With how reliant people are on technology and the internet today, your company’s online presence matters more than ever. Your website is your first impression – people’s insight into who you are, what you’re about, and a decision-making factor on if they want to work with you.
But building a website that hits all those marks in a positive way is no easy feat. You’re trying to compete with a crowded Texas marketplace, showcase your brand in a way that truly reflects your company, and build something that can help you grow – and keep up with your future success.
Knowing where to start is the first – and often hardest – step. And you typically have two main options: a custom-built site, or a template-based solution.
There are pros and cons of both depending on your site’s purpose and your overall goals. To help Texas business owners better understand those routes and feel confident in making a decision, let’s break down the ins and outs of each.
What is a Template-Based Website?
When thinking of a template-based website, imagine a pre-built or off-the-shelf option. Typically, you have a theme (free or purchased) that you use as the basis of your website and you build from there – updating colors and media, changing content, and making the structure of the site work for you.
There is room for customization, but ultimately, you’re working within a structure that has already been created for you, which comes with various perks and downfalls.
Pros
- Affordable: There are tons of free themes or templates to choose from out there, and even if you go with a paid option, it’s typically a one-time fee to download and install it on your site. Template-based sites are also cheaper to bring together because they require less time and coding.
- Faster turnaround: Because you aren’t coding anything from scratch and the framework is already there, pre-built sites usually come together on a quicker timeline – a perk if you’re trying to launch soon.
- Easy to use: Most templates are designed to be user-friendly, meaning they don’t require a background in website development to use. This can save you time and money by not needing to hire an outside team and giving you the ability to work on it yourself, regardless of your website experience.
- Plenty of options: No matter what your hosting platform is – WordPress, Wix, Shopify, etc. – there are tons of options available for you to choose from and integrations you can add. This means you can spend time finding one that best matches your brand, industry, and vision for the site, so you have to do less tweaking.
Cons
- Limited customization: While there are still ways you can make a template more on-brand for your business, you’re still pretty well limited to the framework of the template itself.
- Harder to scale: If you want your site to be flexible as your business changes over time, that can be harder with a template because it might only have so much storage or room for growth.
- Lack of unique features: If you have specific features, functionalities, or designs you’re wanting on your site, accomplishing those might be more of a struggle with a template because you’re limited to what is compatible with the theme.
- Similarities: Even if you customize a template to match your brand, it might still have a similar layout and feel to other websites that already exists – possibly including your competitors.
What is a Custom-Built Website?
These websites are tailored to your business – personalized to your brand aesthetic, needs, and overall goals. Typically for these you’re working with a website development team – either in-house or external – and going through the full creation process to build something that is completely yours. This includes strategy talks, design mockups and approvals, development, testing, and launch support.
They are custom-built to your specifications, ensuring you have all the tools, elements, and features you want and need to make your site work for you and your audience.
Pros
- Fully unique: Because these sites are built from scratch, you get full control over how it looks, what it does, and how it can be changed in the future – including making it as scalable as you need.
- Optimization: These sites are built with performance and SEO in mind, from the content and media to back-end structure. This will help with search engine rankings and responsiveness once the site is live, leading to a better user experience.
- Tailored experience: With a custom build, you can implement all the features, software, and design elements you want to make your site the best it can be for your customers.
Cons
- Higher cost: Since these sites are custom built, they typically cost more money – both upfront and possibly in the long-run. You need web design and development experts to bring it to life and keep up with it over time since it is typically more complex than you doing it yourself.
- Longer timeline: Custom sites take longer to complete because everything is happening from scratch – you have to create designs, develop them, add functionalities, make tweaks, all of which take longer than plugging content into a template.
- Maintenance: All sites need on-going maintenance and proper management to make sure they are running effectively and staying secure, but custom sites also likely require the help of professionals to make changes to the structure, content, and programs.
Factors to Consider in your Decision
It’s clear that both template-based and custom-built sites have their perks and drawbacks, so which one you choose for your business is ultimately up to you and what you’re looking for. Some key factors to think about in your decision-making process include:
- Budget & timeline – How much money do you have to spend and how quickly are you wanting the site live? If you’re wanting something done ASAP or without spending a ton of money, a pre-built might be the way to go. But if you have the time and money for more of a long-term investment, a custom build could be better.
- Goals: Are you needing more advanced features on the site, such as an ecommerce platform, portal, or membership management? If so, a custom build can make those things exactly what you want for your business and customers.
- Brand identity: If you’re looking for something truly unique – that no one else has – and that you know perfectly aligns with your brand, you’re looking at a custom build. But if you just need something you can add your brand flare to, making adjustments to a template might be enough.
- Future growth: As your business grows, how much will your site need to keep up? The more scalable you want your site, the more likely you’ll lean toward a custom build.
- Maintenance plans: Do you already have someone on your team that can manage and maintain the site once it’s live? If so, that cuts down on long-term costs for either option. If not, partnering with a website development company to build and manage your site might be a better long-term investment.
At the end of the day, the right path for building your company’s website depends on your goals, future plans, and resources. An out-of-the-box site can be a great way to get started for less time and money, while a custom site gives you more freedom. Regardless of which route you choose, you need your website to truly reflect who you are as a company to help you stand out from the competition and make a splash online.
How We Can Help
As a website design and development company in Texas, we understand the pivotal role your website plays in your overall success. That’s why we’re dedicated to helping companies of all sizes and industries understand their options and make the best decision for them. And regardless of which route you take, we’re here to help make the process easy on you.
If you’re ready to hire a website partner, or maybe just have questions you want answers to, we’re here to help! Send us a message and let’s set up a free consult then get you on the road to success!
