A custom website is developed from the ground up and coded to meet specific needs. Custom-built websites are easy to maintain and easier to alter if needed. You often hear, “I can build that myself!” Well, half of the people in the world can do it with help from easy-to-use CMS like WordPress and Wix. If that site is for personal purposes, it is acceptable to build it yourself. But what happens when your business and revenue start depending on that website? Because there are differences between ready-made themes and custom website design.
Starting Small and Scaling Up – Themes vs Custom Website Design
At its beginning, each small business chose a template theme in CMS. It is a budget-friendly solution, and tweaking it adds that personal touch makes it different from other internet sites. Additionally, development time is much shorter. But, time passes, and the business grows its requirements, content, and functions that the site needs to accommodate.
But that’s when the problem arises. Ready-made themes are not flexible enough and cannot accept all we want from them once the business aspirations grow. As it turns out, businesses hire web developers to make the site work for them. Yet, it’s not the end of the issue because there is another element like search engine optimization in a few months. As a result, many themes are not automatically SEO-friendly.
Although the theme seemed a good choice, you realise that many businesses use it, and it is no longer unique. Additionally, the more you change, it feels forcefully made to work, and it no longer is the same theme you chose. So you find a solution to make its design a little better.
If only it were that easy, the magic circle keeps spinning and never stops. Now imagine if you had a vision of what that website should do for your business. You have all the requirements jotted down and neatly elaborated. That vision needs to become a reality by someone experienced enough who provides custom website development services.
You hire a software development company to build a custom website for your business. It is unique, and no other website looks like it. You realise that the functionality and design of the custom website fit your business needs. You do not need to worry about adding something later because the site is built for you, and everything you made in the requirements is already there.
Should you need a specific change in the future, custom websites are built with strategy and plans. Meaning it is easily scalable and can grow with your business without jeopardising its look and feel. The only thing is that since they are not ready-made, or should we say they are tailor-made for you, it can take months to develop.
How to Decide What to Include in Custom Website Design?
Well, for starters, whatever your business is about, there are always elements such as SEO and your audience that will determine the direction of your website. When it comes to business, there is no “one size fits all”; otherwise, all the websites would be in the same category.
You can observe the differences by visiting the website of your best competitor and the business that has nothing to do with your industry, for example. Make notes of what they do to attract customers and what their websites look like. It does not mean you should copy their ideas, but make records of what they are doing and your business isn’t. You can make something better than even your competitors’ audiences will love by collecting information.
The website planning process is just as important as the final product because it conveys the story of the business. You can also ask yourself specific questions related to your business, goals, customers, and content prioritisation.
Start with the brand. The success of every brand is its audience. Unlike theme, the custom website allows you to incorporate anything brand-related based on researching your audience and preferences. For example, suppose you build a uniquely designed website that people have not seen before you increase engagement with them. In addition, a unique website is more trustworthy than a ready-made theme. Especially if the targeted audience is technically and aesthetically savvy.
Most of the service providers have UI and UX designers on their teams. That means making sure that the website is easily navigated without the fluff and unnecessary clicks. That leaves your users to visit a website they easily understand instead of the one it takes them time to find specific information.
Next, there are the specific functionalities that the business requires, and you had trouble implementing them on a ready-made theme. Custom websites accommodate everything easily. However, it is bittersweet to prioritise the functionalities. There are many possibilities, and it can be tempting to include everything.
There is no need to worry about adding something later because custom websites are highly scalable. But, you have to prioritise the functionalities to communicate to the development team what is of the utmost importance to your business.
Additionally, ready-made themes often do not allow any search engine-friendly options. Custom website design will enable you to make sure that CSS and HTML are optimised according to SEO rules.
Lastly, any company that builds custom websites will make their suggestions based on the experience of their designer or developer. Something that can make your website more appealing and functional. So do not be afraid to communicate a lot. In the end, you want the final product to serve you for a very long time.
Why Do You Need to Consider a Custom Website Design in the First Place?
Good question. The short answer is to improve your business growth. But the extended response would be for various reasons closely related to scaling up your business. And here are the 17 reasons you need to consider custom website design for your business.
- Conveys the unique value of your brand
- Enhances search engine rankings
- Improves the customer experience with a user-friendly interface
- Allows for simple scalability and future expenditures should be minimal
- It gives you a more professional appearance with a one-of-a-kind, original design
- Reduces code bloat to improve website performance
- Allows for responsive design
- Enables you to construct a navigation structure that lowers the bounce rate
- Increased security
- Accommodating a higher volume of traffic
- Introducing new features to address changes in your company model over time
- Unlimited designs that are tailored to the needs of the business
- Updates are possible at any time
- Thoughtfully developed conversion funnels to increase your conversion rates
- A fully optimised website that enhances performance, compatibility, and accessibility
- Handcrafted admin panels that allow your web administrators to make changes quickly
Conclusion
You have a storefront with a big sign stating what your business does in the real world. On the other hand, a website is a tool for your business in the digital world. It communicates the activity and the whole culture toward customers and the company behind the brand. Therefore, it must be appealing as well as simple to use.
TNation has skilled developers in helping you find the best solution for your custom website design.
