If you watch TV, listen to the radio or surf the web for more than a few minutes you are bound to come across at least one, if not several, advertisements for a template website or online website ?solution? (the term used very loosely).? As a custom web design / internet marketing company who treats each customer with value, respect and individuality, it always stirs up any of a number of feelings: ?anywhere from the basic rolling of the eyes to the shaking of the head and my least favorite, the occasional dry heave.
Despite the involuntary angst, we realize that are certain situations in which it might be necessary for some smaller companies to irrationally consider an off-the-rack product like that.
For instance some business owners may:
- Have a very, very, very small budget
- Still consider ?the internet a fad doomed to failure and imminent non-existence
- Think that marketing is a waste of money
- Just want to ?get something out there?
- Simply maintain history of bad decision making and have multiple failed startups
GO CUSTOM OR GO HOME
Let?s take a look at just a few of the foremost advantages of the advantages of custom website design and some of the downsides to using a template program.
1.?You are unique, your business is unique ? and your website should be too.
Take a look at the picture on this page.? In an instant, you can identify the brand on the shelf.? Over the years this famous soup company has developed their brand so successfully that our elementary blurring technique didn?t faze you one bit.? If your company is to have any chance of developing a recognizable brand, you?ll need to do something that distinguishes it from the crowd.? By the way, just throwing a different logo on the top of the page isn?t going to get the job done.
Be unique. Be Identifiable.? Be You.
You may not have a creative bone in your body.? You may not even have a vision of what you like or dislike, but there are talented and creative branding and web design companies who can take even the most basic idea and turn it into something unique, ?attractive and productive, helping you gain new clients to you regardless of your industry or product.
2. ??Search Engines LOVE fresh, original content and code.
At least 90% of businesses on the internet do (or would) benefit greatly from first page search engine results. Therefore it also behooves a business owner to have a website that is unique to the search engines as well.? One of the top factors for a good search engine optimization campaign is to create and develop your own quality content. ?Search engines like Google have specifically developed their algorithms to place higher relevance on sites that have their own, accurate content that pertains to their industry and helps to establish the site as a resource of ?expert materiel? for that search.
This is not only important for the content written on the site but also in the coding.? Most template websites have an exorbitant amount of code that is needed to ?run? the template programs.? Since this code cannot usually be edited or rearranged, even a top notch HTML coding expert will not be able to get into the code and make any improvements.? ?This becomes particularly frustrating when, as a business owner, you try to hire someone to optimize your site for search engines and they simply are not able to do several of the necessary steps to get it done properly.
3. ??Credibility.
That word could possibly sum it all up.? When a client or potential clients arrives at your website (assuming they can find it) they make an immediate assessment of your business.? Yes, to most people who you have not yet met, YOU are your Website, and your website is YOU.? There is not distinction made between the two.? When the first impression, maybe the only impression, of your business is the website that represents it, it better be good!? It?s way too often we hear of people who have ?shopped around? for the best deal on a website so they could just ?get something out there? and thus magically attract new customers.? It never fails that in a few months of frustration and an ugly website they start to realize that you really can?t take shortcuts when it comes to quality marketing and business exposure.? That doesn?t mean that you have to pay tens of thousands of dollars on an overpriced site just to say you did, but it does mean that you are wasting time, money and valuable credibility points on setting up a site that wouldn?t have worked 10 years ago.
In summary
One of my favorite slogans that we?ve unofficially adopted from a client is: ?If it?s worth doing, it?s worth doing right?.? Do yourself a favor: make the investments into good quality website and a marketing plan so that you will develop a solid and identifiable brand that has credibility for years to come.
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