Web Design: Should You Use A Free Template?
Building your business's online presence can be a daunting task, especially if you are unfamiliar with web design. There's hosting, responsive design, SEO, and the list go on and on. The good news is that web templates can make it all significantly easier to pick up for beginners.
However, many people think of this choice as an automatic “no brainer,” but is it? Sometimes the well-chosen template can save you a lot of time and money, but other times it might backfire badly. In this article, we will discuss both sides of this dilemma and try to find an answer!
The Pros Of Using Web Templates
Nowadays, there are a lot of websites offering free web templates for download. The variety and quality vary significantly, but it's good enough to build a decent website on average.
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It's Free
Whether you are skilled in designing or not, the templates are free for everyone to use. So, if your primary concern is your budget in building a website, free web templates can save you time and money.
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You Don't Need Coding Knowledge To Use It
Templates often come as an already coded and ready-to-use solution that is quick and easy to set up. All you need to do is enter your content and customize the design, colors, fonts, etc.
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It's a Quick Way To Get Your Site Online
It saves you a lot of time because it takes less effort than creating a design from scratch, which requires hours of research, brainstorming, and execution.
The Cons Of Using Web Templates
Since you get it “for free,” there are some limitations that you should be aware of:
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The Quality
Because you'll be able to use these templates for free, expect that most of them have low quality. So your business may get a cheap and tacky image instead of an appealing one which might be necessary for sales.
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It's Not Customizable Enough
Some free templates come with limited styling options, while others are flexible enough to let you mold the website in your style. But, sometimes, even if it is possible to customize the template still there is a particular design that can be far from what you want and need. So, it is always a good idea to try the template before you download it.
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Most Are Not Mobile Friendly
They are often not very mobile-friendly so that they won't be as successful with SEO, and your audience might have a hard time navigating through mobile devices.
Final Verdict
In conclusion, it is up to you to decide whether these benefits outweigh the cons. If you're a beginner or on a tight budget, there's no reason not to try using web templates, as it can save you time and effort. However, keep in mind that they are often of low quality, so depending on your clientele, they might not be the best option for your business. Building your website from scratch might be preferable.
