Is it Hurting You or Helping You?

At this point, I am sure you have heard of the term “Website Template.” If you have not, a website template is a prebuilt website using HTML and preloaded photos and content. There are a multitude of templates with various price ranges.  You can find them anywhere from hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars to even free! If you are creating your first website, or are working with a very tight budget, this may be a good option for you. However, Website Templates should be a starting point for many reasons, a few of which we can discuss today!

There are many limitations with templates, one of which can be the problems that are hidden before launching.  We found this type of issue in a template that we have we have used a few times within the company. It has been built to have many designs and elements that may appeal to many clients. When we first started working with these, they appeared to be very user friendly. Then, it was time to launch the template, suddenly, numerous pages were missing and had to be rebuilt! This may be caused by the Template’s plugin being corrupted or other errors within the coding. To find out what may have caused this error could take hours of digging, which may or may not become fruitful.

Another downfall of templates would be the reliability of  their security. Since templates have become more widely used, they have become a hacker’s dream come true. With some of the templates being used by hundreds of sites, a hacker may only need to hack into one site’s code to be able to bring down HUNDREDS more! What does this do for your company? Your site may be down for days, leaving you susceptible for information forfeiture and loss of clients.

One of the most inconvenient features of templates, to me, is that they are not flexible. Many clients envision what they want their site to look like. They may even have specific ideas on how to build their pages; however, if they utilize a template, they may not be able to get the look and feel that they were hoping for. When Nextfly customizes a template for our clients, we are stuck working within the frameworks that are predetermined. Our developers do have the knowledge to change minimal coding within the site; however, that may not be included in the fees discussed from the start!

What can we do to avoid scenarios such as these? Luckily here, at Nextfly Web Design, we are equipped with the capability of building our clients a site from the ground up! What does this mean for you? This means that you can have a design, built for you, that has never been used before! You get to choose your favorite features from other sites that you have seen, to be able to create your own personal site! This will also save you from the possibility of getting hacked.  You will be the only person across the internet, with your specific code, and what hacker would only wants to take down YOUR website (unless you have a few enemies)? This leaves you with a piece of mind that your information and your clients are protected.

A custom-built site also leaves you with the freedom to change your site more easily. Since Nextfly has created the site, we have a vast knowledge of how the back-end works, and how to find the information that we need to change or update. This is especially helpful when your company/organization has the potential to grow within the next few years. You may need to add information to your site that you didn’t anticipate from the beginning.  This helps with the visual appeal of your site, instead of adding more and more information and creating a cluttered site. Another benefit of a custom site is how you can incorporate your branding. This will help your guests remember you site, and help them stay on your page longer!

Next time you find yourself in the hunt for an updated or new website, remember that a website template may not be beneficial to your organization, in the long run. It may cost you more time and headache that it is even worth. Feel free to check out our portfolio, to see some of our custom designs to see if this option will work for you! l When you are ready, feel free to shoot us a call at 317-219-3111 or send us an email and learn about the ways that a custom website is the right fit for you!