Custom Web Design or Web Template?
Tuesday, March 25th, 2008Chances are if you are in the market to purchase a website, you’ve been baffled by all the different ranges in pricing. With so many web designers out there, you probably found yourself asking “What’s the difference?”
When choosing a web design company, you should first do a little background to help yourself understand the differences and the terminology you may encounter. This little bit of digging will help to save you a lot of headaches in the beginning and possibly money in the long run.
Custom Web Design or Web Templates? Which Should I Choose?
At netMouser.com, we specialize in custom designed websites. We feel that every company is unique and your website should show the unique quality of your business. A custom design allows you to have a one of a kind presence that no other company has. Because the graphics are created custom for you, the price may seem slightly higher than other quotes you receive.
However, web templates, which may be priced lower at first, are templates that designers pay for and then “customize” to meet your needs. Please pay special attention to the word ‘customize’ versus custom web design.
Web templates can sometimes be restrictive since they may actually limit your content space or have restrictive layouts. Also, you have to keep in consideration that web templates are bought and not ‘created’ to make your business unique, so other companies may purchase the same layout.
That being said, it really is the personal choice of the customer as to what type of website you choose. Web templates are quicker, and normally least expensive, but custom web designs are unique and specific to your branding. Surprisingly, custom web designs can be very affordable. Our netMouser.com starter 5 page custom web design package is only $995 and is a professional entry into your online business. This price is sometimes lower than website templates after you pay the design firm to ‘customize’ a template for you. So, long story short, if you are in the market for a website…find out a few things when calling around to web design firms.
1. Is this a custom design or a web template? Sometimes the low price is attractive, but when you find out it’s a template, you may actually pay a higher price for the customization than our 5 page package custom web design package.
2. If a template, how much does it cost to exclusively purchase the design? Again, you may find the price is higher than our custom web design package. I’ve seen some web templates priced at $3,000 for exclusivity!
If this seems overwhelming at first, don’t panic. Most people don’t understand the differences and may be hesitant when choosing a design firm. The main thing you need to decide is whether you would be happy with a web template or if you prefer to have a unique custom web design.
Feel free to contact us if you have any questions. We always welcome your call.