Templates & Theme Build vs. Custom Built Websites – Which is Better?
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So you’ve decided you want a new website, but the next thing to consider is whether you want a custom build or a template? When it comes to your website, there are a number of factors which can help you decide which is the best choice for you. These range from length of completion, budget, usability or ease of customization. An explanation of each option will help to breakdown the pros and cons of each service.
What is a custom build?
A custom build focuses on creating a website that is tailored to your needs to ensure it meets all your requirements. It is built to your exact needs and is completely customisable, meaning you can adapt it along the way to grow with your business. However, this comes at a cost and most custom builds takes significantly longer and are more costly than templates.
Pros
- Easily customisable
- Built to your exact requirements
- SEO friendly
Cons
- Is more expensive
- Takes longer to build
- May not be easy to update/manage yourself
Templates
A template is generally cheaper and has a shorter development cycle, as the main structure of the website is already built. The demo content is replaced with the clients images/copy which makes for a very fast turnaround. Most aspects of a template can be customized but there will be more limitations than that of a custom build.
You need little coding knowledge to be able to update the site yourself, as most templates use a drag-and-drop page builder which can easily be managed. However, some themes may not be regularly updated or supported, leaving you with an outdated website or full of bugs. Therefore choosing a reputable theme provider is important.
Pros
- Faster build
- Significantly cheaper
- Content can be updated by the client via the CMS
Cons
- Less customisable
- Can look less personable than a custom build
- Can be slower as themes can come with a lot of unnecessary files
Whichever option you choose is completely dependent on your business and your requirements. If you’d like to learn more about each option or to kick start your web build, please get in touch and we’d be happy to help.