Template or custom web design - which type is best for a business website?

Template or custom design?
A template is a predefined layout of where text and graphics go on the web page. Colors are predetermined as well. Few, if any, changes can be made to either layout or color scheme. Designers may offer a variety of templates to choose from and template website design is usually cheaper than its custom counterpart. The obvious disadvantage is that you can’t change the template’s appearance. If your website is small, i.e., a few pages, and content is minimal, you may benefit from the savings of a website template.

Custom web design gives you the opportunity to expand text and graphics as needed for a growing business. The look and feel of the website is tailored to your business identity because the layout and color scheme is totally flexible. Custom website designers may also offer programming services to create secure e-mail forms and protected web pages.

What are the basics of a business website?
A minimum of three pages is typical for a small website – Home, Contact, and About pages. A business should strongly consider having a Privacy page as well. The Home page must contain the information your customer is looking for to keep that person at the website and should clearly answer the following questions: What do you sell? What do you promise for customer support and product reliability? How will I find a specific item on your website? These questions should be answered in the top half of your Home page to for quick visibility.

A well designed Home page layout is uncluttered with efficient access to other parts of the website. All links should be easily recognized as such and should be the same color for all the web pages. Each page must let the visitors know where they are relative to other areas of the website. Flash design for an e-commerce site should be minimal or nonexistent because some visitors may not have the Flash Player software needed to view Flash effects. 

The Contact page should be easily accessible from all website pages and provide basic contact information such as phone number and e-mail. Consider including your actual physical location as well. Customers are more inclined to buy from a company when an actual street address is provided in addition to a P.O. Box or e-mail address.

Business owners tend to put great effort into a dynamic Home page and pay little attention to their About page. Although the Home page is very important and provides entry into a website, the About page may make or break your relationship with the customer. Who are you? How and why did you start your business? How long have you been in business? Any business, especially start-up companies, should answer these questions to enhance credibility and encourage customer confidence.

Where do we go from here?

It all depends on your type of business. An e-commerce website needs a secure shopping cart to process orders. An efficient method to display items for sale is also necessary. Media and entertainment websites use Flash effects to enhance website appeal and effectively display content. Financial websites require a secure login form to access customer accounts. An experienced website designer can help you decide what’s needed for a productive business website. 

For more information on building a business website:
Four steps to successful web design and development.

Got suggestions for business website design? Comment on this post and let me know.

Coming up in my next post . . . How do I promote my website so customers will find my business?