When it comes to creating your own website, you have several decisions to take. For example, you have to be aware of how much money you are going to invest and how much time it is going to take.
Also, you have to take into consideration if your website needs certain functionalities and what is going to be the design. Certainly, the design is a big matter when it comes to your website efficiency and that is why you have to make a smart decision at the moment of developing your website.
Are you going to use a website theme or not? Or in case you hire an expert to help you in the matter, what is going to be his modus operandi?
Website themes have their advantages and disadvantages and it is important to analyse them in order to make the best decision regarding your website.
¿What are website themes?
Website templates are predesigned models that are ready for you to add the content that you want. There are thousands of designs available on the internet from where you can choose depending on your needs and the way in which you want to display your information.
What is the alternative to create a website without themes?
There are several ways of creating a website without a theme but in order to do that you need to have knowledge in coding based on HTML and CSS.
It is basic knowledge as HTML will define the structure and content of your website and the CSS defines the styling and presentation of your website and its elements.
Advantages of website themes
They are fast to implement
Website templates are abundant on the internet. You just need to be as descriptive as possible with what you need and what you are looking for.
After that you need to choose the template that you like the most and place the information. It is fast to get your website up and running as it may take even hours.
You just need to make some additions such as the images you want to use and insert everything else you want to publish.
They are easy to use
A template can be used by any simple mortal that does not necessarily have website design or programming knowledge.
You just need to spend time adapting it for your needs if you want to add additional elements like for example, galleries, forms, social media buttons, action buttons among others. Usually templates are design friendly for you to drag and drop the elements where you need.
You have a variety of styles to choose from
Nowadays, the templates available in the market comply with the industry standards, meaning that the design is attractive and made for specific business lines.
Remember that you will need a different template if you are building an e-commerce or if you just need one page to display important information.
Some template providers even give you a trial time for you to test if their template suits you according to your style and needs.
They require less investment
There are many free and low-cost templates. The price is low because you are not investing in someone that makes web development based on your needs, on the contrary you have to adapt your needs to the chosen template.
Still the templates include the codes and graphic elements necessary for you to have a functional website. Also, it includes responsive design to work properly on any device.
You have a preview of what you are going to get
Templates providers usually have functional demos for you to take a look on how your website is going to look and if it’s going to be a good fit for your company.
Just make sure it provides the flexibility you want and features you are expecting.
Disadvantages of website themes
They lack originality
Even when the information you provide may be original, the template will be not. Other companies and businesses may be using the same one and for this reason you will have to double your efforts to differentiate from the rest.
For example, you can add things like personalized icons, images and your logo have to be very visible for you to stand out. Still people will realize if it is an original creation or a template-based website.
They lack user experience
Templates are certainly beautiful, but the disadvantage is that they do not take into consideration the user experience and everything that this involves. Your buyer persona needs to feel that the website was created for him or her and be reflected in it.
When you use a template, it is built in a generic form and it lacks the pleasure, efficiency and fun that should be built based on the target users. This may be something negative as your buyer personas may not take the actions that you want them to take that may lead them to a buying decision.
They require updates
You have to be aware of the updates that you have to constantly make in order for the website to keep running smoothly. Keep in mind that updates are made to correct the problems of past defects in the design, but sometimes the information within the site gets affected.
Also, some plug-ins that you need to use may be incompatible with the version of the template that you chose for your website.
They may be limiting
If you want to make big changes a template may not be the best option for you. For example, if you want to make a big change on how the template looks or how it works, it does not come included in the settings.
You will have to make a direct change in the coding and in order to do this you need to have a basic knowledge in programming.
As you see, website templates have their advantages and disadvantages, and you have to choose based on your requirements like time, budget and specific needs. The most important thing is to provide a user-friendly website where your potential customers feel comfortable visiting.
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