If you’re looking to redo your company website you’ve no doubt heard talk about custom and template web design, but what’s the difference between the two and which one is right for you? We endeavour to answer these two questions to help you make the best decision for your business and your bottom line.
Template Web Design
Template web design has grown in popularity in recent years thanks to online web design platforms like WordPress, Wix and Squarespace. The template option is aimed at those who would like to design their own website.
These platforms give users access to a number of themes, allowing them to purchase the one that has the features their business requires. The themes are customisable and thanks to features like plugins and add-ons users can tweak their site until they have everything need.
Responsive web design is the approach that suggests that design and development should respond to the user’s behavior and environment based on screen size, platform and orientation. The practice consists of a mix of flexible grids and layouts, images and an intelligent use of CSS media queries. As the user switches from their laptop to mobile, the website should automatically switch to accommodate for resolution, image size and scripting abilities. In other words, the website should have the technology to automatically respond to the user’s preferences. This would eliminate the need for a different design and development phase for each new gadget on the market.
The upside to template web design is that it is relatively inexpensive and you can have your new website up and running in no time at all. The downside however is that you may find some difficulty finding a theme that matches your needs exactly, you also run the risk of having a website that looks generic and “cookie-cutter”. Many themes also have built in features that you may never need which may weigh your website down.
Small businesses are often plagued by budgetary constraints, which leads to doing without certain critical elements. Not having an online presence shouldn’t be an option. If you’re a small business owner who isn’t really interested in the complexities of customised design and your business’s strategic goals are straightforward then template design is right for you.
Click here to read Part 2 where we discuss custom web design.
