Why a template web is a disastrous idea for your business

They say creating a web page has never been as cheap as it is today. Webs are brought into life in just mere minutes! People are drawn to low price and fast solutions. But, when has this kind of attitude (especially in the long term) been profitable?

We sat down to discuss this curious phenomenon and came up with a hypothesis: cheap template webs are more expensive than professionally made and thoroughly thought through custom made web pages. The latter ones work as visual brand storytellers and efficient sales channel.

Impression counts

Let’s talk about strategy first. Though through, business need orientated and future looking strategy is what makes way for long term prosperity. A web page is also a part of it. User-friendly and visually attractive web page supports the strategy and fulfills the set goals.

Secondly, a web page is also a business card. It represents your brand. A web page is not just a tool. It’s an essential cornerstone of a complete business concept that tells your brand story and represents you in the virtual world.  

A web page creates an impression. What kind of impressions would you want to create for your target group?

How the web wheel works

Set your business’s needs according to the strategy. Then let the designer and developer form those needs into a fully functional web page. Note: this is the correct order, not vise-versa. You don’t force your business’s needs into an existing frame hoping it will work.

Template solution does just that. Someone forces your business’s uniqueness into already existing boxes. The result is that it might not bring out the essentials of your business, nor deal with the problems of the people visiting your web. The looks (or the tone) might be a bit different, but it’s similar to so many others that are created using the same kind of templates.

A template web page fills its purpose if you wish to create a web that works as an attractive business card or information board. Not as a sales channel (what every web page is, or at least, should be). A great web is built with UI and UX principles in mind. It needs to be technically spectacular, and the visitor’s journey thought through in every little detail. Meaning, in an ideal world no visitor should leave your web page without doing something there first (subscribing to a newsletter, fill in a contact form, download fascinating material, and, of course, buy something).

A cheap and fast web page doesn’t provide you that. If you care about your business and your brand, choose a more complex and pricier way. Take a road that will bring you loads back as an investment. The custom-made web page is what really serves your business.

6 reasons why template web is not a good idea

As a conclusion: a poorly executed web might wreck the image of your company. Lost trust is very challenging to retrieve.

• Spaghetti code, as developers call it, is very complicated to untangle once it gets caught up. Meaning, the web might seem to be working at first, it might even look pretty, but it will turn out to be a significant headache. There’s rather a generic rule that applies: the more plugins there are, the messier it gets.
• No technical support. However nice and easy the web looks, it will get messy sooner or later. Something will break (a visual, the page doesn’t load, etc.). When you have a decent web page, those kinds of issues are very easy to solve. Not so much with a template.   
• Design issues. Sadly, a template is not supported by all the devices, i.e., it looks weird on a mobile (the images stretched, the text doesn’t fit, etc). Technical restrictions also apply, and that might cost you a pretty penny one day.  
• It’s not unique. A template web page is for everyone. You need a web that is designed and developed for you.  
• The copy is as important as the looks. If you go for a template solution, you have to fill in all the lorem ipsum yourself. But, as a business leader, you probably have other things to do. It shouldn’t be your responsibility to write copy for your website. Custom-made web comes with optimized copy that brings out your company in Google search. SEO and CRO are no joke. Also, poorly written copy (irrelevant and grammatically incorrect) leaves the visitors with a negative impression.  
• On top of everything, they say that templates are more prone to hacking than custom-made web pages.

Do you want a web that is visually attractive and works as an efficient sales channel? Get in contact!