Custom Web Design vs. Premade Templates: Which is the Better Choice?

When a company is first setting up their website, it can be difficult to get going. Depending on the size of the organization and the familiarity of team members with web design, it might seem like a difficult decision to make between pre-made templates and custom web design. In today’s blog post, we’ll take a look at the pros and cons of both choices. By the end, we think you’ll understand why going with custom web design is the superior option.

At the beginning of the process, it can be particularly challenging for your business to determine what should go into a custom web design. In those initial moments, it might be tempting to use a premade website to get things going. On the surface, this is fine but at some point, a website built from premade templates just won’t cut it. Let’s take a look at a few reasons that custom web design is the superior choice.

Custom Web Design Reason #1: A Unique Design to Suit Your Brand

According to WebFX, 94% of first impressions relate to how your website is designed. Similarly, 89% of consumers will shop with a competitor if issues arise in their first choice’s web design or overall user experience flow.

When it comes to truly capturing your company’s essence in a website, it’s more than just picking the right colors and pasting your logo. Custom web design comes down to using techniques and design aspects that play into your company’s mission. Hiring a professional web design firm allows your team to focus on the day-to-day while an expert designer helps to elevate your web presence to the next level. Impress current and future customers with a polished site that they won’t see anywhere else.

Reason #2: Search Engine Optimization

Another reason to consider employing a custom web design involves the flexibility that comes from using a blank slate to create. When a company uses premade templates, a lot of functionality is locked down according to the existing code. If you are not coding-savvy, removing those issues will be difficult if not impossible. On the opposing side, contracting with a professional web designer allows your site to be designed the right way: both visually and for exposure. Visually, this means that your site can be configured to meet the needs of visitors on computers and mobile devices. With respect to exposure, custom design allows your site to gain more visibility on search engines.

Custom Web Design

Custom Web Design Reason #3: Customer-Focused Content

Third, a custom-designed website will provide your team the opportunity to meet customers where they are. Unlike templates, professionally designed websites can be configured and reconfigured to continually meet customer needs. This can be something like redesigning the splash pages and refreshing marketing campaigns to coincide with new releases. It could also include a place for customers and employees to interact. The flow of ideas and the overall user experience can be greatly improved as time progresses. As you work with your design team, consider how important it is for your viewers to do what they come to your site to do quickly. Research suggests that a bad first experience can taint a visitor for life. A custom design can allow visitors to interact with your team quickly through email, chat, form, or by telephone.

Reason #4: Show Up Competition

The fourth factor of custom web design that can make your site shine involves how you stack up to your competitors. All businesses aim to grasp a larger percentage of the market share, regardless of whether they are selling goods or sharing viral content. Throughout the initial design process and during subsequent redesign processes, consider what makes your business unique. What projects have your team members created that deserve a salute? Consider how providing a soapbox for customers and employees to use to explore new features and projects can pay huge dividends to strengthening your market share.

Custom Web Design Reason #5: Improve Relationships

The fifth reason is an extension of the fourth. A large benefit of employing custom web design work is that it allows you to strengthen the commitment of your entire team to your goals. While a web designer is working on the coding and the overall design, your team can focus on content that will be featured on the website. Web design professionals love to explore new techniques and design components to meet client challenges. The bonds that your employees feel for each other will only serve to improve your overall customer experience.

Similarly, consider how using real customer and viewer feedback to drive improvements can change the shape of your initiatives. If customers don’t care for a marketing initiative, keep track of it and adjust future offerings. If customers sing your praises, share those on your website and through social media portals. Creating a custom web presence is not a one-size-fits-all scenario, and employing professionals to assist in the creation of content is a great step forward.

Ayoka Systems: Web Design Problems Solved

Now that you’ve learned some of the reasons to select a custom web design over premade templates, there’s no better time to learn how Ayoka Systems can help you move forward. At Ayoka Systems, our expert web designers have decades of experience in creating custom web design projects that can meet and exceed your wildest dreams. Whether you’re in the market for a rebranding opportunity or a first-time website design, we’re your ace in the hole! Don’t wait–contact us today!