Building a website has become much and much cheaper, and several templates are available to choose from. Squarespace, Wix, Webflow are companies providing website template services that are both quick and cheap. There are also several affordable Joomla! and WordPress templates available from independent developers for a small fee. However, for B2B businesses, there are several drawbacks to using these template services, which outweigh the potential benefits.
Firstly, most template sites only allow you to rent the website and not own it, preventing you from transferring the site to another provider if you’re not happy with the service.
Secondly, template websites, while sometimes looking nice, can look like templates, giving the wrong impression about your business.
A unique website design expressing the company’s unique brand is better to make a good impression on website visitors.
Thirdly, technical limitations can be frustrating when customizing website templates, which prevents implementing the necessary functionality.
Fourthly, there is no benefit of experience when working with template website companies.
Finally, poorly written copy, limited SEO options, and conversion rate optimization, where the layout restrictions inherent in template websites tie your hands on what you can achieve, are other challenges that need to be dealt with when using template website services.
Professional services
For these reasons, working with professional web development teams such as Link Software is recommended as they provide bespoke web builds that express the company’s unique brand, allowing complete ownership of the website.
A web development team also provides a learning process, a true understanding of your business goals and how to translate them in to the digital space, on-page SEO options, and conversion rate optimization.
1. Ownership VS rental
When you create a website through an agency, you own the website entirely. This means that if you are dissatisfied with your web hosting provider, such as their fees or website loading speed, you can easily switch to another provider. On the other hand, if you use a template website, you only rent the website and do not own it. If the website has slow loading times, displays poorly on mobile devices, or crashes when too many visitors access it, you are unable to rectify these issues. If you decide to switch providers, you must begin the entire process again from scratch.
2. BAD IMPRESSION ON WEBSITE VISITORS
Unfortunately, as nice as template websites sometimes look, they still look like templates.
Your template website will be similar, if not identical, to tens of thousands of others.
While your website might individually seem nice and good looking. It will fail what it aims for.
For an SME this can give the wrong impression about your business, as templates are usually associated with individuals and small traders. You offer a unique service and USP to your customers, so your website should be individualised to reflect this.
To make a good impression on your website visitors, you would be better served with a bespoke web build that expresses your unique company brand. Learn more about business brand with storybrand for example.
3. Design limitations
Despite having access to good services and some coding knowledge, website templates have frustrating technical limitations that prevent you from fully customizing them. Eventually, you will reach a point where you cannot implement the functionality you need, leaving you with the choice to either do without it or try to fit your requirements to the capacity of the template. This approach to web design is counterproductive and limits your ability to fully realize your vision for the website.
4. No benefit of experience
Collaborating with a web design agency offers a valuable learning experience, even if you lack knowledge of coding. Building and promoting a website with an agency such as Link Software provides insight into website development, design principles, and what makes a successful website. Our consultation process emphasizes communication and exchange, resulting in a customized website that meets your needs. In contrast, using a website template company usually entails selecting from pre-made templates without any personal interaction with a web designer.
5. Lack of SEO
Most template websites offer limited on-page SEO options, which can have a negative impact on your Google ranking. SEO involves adjusting Meta Tags, page URLs, CSS images and other technical details, which are not always customizable with template websites. However, at Link Software, we are not just a web development agency but also a marketing agency, and we build all our websites with technical SEO in mind. We can make on-page adjustments quickly to improve your search rankings or conversions. Unfortunately, with a template website, you have limited control over the underlying code, which means that your SEO options will be limited.
6. Poor Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO)
CRO is a set of techniques aimed at increasing the likelihood of converting website visitors into leads and sales. This involves optimizing the website’s content, improving navigation and designing intuitive enquiry forms with clear calls to action (CTA) buttons.
However, with template websites, your ability to achieve CRO may be restricted due to the layout limitations. You may not be able to place your CTAs and contact forms where you want them, and the placement of your copy may also be restricted to text boxes. Additionally, the website navigation trees in templates are generic, and not tailored to your specific needs. As a result, visitors may struggle to find the information they need when browsing your website.
Conclusion
The limitations of website templates highlight the true purpose of having a website: to attract and convert customers for your business. Merely having an online presence is not enough. A successful website must be part of a web marketing strategy that considers factors such as design, written content, technical SEO, and calls to action (CTAs). While template websites may appear professional, they lack the strategic approach needed to drive revenue.
To create a website that not only looks great but also generates revenue, it is crucial to work with an agency like Link Software. With their help, you can create a website that is tailored to your business and its unique requirements, increasing your chances of attracting and converting visitors into customers. This results in a hard-working site that gives you a good return on your investment.
