A PRE-DESIGNED TEMPLATE OR A CUSTOM DESIGN?

Don't let your business get left behind. If you're not on the web already, what are you waiting for? There are plenty of reasons for your company to get online. A website provides an instant visual presentation, is always available, is easily updated and improves customer relations, just to name a few benefits. There are a couple of options for your company, though, when planning your website design. Should you use pre-designed templates or have a professional design a custom website?

Pre-Designed Templates

A website template is pre-designed by a professional. Once the template is designed you can add or change any content you like through an easy to use Wizard. Templates are time savers. With templates you don't have to wait to get a hold of your web design company if you want to make changes to the site. Also, the cost of a template is considerably less than hiring a firm to create and maintain your site. No HTML coding or graphic design knowledge is required to maintain your own templates. You can customize most aspects of the templates but they can look somewhat generic, not be search engine friendly, or become too time consuming to manage.

Custom Design

If your business doesn't have the time to manage their own website, hiring a professional may be the right road to take. Building and maintaining a great looking website takes a great deal of time and effort, not to mention knowledge of different coding and design skills. What business has time for that? Yes, hiring a professional web design company does cost a little more money. This isn't the only thing your business should consider. You should consider all the time and effort that will be saved by hiring an outside company. Another benefit from hiring a professional is service. With templates, you may be left in the dark if you get into some trouble. Or, you may have to pay for costly service calls to fix the problem. Also, you can be sure to have a fully customized site, completely unique, that looks professional and increases your business!

Both customized websites and templates have pros and cons. Basically it comes down to your company's budget and spare time. If you've got the time to manage your own website a template may be the right choice for you. If time is something that your business doesn't have a lot of and you value a professional's expertise, a fully managed and customized website will work better for you. Whether a template or a customized website is best for your company, you can't lose!

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About the Author: Tyler Houts is the Public Relations and Online Marketing Director for Kinetica Media, an internet marketing company that works to harness the power of the internet for businesses of all sizes. Visit www.kineticamedia.com to see how their proven online marketing campaigns can enhance customer loyalty and attract new clients.