A website based on a publicly available website template can be made in a couple of days and without any special programming skills. This appeals to small business owners who want to save money. I’ll tell you what to do and what not to do.
What is a website on a template?
A template is a ready-made archive with a set of files containing the basic design layout of the site. Such templates can be used both when creating websites from scratch and when creating pages for existing websites.
As a rule, templates are installed in a CMS (content management system) and customized there to suit the user’s needs. This is the most convenient way. However, you can use templates without a CMS.
Website based on a WordPress template
The most popular CMS in 2024 is WordPress. It has a simple interface for managing site pages and posts, and also allows you to flexibly embed everything you need using plugins.
A WordPress template is a template that has at least the following elements coded and ready for use:
- Homepage
- Contents page
- Menu
- Side panels
Website based on an HTML template
At their core, HTML templates are just base-level code. They are a design created by a third party developer, but they are not connected to any CMS.
HTML templates are purchased by those who need to create a custom website or web application. Additionally, an HTML template is a great option for those who want to play around with HTML and “styles” to create a simple website.
Recommendations to help you choose the template you need for your business:
- Choose a template based on the purpose and type of site – CMS templates may be more convenient, but HTML has more options in terms of functionality.
- Make sure it is easy to edit and use.
- Make sure it is mobile friendly – check page loading speed and display of elements.
- Check for additional features or plugins
- Compare the cost with other templates – free CMS templates require work and are not always secure, while HTML templates can be very expensive.
- Make sure that the source from which you are downloading the template is reliable – the files may be infected with viruses. The safest thing is to order website development using a template from professionals.
- Make sure that the template can be scaled so that its functionality will not limit the development of your business in the future.
Advantages and Disadvantages of a Website Based on a Template
What is the benefit of website template?
Ready design
It is important to customize your website template so that it matches the overall branding of the business. Even if it’s a personal website or online portfolio, the template you choose should help your content stand out.
Personalization options
Since most templates are designed with simplicity and ease of use in mind, you don’t even need to code anything to create a beautiful, professional-looking website.
However, those with coding experience will have more freedom when customizing the template. They will be able to access the underlying code of the page, modify an existing template, or even create their own. But these opportunities are not enough for everyone.
Price
You can find many free website templates online. This is the most obvious advantage of templates. The services of a professional designer can be very expensive. In general, creating a professional website costs a lot of money. Templates, even commercial ones, are often much cheaper.
Great for testing
A good starting point. The templates are perfect for those who are just starting out in website design. If you don’t know where to start with your web design, checking out ready-made templates is a great idea. Walk through them like a regular visitor. Then take them apart to understand what works, what doesn’t, and why. Apply this to your website design.
High development speed
A website based on a template is a quick solution. You don’t have to wait for a team (or individual) to create a website. The design is already there. You can simply post your content on it.
Disadvantages of a website based on a template
Difficulty editing
Most of the beautiful and functional templates for commercial use are protected from changes. Developers don’t want outsiders to be able to change the code of their product, because they get paid for selling their template. But many business owners make the same mistake – they want to improve the functionality of a template website. A developer is hired who tries to “finish” the backend of the template using the methods available to him. Often, as a result, the site becomes unstable or even becomes unavailable.
Here are the typical consequences of editing a template:
- Layout scrapped. The design of the main and other pages moves or slides, images disappear.
- The site takes a very long time to load, and Core Web Vitals levels drop to a minimum. Users will not wait and the number of failures will immediately increase.
- The URL structure breaks, which leads to the worst possible consequences. The site loses positions for all queries and leaves the search results – in whole or in part.
- The pages start giving errors. The functionality of the site breaks down, partially or completely (for example, the form with data is no longer sent, and the buttons on the page are not clickable).
Many years of painstaking work by an SEO specialist, optimization of the semantic core – all this goes down the drain, because a site with a bunch of errors does not meet the formal requirements of search engines and they cannot rank it highly (moreover, it may leave the index altogether).
Thus, tampering with the template can be very dangerous.
The site will not be unique
Your site will not stand out from other “template” projects. Free templates won’t let you stand out. In addition, the transitions and interactive elements in this case will be the same as on many other sites.
The template will need to be modified
It’s not always easy to get your website to look the way you want. The template’s UI doesn’t have the features you need and you don’t know how to add them. You will need a web developer.
Loss of audience trust
Using a template can lead to a loss of trust among the target audience. Template design can deprive the site (and therefore the brand itself) of trust. Even if you pay to remove the footer or header watermark, other imperfections will remain. And would you trust a brand that is too stingy to invest in its design?
