What’s the first thing you notice when you go on a website? For me, it’s the image on the top of the page and the site’s logo. I also tend to notice how the navigation is designed. If these things are missing, I automatically feel a disconnection from the website. If you’re marketing your brand, product, or services online, you’ll need a website that’s readable, usable, attractive, and unique.
What is a custom website design?
Custom website design or development is the process of designing the appearance, layout, and functionality of your website in a way that is unique to your business and specifications. You can do this yourself using a website design program. Or you can hire the services of a professional web design company. The goal is to promote your business or content using a completely personalized approach. It can help you draw in users and set you apart from competitor websites.
Alternatively, you can choose to use pre-made templates and themes for your website. You can get many for free, but the best ones will cost you more. The great thing about templates is that they’re pre-tested for performance and function. The challenge is to find one that you can still modify to your needs without losing originality.
What to consider before getting a custom web design
Business size
If you’re just starting out, having a custom website design developed by professional coders and agencies may not need to be a priority. In order to create a website that’s inviting and well-designed, using “tried and true” templates might be a better (and cheaper) option.
If you have a larger business, a custom website design can be just the thing to spice things up and take your business to the next level. You’ll need to be ready to invest in a highly qualified design that won’t confuse your current user base.
Business complexity
Templates are especially useful for websites that are simple and straightforward. However, if your business has many complex services or components, it may be more difficult to find a template that meets your needs. Consider how you’d like your website to grow and the depth of its navigational features. Also, in-demand development and customized web design solve business complexities.
Products
If you’re selling products, you need a website that’s easy to navigate as soon as the user accesses your page. You want to attract customers to your products by catching their eye and clearly demonstrating the advantages of the products. This is best accomplished with high-definition images and concise descriptions.
Services
Selling a service means having a website that will allow users to clearly and visually see what you’re offering. They also need to know exactly how they can get in touch with you. A custom website may be a better choice if you want your online presence to be more customer-oriented. For example, if you’d like your website to be easily accessed on smartphones, it will need to be mobile-friendly.
Blogging
There are thousands of blogs on the web, and probably dozens that are similar to yours. Don’t let this discourage you! Having a custom website design can set your blog apart and show off your creativity.
However, you can still use a template and be creative with your content. It’s a matter of managing your needs, budget, and how fast you want to get things up and running.
Advantages of custom website design
- Make an impression. You want users to go on your website and have that “wow” factor. A creative and innovative custom site design can do just that. Your visitors will probably remember you over your competitors.
- Display your credentials. A functional and aesthetic custom website shows you are serious about your business. It can help you display your level of experience and professionalism.
- Customized to your goals. You can have the website designed however you want without very many limitations. If you have a precise list of features you’d like your website to have, a custom theme for your website can meet your expectations.
- More adaptable than templates. Templates are often limited in how much you can modify them. Using a customized web design means you can change whatever you want. Incorporating new codes into templates could cause things to go wrong very quickly. If you plan on growing or changing in the future, you can easily customize your website to these changes than with a template.
- Improved SEO (search engine optimization). Depending on the quality of your custom website’s basic coding, it can be search engine optimized. This is a vital factor in promoting your website and reaching your target user base.
Disadvantages of customized website design
- Easy to overdue. People generally expect a website to have certain features. If you want to do something truly out of the box, it could deter rather than attract some users. Sometimes familiarity adds more clarity than something over-the-top.
- Can be expensive. If you want an excellent customized website template, you’ll have to pay for quality. Getting a custom design for your website will cost more than using a template, and you may have to raise your budget depending on how many features you want.
- A misuse of time? If you want to maximize the quality of your website, you’ll need to make it user-friendly above all else. Your website can look totally awesome and whimsical, but it won’t benefit you if it confuses your users.
Getting a top-notch custom web design will not happen overnight. The design and testing phase can be extensive and may slow down your progress.
Balancing creativity and readability
If you have a lot of time and a high budget, consider getting a custom design from a reputable company with extensive experience. If you want to get your website up as quickly and cheaply as possible, you can choose from a variety of well-designed templates at fair prices. Here are some common pitfalls to avoid:
- Investing in a design company that does not prioritize your needs.
- Using a company that doesn’t design your website from scratch.
- Not being clear about your needs for custom features, future changes, and usage versatility (mobile devices).
- Using a low-quality template, which takes away from your website’s value.
You can make everything professional and affordable at once, by using Template Monster. It’s a recommended service that offers both custom design and web hosting.
Your website is the lifeline of your business or brand that connects you with people from all over the world. It needs to be representative of your goals and values.
Using a fully custom web design and development is a great way to turn a run-of-the-mill website into a powerful and innovative representation of who you are. Alternatively, there’s nothing wrong with using an attractive and functional template that meets your needs and budget. Take some time to brainstorm your goals and assess your needs for personalized composition, performance, and user connectivity.
