Templates vs Custom Built Websites: Pros and Cons

Having a website for a business is the new normal in the 21st century. Every year, millions of startups, SMEs, and enterprises worldwide take their business online by launching a website.

According to websitehostingrating, there are more than 1.83 billion websites on the web.

On the flip side, people across the globe have started searching for a business online. Moreover, they judge the credibility of any business based on its website.

Also, a website helps a business to reach the target audience and improve its brand image.

Considering the importance of a website, if you have also planned to launch a website, you have to decide many things.

Out of which, one of the essential questions that might be hovering in your mind is; whether to choose a template or create a custom website.

Here, we have done the hard work for you and listed the pros and cons of templates vs custom-built websites.

So, let's give right in:

Template Websites

A template is mainly a pre-designed theme that displays an extensive layout of the features of any website. There are a vast number of free and paid templates available in the market. You can download and utilize them to create your website.

Here are some of the pros and cons of template websites.

Pros of Template Websites

• The template website is inexpensive. Hence, if you have less budget, then the template is a suitable option.
• The majority of the coding is already available on the template website. Hence, it streamlines the website design and development process. Due to this, it allows you to establish and launch your site quickly.
• There are many templates available in the market; hence, you can choose a suitable template for your business.
• Several modern templates are effectively designed, robust and enable you to do a proper level of customization.
• A template consists of fixed elements; hence, you can maintain your website effectively.

Cons of Template Websites

• The major drawback is that it lacks originality. As they are available online, a vast number of businesses might have the same template as you.
• Even though some amount of customization is available, there is a limitation in graphic design and navigation.
• The majority of users access the website through mobile, and it means your website needs to be responsive. Several templates aren’t responsive, and due to this, you might lose your customers.
• Templates websites are not optimized for the search engines. All the search engines have guidelines that you cannot achieve by using a template.
• Dynamic data is not possible in a template because a template cannot fetch, process, and display continuously changing data.
• Template websites are vulnerable to attack from hackers.

Custom Built Websites

A website that is built from scratch as per the needs of the business is known as a custom website. A custom website enables you to present your brand effectively to the target audience.

Let’s look at some pros and cons of a custom-made website:

Pros of Custom Built Websites

• You will have a unique website design as per your business needs.
• You can scale a custom website anytime you want as your business grows.
• A custom website is highly responsive, and users can access it easily from mobile devices.
• A web developer who built a custom website follow the SEO best practices. Hence, a custom website is highly optimized for search engines. Due to this, it helps a website to rank well in search engines.
• It is highly secure as compared to template websites.
• It is adaptable as per your brand’s image and marketing techniques.

Cons of Custom Built Websites

• The cost of building a custom website is higher. However, it will be worth it in the long run.
• You need to maintain your custom website for responsiveness and security regularly. For this, you will need a professional.
• You have to spend about a few weeks to a few months building a custom website.

Wrapping Up

We hope that you have understood all the pros and cons of templates and custom-built websites.

To choose the best option, you can consider some essential factors. To know about these factors, refer to this blog on custom website vs templates.

By carefully understanding your business needs, you can determine the best option for your business.