When you’re building your website, there are a lot of options and it can get overwhelming quick. You may want to bring in an expert to save time and elevate your site but then you have an important question: should you start with a template or get a completely custom website?
There is a misconception that custom equals “not able to update yourself” but a lot of website designers are educating their clients to maintain their site on their own. The biggest difference between a template and custom comes down to whether you have a starting point for your design and functionality or not.
So, how do you know when it’s time to move from a DIY website or a website template and get a custom website? You have to ask yourself these 3 questions.
01. What are your needs for your business?
When you are first starting out in your business journey or focused on one source of income, a template can be a fantastic tool for your website. However, if you have multiple ways you make income, a custom website could be a huge asset to you. Do you have a combination of 2 or more of the following income streams?
- services
- physical products
- digital products
- workshops/events
- digital courses
- memberships/subscriptions
With the advanced needs and strategy your website should have, bringing in an expert to design something custom would work well for you! Templates need to appeal to the most people possible so the special needs you’ll have building your website up with sales pages, shops, etc. will not be covered so you’d be creating things from scratch anyway.
Make sure to think of current goals as well that you’ll be reaching/working towards in the next 6 months. If you’re making big changes to your site, adding to it to launch new areas of your business makes the most sense at that time before you launch.
02. How big is your niche?
Another important factor to consider is if you’re in a saturated niche. Most industries have a lot of business owners within them so many businesses niche down to serve a very specific type of person, which you should! However, there could be other people in your industry serving similar types of people.
If you find yourself with a lot of competition, a custom website can help you stand out in the best way! With a solid and strategic brand, you can get your message across even better but being unique to your audience through your site is essential.
03. Are you ready to make a serious investment?
Templates vary in price depending on the amount of detail and functionality they have. Custom websites also can vary, but are much more dependent on the skill level of the designer and developer.
Custom websites, made from scratch, generally start around $5,000 and go up from there depending on your needs and the person you hire’s expertise. Now the question for you is if you’re ready to make that type of investment in your business. I assure you, there comes a time when it’s needed and your return on investment (more sales, clients, etc.) will more than pay for your initial cost of your website. But you have to be in a mindset that is ready for the growth you will see from having a more strategic website!
Is it your time for a custom website? Reach out to book your project! We bring strategy, design, and development all in one place. We’re ready to elevate your business to the next level.
