Pros and Cons of Custom Vs Template Websites
The bottom line today is that a company’s website is its #1 salesperson.
The importance of having a visually pleasing and well functioning website is essential for anyone hoping to have a credible and effective online presence.
When looking into revamping, or building a site it is hard to know which design route one should take: template designs or custom crafted. We’ve put together a helpful list of pros and cons for both to help elaborate on the custom vs template website debate.
Custom Crafted
Having a custom website built means that an individual or company would be hiring an outside design and development firm to construct a website that is crafted specifically for their individual needs and wants.
Pros
- Completely Customizable/Flexible – Brand Specific
- Advanced Functionality (ecommerce, lead databases, portals, backend integrations)
- Undoubtedly Unique – no one else will have the same site!
- Ability to own, expand and manipulate whenever
- Built SEO/Mobile/Browser friendly
- Knowledgeable and personal support and troubleshooting
Cons
- Larger initial cost
- Takes longer to develop
- End result not immediately visible
Our Verdict
If you’ve got big plans for your online presence, and really want the site to be able to grow and support a variety of features, a custom designed website will be worth the initial cost! Already have a vision of your website design in mind? Start estimating your costs with our Website Cost Calculator. If you are looking to boost your e-commerce sales in addition to website design, see if you can incorporate any of these profitable tips into your business.
Template
Template sites are themes or layout pre-built by someone else which companies and individuals can then populate with their content. Many sites offer hosting and templates, such as WordPress, SquareSpace, and Wix to name a few.
Pros
- Significantly lower build costs
- Quicker to build
- Simplistic & Easily Fillable
- Can update/build in house
- Ability to immediately see the end design of the site
Cons
- Not unique – Tons of other websites could be using the same template → cookie cutter
- Limited customization/flexibility
- Coding Errors – Code may be antiqued, not SEO-friendly/browser/mobile
- Limited functionality (ecommerce, lead databases, portals not supported)
- Varied support
- Limits growth options
Our Verdict
If you only need a bare bones site (think online brochure or small business) and don’t have a lot of capital to invest, starting out with a template website may be in your best interest. However, if you plan on growing significantly then a template may hinder your company’s progress down the line.
Regardless of where you fit in the custom vs template website breakdown, the single most important first step to the website decision process is to determine your budget. The prices of custom or template websites largely fluctuate depending on what features and designs are included in them. After you figure out your budget, you can find an agency or platform that works best for what your specific needs are.
Nuanced Media is an experienced Phoenix web design agency, and we are always happy to help and educate, so if you have any questions regarding your future website please don’t hesitate to reach out and connect with us.
A Minnesota transplant, Jordan recently uprooted and moved to Tucson after graduating from the University of Minnesota with a Bachelors degree in Anthropology. Her educational focus along with her prior experiences in various communication positions have equipped her with a versatile set of perspectives when working as a digital marketing strategist. In her spare time she loves binging on film/tv and planning her next adventure!
Interesting perspective but I would argue that you can do both. Start with a template and have it customized as long as it’s built on standard html
Hey Randy,
This is actually where we started. The real issue that we found was then you were limited by the theme if using a CMS. 9 out of 10 times the client would want something that was out of scope for the theme and then you would have to charge more due to scope change. The result is that you will have an unhappy client because they were quoted one price and then told something else later on. If using standard exclusively HTML basing the website on a theme can work but then you loose some of the major benefits of leveraging a CMS. Essentially, the last thing that we want to do is introduce additional charges later on due to a change of scope.
Yeah I have run into that too.
Client chooses CMS template and then decides they want most everything changed. That does tend to make things pricier. I don’t quote flat rates but it increases the time involved so the hours can balloon quickly.
Usually my clients are understanding about my time or the limitations of the templates but occasionally there’s a client that thinks changes should be free after investing a certain amount into the project.
Randy,
I totally agree. Thanks for your comments 🙂
Just my 2 cents, but I’d put Wix and SquareSpace in a different category than WordPress. Maybe Weebly would be a more logical fit for the template debate?
I feel like WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal are mature enough to be excluded from the templating debate…
Hey Rob,
I agree that Wix/SquareSpace are in a different category than WordPress is in. Essentially, with a Wix or SquareSpace website you are going to get a billboard website and not much more.
Within WordPress, Joomla & Drupal, I believe there are two categories:
Existing Themes:
A number of designer/developers are leveraging these CMS in a similar manner as a Wix or SquareSpace websites. They select a theme with a client or base a mockup off of a theme and then develop out the website based on the parameters of the theme. Granted one can do more custom development, if needed, but typically the websites over design and functionality is determined by the existing theme.
Custom Design & Development:
This theme is developed based on the end users over all objective and goals. Typically, there is a discovery/wireframing process that occurs followed by mockups and then the end development of the website. The primary difference here is that the website is based on the end goals and objectives of the client and isn’t driving by a existing theme.
If I was going to put this into an example of houses I would classify them as the following:
Prefabricated home: Wix and/or SquareSpace (You can paint it but not much else is going to change)
Production Home: WordPress, Joomla, and/or Drupal based on Existing Theme (Here are the types of homes that we offer what one do you want? Yes, we can tweak the kitchen to meet your needs but we can’t add another story or make the lot size bigger)
Custom Home: WordPress, Joomla, and/or Drupal custom developed theme (Let’s hire an architect and start looking at plots of land)
Thoughts?
Thanks, Ryan. I really like the real estate analogy.