The Lowdown on Website Templates

One alternative to having a website layout design made is to get website templates online.

These website templates are exactly what the term suggests: templates for a basic website design that can be slightly altered. If you are familiar with WordPress, you’d know that there are several templates available powered by their CMS—and using them is quite easy, thanks to their very user-friendly management system.

But should you really use a template to design your website? Here are some factors to consider to help you design:

• Templates are either free or available at a low cost, so you get to save money. They’re also quite abundant online, so looking for template that would suit your taste and the needs of the website will not be a problem.
• Although they are free, most of these templates are actually professionally made. They have that polished, professional look every website should sport.
• Because these templates are basically finished (with only a few finishing touches required from you), you spend less time waiting—which means your website can go live as soon as possible.
• And while they’re finished, they can be customized. You cannot change the layout but you can change some elements such as sizing, colors, and text appearance.

However, templates also some disadvantages as well:

• Because they are free, templates are not unique. Everyone else can use them. And even if they’re paid for, it can still be used by anyone since you don’t have exclusive rights to it.
• Templates do not look good on a website with several pages. A template is basically a design for just one page. If you’re going to use that same design for every page on your website, it will look static and boring—and even badly made.
• Customization options might be limited, so you’ll be stuck with what you have—even if you site requires more.

For business websites or sites that aim to give an air of authority, a template will not do. It seems unprofessional and even juvenile, since anyone can use a template and stick it to the site.

In this case, you should consider having a website professionally designed. Having a site designed and developed by a company will allow you to dictate specific styles for your pages, giving it a distinct and unique look.

So if you’re planning to develop a website on the Gold Coast, contact a Ignition Media professional. Visit the Ignition Media portfolio to see sample designs.