling to get around the brick wall limitations of a template website.

You won’t just save time initially, either; having a team of web design experts on hand means that you can easily add new pages and features to your website whenever you want. Many custom web designers also keep close tabs on their client websites, working in the background to keep everything up-to-date and aligned with current best practices and trends.

Because you can fully express your brand identity throughout your website design, your target market will recognize you better in a crowded marketplace, making it easier for you to build relationships and drive conversions.

The biggest downside to going the custom route in website design is the cost – but if your business has the budget for it, this is one investment that can deliver a significant return on investment.

The other disadvantage that comes with custom web design is that building a unique website to your spec takes time – this is simply unavoidable. What might take a day of dragging and dropping in a website builder with templates could take weeks or months with professionals.

Strapped for Cash? A Website Template Might Be Your Best Bet

While a custom site built by a team of website development experts is what most of us would rather have, there’s no denying that this option can put a significant dent in your budget. For businesses just starting out or experiencing cash flow issues, a template is a smart financial choice – and you can always upgrade to a custom website design as your business grows.

One downside that these savings come with is that you will need to put in the legwork. While sites like Squarespace, Wix have simplified and streamlined the process so you won’t need to deal with coding and can simply drag and drop until things look good, this does take up another precious resource none of us has enough of: time.

Depending on your computer skills, you may have to invest more time than you would like into learning how your template works as well as adding your content. This will take you away from other business activities, which can stall your business growth temporarily.

You may also find that your chosen template isn’t as customizable as you would like with limited functionality, restricting your ability to improve the basic template for your needs. This can be especially annoying as your business grows and you need your website to scale with it.

Find Out How a Professional Web Design Agency Can Help You to Grow

Ultimately, there is no ‘bad’ choice between custom web design and website templates, with both having pros and cons. The best choice for you is one that is based on your needs, your budget, and your business goals. In general, businesses with the budget for it will typically opt for custom web design.

If you’re interested in building a custom website, the next step is to contact a web design agency to discuss your project and get expert advice along with a quote. 71Three is a leading website design agency in Houston, TX, with over a decade of experience in building professional custom websites that convert.

Find out how our team of experts can help you to build your custom website design and hit all your business goals to drive growth: contact us today!