Small business owners with small budgets often are lured into using a web design template instead of hiring a designer for their site. But using a template might cause more problems than it ends up being worth.
Two Critical Web Design Template Implications
1. SEO Implications
A lot of web design templates have a lot of extra bells and whistles included for you just in case you need them. You probably won’t ever use most of these extra features and they really weigh down your site and increase load time for your visitors.
Site speed is an important factor in the way Google ranks websites because it really impacts user experience. A pre-made theme can cost you valuable customers, and a lower rank on Google’s search results pages.
2. You May End Up Paying More In The End
There is also a high probability ongoing support will not be offered after the purchase is made or the template is downloaded. Therefore, if you’re not familiar with coding or designing websites then you may be stuck with a template you can’t modify.
It’s also highly unlikely the finished design will truly reflect the image you’re hoping to portray. You will probably end up settling for something you’re not 100% happy with and may need to pay a developer to make the changes on your behalf. You could hire a different designer to make changes but it will take them some time to get a grasp on the structure and layout of the website because they didn’t originally code the site.
There are all sorts of design firms built to fit different budgets, so don’t let fear of the unknown keep you from getting a quality web design!
When you interview prospective web designers, make sure to ask:
- What CMS (if any) will they use to build your site?
- Will they be using pre-made themes or developing their own?
- How will they ensure your site helps you achieve your marketing goals?
Don’t get stuck with a web design template you can’t customize, doesn’t reflect your brand or makes you look unprofessional.