Comparing bespoke and template websites: The pros and cons

In the business world, sometimes picking a window of opportunities is vital. Successful business stories in recent years often involve a firm identifying a small gap in the market and taking the initiative to exploit it. Opportunities don’t come often. And while they are rare, they do come. Many businesses come close to sighting them, but having similar outlooks as many of their competitors failed them to take the initiative. An opportunity missed.

Nowadays, investing in your websites is one of those opportunities. At Saigon Digital, we understand the norm when it comes to #webdesign. When businesses start out, the website is a process that is often overlooked and undermined. Companies regularly sought to template websites to solve their needs. Considerably, it is quick, fast, cheap and customisable. But these templates are unlikely to serve the business needs for long periods.

If your aim is to put your business on the digital map, investing in your website is crucial. Essentially, it should be an important marketing strategy. A well-crafted website with a focus on user experience will come a long way to impress our end users. The website should be a long-term investment, and #bespoke website is the way to go. Here, we will compare templated and bespoke websites to help you decide the route to take.

Templated websites

These are the themes and templates that are generic, pre-designed and can be purchased with just a click. It is a budgeted option when time is of essence, or at times of cutting expenses. You don’t have to be a development expert to design and tweak the layout. But you don’t have all the toys in your basket either. Simply, user experience is not under consideration.

Pros:

• Cheap: Some website design agencies offer templates even for free, plus a few more dollars to get the site up and running.
• Fast: A template website and launch within a day or two.

Cons:

• Rigid design: Company identity and uniqueness is insignificant.
• Code bloat: These websites usually come with a large amount of excess code which could slow the site down.
• Generic: Users’ needs and experience are not tended for.
• Poor SEO: Templated websites can contain outdated code, harming Google’s ranking algorithms.

Bespoke websites

A bespoke website is expensive and needs the tinker of a team of tech experts. But if you want your business to stand out in the long run, highlighting your brand identity, focusing on customer and user experience, then it is a worthwhile investment.

Pros:

• Unique design: It can totally bring your brand alive online.
• User-centred: It is designed with your customers in mind.
• Consideration of SEO: Very important in maintaining your search engine rankings.
• Tech expertise: The website is complex in technical possibilities with the best development.
• Longevity: The site can grow and develop alongside your business needs.
• Return on investment: It is designed specifically to your business needs, positioning you among the best competitors.

Cons:

• Time consuming: It might take a few months to bring a bespoke website alive.
• High budget: It is expensive due to its complexity and tailored design and user interface.

It is clear that for small businesses, templated websites are tempting with little resources to invest. Plus, not all templates are cheap, and some are very well-designed. But if you aim your business to have the high growth potential to go to the very top, bespoke and tailor-made websites are worthwhile investments.

Author: Jonas Hoener

Learn more about our services at: https://saigon.digital/services

#SaigonDigital #Development