Limited functionality
You may lose important backend functionality. Website templates use HTML (for structure) and CSS (to customize the design) with a little JavaScript (to make the content interactive). If you need cookie data, analytics, user logins, or a well-functioning shopping section, you’ll have to hire a web developer. It’s only a matter of time.
Why using other people’s templates is not always good?
A template site will be an excellent solution for one-page landing pages or simple sites (for example, thematic blogs). In other words, for sites that do not have complex functionality.
Let’s say: you want to create an information site about Scottish Fold cats. In this case, you won’t need any complex functionality (which is available on ecommerce sites), but only basic elements: home page, blog, categories and tags, comments section, menu, header (possibly a registration form).
But everything becomes more confusing and complicated when it comes to a commercial site. Its functionality may be non-standard and provide for different use scenarios. And here we gradually approach the answer to the question why using other people’s templates is not very good: the template simply will not have the functionality your business needs. Unfortunately, this is the most common reason why creating a website using a template is not suitable for every company.
There is no such template that would provide and take into account all the functions necessary for an e-commerce site. Yes, there are well-thought-out options, but no template from the Internet can cover all the needs of a business.
But what if you already have a website based on a template and you urgently need to implement some function, for example, a system of discounts for a certain category of goods? Add a complex search or filter settings, a product comparison widget or a shipping cost calculator?
That’s right: you’ll have to go into the backend of the site. And here’s what it might look like to a non-developer:
To understand the entire internal structure, you will need to have a good understanding of the code – basic programming knowledge will not be enough. Well, if you are not a developer, then you definitely won’t be able to change the functionality on a template website.
How to create a website using a template: step-by-step instructions
If you think a template is what you need, you have many options. Let’s say you decide to make a website on the world’s most popular CMS – WordPress. Then you can start by browsing for free themes in the WordPress admin area or open ThemeForest to find a theme using the search filters. Below we will describe a sequence of steps that will help you choose the right website template.
1-) Think about what your template should be
Think over the structure of the future site and the main elements of the page. If this is difficult, then start simple – with a color palette (it’s best to use no more than three colors) and fonts (likewise, we recommend using no more than two).
2-) Select a template
You can start with a blank template or choose a template with images and text.
In any case, when choosing a template, consider the following:
- Header and navigation style.
- Subject or niche of the site (restaurant, landing page, service, etc.).
- Purpose (full site or landing page).
- Number of pages (single page or multi-page).
- Functions and widgets (shop, blog, etc.).
- Color scheme (dark or light).
3-) Set up website versions for different devices
Today, as a rule, templates are fully responsive, but it’s still worth checking each version separately (desktop, tablet and mobile). In some versions, template elements will have to be adjusted.
Focus on desktop design first, and when it’s perfect, move on to tablet and then mobile versions of the site.
Elements that can be configured for each version of the site separately:
- Header and navigation menu.
- Typography (including font sizes).
- Indents and margins.
- Location of photo galleries.
- Pop-up window sizes.
- Website background colors and images
4-) Customize typography, button, fonts, layout
You need to set styles that will apply to all pages and widgets in the template. At this stage it is necessary to determine:
- Global Fonts: Set the font size and color for all elements, H1 to H6. These styles also apply to the entire site.
- More about typography: line spacing is very important for the readability of text:
- Global Buttons: Set a design for all buttons. Stick to a color palette of no more than three colors and consider adding shadows to make your buttons stand out.
- Site Background: Set a background image or color for all pages or for each page individually.
- Website layout (desktop and mobile version).
5-) Design your home page
The home page is very important as it defines the entire user journey. If your template has several pages at once, then the main page should have a section for each page that appears in the navigation. For example, if the navigation includes: “About” / “Services” / “Team” / “Contact”, there should be a section or row on the main page that relates to each of them. If your template consists of one page, the navigation should be linked to anchors on the page.
The design of the header or header of the site is also important. It should not be overloaded with information or graphics:
6-) Add images
Although many (if not all) of the images you use in your template will be replaced when you create your site, you can still keep some of them. But it’s better to discuss this with the designer.
Summary
Although producing a website from scratch seems like quite a daunting task, using a template can serve as a trigger that will give a qualitative push in this direction.
- When choosing a template, it is important to consider the type of site, type of content, product features, and the purpose of the site as a whole. This way, you can choose a template specifically designed for selling products or posting blog posts.
- Once a template that suits your needs is selected, you can decide how and to what extent you want to change your site. You can stick to the original template design: then you just need to replace the demo content with your own images and text.
- You can also go beyond the original template design by adding your own page content, color palette, and fonts. But this can not be done in every template. Incorporating brand colors, typography, and other visual content will give the site the look it needs and establish a direct connection to the brand’s visual identity.
