This isn’t a showdown

Make no mistake, this isn’t a shootout between templates and custom design. There are very few instances where I’d recommend using a template. Custom design wins every time. This is about why you should ultimately choose to have your site custom built, and the instances where you might want to think otherwise.

Custom website design

Most business owners realize that a custom website is the way to go, as long as the budget calls for it. For posterity, here are a few advantages a custom site has over a template:

1. It’s custom – It’s created just for your business and will not look like anyone else’s. It will help maintain and enhance your brand.
2. Search Engine Friendly – By hiring the right designer, you ensure the site is encoded to enhance your success with search engines
3. Built for your needs – A custom site contains the features that you and your clients are looking for.
4. Scalability – A custom site is built with the future in mind, and can grow with your business.
5. Maintainability – If you are planning on updating the site yourself, a CMS will be a must.

A custom built website provides you with more value for your money over the long haul. It’s an investment into your business that takes seriously the intricacies of the internet and your customers perceptions.

Template based websites

Website templates do have some advantages over custom design. They are very specific however:

1. Lower Initial Costs –  If budget constraints are keeping your business from getting online, then templates should be considered.
2. Faster Development Process – If you need it up tomorrow, a template can help speed the process.

It’s important to note that both these points are easily trumped in many circumstances. A website template may be cheaper in the short run, but long term costs in both maintaining the site, as well as losing customers due to a potentially less than professional perception must be considered.

If you need your site up quickly, remember that the most time consuming portion of web development is the content of a website. If you don’t have your site structure and content laid out in advance, a template based site won’t save you much time.

Custom or Template?

I recommend hiring a professional to build a custom site in all but a few circumstances. The value you get far outweighs the initial costs. That said, if you have a budget of $500 for a website, a template would be a better option. There are some decent looking templates out there that, while not unique, will present your business with a professional web presence.

If you are tempted to try and find someone to build a custom site for $500 or less, be aware of the ‘You Get What You Pay For’ rule. This article about avoiding hiring someone who is less than professional outlines a few issues if you choose this route.

Remember, which ever route you choose to go, owning and maintaining a website is an investment. What you don’t spend out of your pocket will be spent in time and effort. And vice versa.

Spigot Design

1. Support

The biggest strike against hiring a nonprofessional to design and develop your site is their reliability. Are they going to be there for you when you need them the most? When your web designer heads off to college, will they be there to answer your phone call that your site has mysteriously gone down? Or what about updates, like a small change to your office hours? Or a large addition like adding a new section? What if you just got an email from your registrar informing you your domain is about to expire. Do you have the login information? Do they?

A professional will be there for you, to fix and keep your site up to date. They will be up to speed on the latest changes to the web and have ideas on ways your site can succeed. They will be a partner in the growth of your business. Most importantly, they will have the time to devote to you.

You can also be assured that they will have all your information (web host, ftp, domain registrar and site admin logins) neatly tucked away and backed up for instant retrieval.

2. Professionalism

One of the most important benefits a website brings is a 24 hour glimpse at your company. If that site doesn’t reflect the same care and professionalism you put into your business, you will lose potential customers. A website that is hard to use, a pain to navigate or is just plain unattractive will reflect those same qualities onto your business.

Does this mean Jimmy down the street can’t build a professional, well-designed site? Not necessarily, but you can almost guarantee that a trained professional will know how to design a site that is easy to use, attractive, reflects your expertise and connects with the customers you are trying to reach.

The internet is fast coalescing around a set of standards. It’s highly unlikely that an inexperienced designer will be up to date on the latest coding techniques. When the day comes that you’re required to turn the site over to a new designer, will it be coded in a way that the new designer can figure out without having to spend hours (read: $$$) de-coding?

A professional designer will know the latest coding standards, and will understand that one day you may choose to hire a different designer. They will code and organize your site in a way that a new designer can easily understand.

3. Cost

Yes, I said cost. You can very well bet that your initial costs are going to be low to get the site up and running. This is the reason you decided to hire this kid in the first place, right? But the combined long term costs of points one and two will trump those early low numbers, potentially by the thousands.

How much lost revenue does a single irretrievable customer who leaves a poorly designed site incur? What about 10? Or 10,000? If your site goes down and your designer isn’t available, what will the costs be to hire someone to fix it at rush rates?

Hiring a professional up front will increase your initial costs. But a site that is built right, customized to your business and your customers, will most certainly be more effective, and more cost effective in the long run.

Conclusions

Perhaps more questions were asked than answered here, and that’s partially the intent. Asking questions like these now, before you’ve had a site built, can save you time and capital in the long run. Even if you’ve already had your site built and find yourself in a situation like those addressed above, hopefully this article will help you avoid future pitfalls.

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Spigot Design

The old version was drawn in one quick motion and was meant to be a playful representation of the company. It’s served us well for the last 4 years, but we decided it was time to clean it up a little. We’ve smoothed out the curves, and tucked in the points:

old vs new

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Spigot Design