As the largest website template marketplace, it’s no secret that we’re a big fan of website themes. In fact, you can say we’re a little obsessed. At Present Website, we aim to share the benefits of website templates with the world!
First off, what are website templates?
When building a website, you must make one of two choices: custom website design from scratch or website design using a pre-built theme or template. Both options have their own benefits and which is best for your business can vary.
Before embarking on your web design journey, decide which qualities are most important to you and necessary for your objectives. For extremely complex websites with one of a kind functions, custom website design may be the better route.
But, if you are like the vast majority in need of a web design, website templates will go above and beyond your expectations. Here are a few of the reasons we love using website templates and think you should too.
Very customizable.
The main concern of those debating on using a website template rather than custom web design is that they will sacrifice customization. They’re worried they will end up with a “cookie cutter” website.
With thousands upon thousands of website templates available, the chances of you selecting the same template as a competitor are slim indeed. Besides, a website template is just the starting point. Most features can be changed and adjusted according to your needs.
This includes but is not limited to:
- Colors
- Fonts
- Backgrounds
- Logos
- Images
- Buttons
- Navigation Menu
If you’d like your website to look exactly like how the template is showcased, not a problem. If you want to change a long list of features, also not a problem! With a professional website template, you have options.
Easy to use.
You shouldn’t need to be a coding guru to reach customers online. Website templates empower everyone to take charge of their own website design, it’s literally as simple as dragging and dropping!
For those in need of some guidance, it’s only a few clicks away. With the right website template provider, you will have access to professional developers to answer your questions.
Here at Present Website, our team of experts have more than fifteen years of experience and are available to help 24/7.
Faster launch time.
Custom website design and development can take anywhere from 14 weeks to … you name it. It all depends on the web designer’s time frame and the project scope. Website templates on the other hand allow you to go by your own schedule. Simply purchase your template, port content in, and customize it to your liking.
If you choose a website template that is close to how you envision your website winding up as, you will spend even less time making adjustments. Instead of fiddling around with colors, fonts, and every other customizable element, take the extra time to find the right website theme from the get-go.
Perhaps you can’t find one that’s exactly how you want it by default. If you want a faster launch time, just focus on getting the structure right. This means if you want a fixed navigation for your website, choose a website template that has a fixed navigation to begin with.
Responsive on all devices.
In the past, critics have claimed that you’ll have to sacrifice mobile-friendliness when using website templates. Like customization, the days of poor response on mobile devices have long passed!
The vast majority of website templates in 2018 are responsive. This allows them to adjust seamlessly across all screen sizes and devices – desktop, tablet and mobile.
Cost effective.
Website templates present one of those rare opportunities in which you don’t have to sacrifice quality for a more affordable price. You can easily find a stunning website theme for your business priced under $100.
Compare that to the thousands of dollars spent on custom web design – and that’s if the project stays on budget. Pre-built website templates have everything worked in already without any unpleasant surprises.
Search engine optimized.
Like with any web design, you can’t just launch a template website and hope that it ranks. It takes a combination of techniques to begin ranking higher in search engine queries over time.
What you can do is launch your website with its best foot forward. At this point, most website templates are built with SEO as a priority.
A highly search engine optimized template should include the following:
- Short load time. Human users aren’t the only ones who care about a fast loading website anymore. Website load speed has officially been added as a factor to Google’s search engine ranking algorithm.
- Up to date coding standards. If a website template is developed according to the latest standards, it should certainly be responsive and compatible across all browsers and devices.
- Effective site structure. A great website structure translates to better user experience. Your website visitors don’t want to be greeted by a labyrinth – they want to find information relevant to them as quickly as possible. This also allows search engine bots to crawl and index your website pages with ease.
Endless content.
With website templates, the sky is the limit! You can add as many blog posts as you’d like to your website. Instead of waiting on a web designer to add in the content you requested, blog posts can be published with a few clicks whenever inspiration strikes.
No more disappointment.
You can pour through a web designer’s portfolio for hours and develop a good understanding of their experience. This still doesn’t change one very important fact: their past work doesn’t guarantee how your website will turn out.
Custom web design can be a blessing and a curse. Yes, you have a completely unique website, but this also means that nobody else has experienced the success – or failure – of your particular website design.
If the website design firm you hire has a high employee turnover rate, you could end up with a website created by an entirely different group of a designers than showcased in the portfolio. With custom website design there’s no way you can 100% know what the finished product will look like.
Before purchasing an item online, it’s not uncommon to read reviews and scroll through a mass of product photos. Why shouldn’t it be the same with your website?
This is where website templates win. What you see is what you get. Features can certainly be customized to your liking, but you can view the exact website design available to you for purchase. No more disappointment!
Website templates make a professional, beautiful website attainable for almost everyone. They open up opportunities for businesses both large and small to reach customers around the world. This is why the team at Present Website loves using website templates – and thinks you should too!