It’s not a good idea to rush when designing your website for business.
It is most likely what customers and clients see first. It can make or break your online presence, and ultimately your business.
When you are considering a website redesign, it is important to decide whether to go with a custom website design, or a DIY template.
While neither is better than the other, each has its advantages. It all depends on what you need and want to accomplish with your website.
Ask yourself a few questions before you start your website design.
Whether you like it or not, appearances matter. Customers expect great websites.
Each business has its own goals but there are some general guidelines about what your site should do regardless of what industry you work in:
- Inform visitors about your business. Who are YOU? What can you offer?
- Be a leader in your field
- Increase conversions. You want people to visit your site, fill out forms, download information, or do some type of conversion.
Your website must be user-friendly.
Now that you have a clear understanding of what your website must do to build trust and information, ask yourself: “How can I create something that accomplishes these goals?” It is a lot easier to identify what causes distrust. Let’s look at some things you should avoid.
- Busy layouts and too many things
- Website with poor functionality
- Old designs
- Too many text and too small fonts
- Uninviting user interface
Web design is a key component in building trust with clients and customers, and keeping them on your site.
The Benefits and Drawbacks of Custom Website Design
Now you know the importance of web design, how can you make a website that is unique? Custom design or DIY templates?
Let’s look at custom design. These websites were created by developers (in WordPress here at Thrive).
It’s an Investment
Custom WordPress design is more expensive than using templates from Squarespace, Wix or Shopify.
Con: Custom Website Design Isn’t an Overnight Solution
You need something that you can use today. It takes time for custom designers and developers to get to know your brand and audience.
Pro: Stand out from the crowd
A great designer will make your website stand out from the rest
Pro: Your Branding Can Be Fully Explicit
Custom design allows you to incorporate your brand’s image and mission into your entire website.
Pro: Create an Experience That Caters to Your Readers
Research shows that a user-friendly website with a great interface is essential for maintaining engagement. You can also run A/B testing and design a website based on your individual audience.
Pro: Take complete control of how your website functions
The best thing about custom website design? It’s the functionality. You can add clickable images to any place you like, change the menu, add sidebars or make special features during checkout. WordPress also has the power of plugins that can do almost anything you need.
Pro: Make Easy Updates and Changes
Website style is just like any other: trends change all the time. If you see a website that looks 2003, it’s likely you will cringe or run to the back button. Custom sites allow you to easily update and make changes as you please.
The Benefits and Drawbacks of Template and DIY Website Designs
DIY templates from Squarespace, Wix, and Shopify all work well. It just depends on what your goals are.
Con: It Could Look Like Everybody Else’s
There are only so many templates that websites can offer. This means that multiple people may be using the same template for different websites. However, this might not work for someone in a high-competition industry such as defense law.
Con: What You Have Is Basically All You Need
Templates offer some customization options but not many. It’s likely that you won’t be able to do all you want.
Con: User Functionality Is Very Limited
A DIY template doesn’t allow for customization. It’s impossible to add new features or tweak the user experience to improve engagement.
Pro: It’s Quick and Easy
Website templates are great for those who need a website quickly and don’t have any web design experience. These templates can also be used as placeholders to create a professional website while your team is working on a customized website design.
It’s Not Expensive
Shopify and Squarespace have flat monthly fees. Custom designs are dependent on many factors including the time and effort spent developing them.
For website template or custom design digital marketing please check our content on Kobe Digital and contact us.
