I've seen articles (and websites) that suggest you can buy a website template and skip the expense of hiring a professional website designer. Recently, I read several testimonials from the very satisfied customers of a website template vendor that mentioned how quickly they were able to get their sites done. The template vendor commented that he/she had known people to complete their websites in around two hours.
With experiences and statements like these, it not surprising that more and more people are attempting to build websites themselves. I think that's great in a way. For those of us who are concerned about the trends in the web industry and community, it's great to see more people becoming web oriented and involved.
However, I think there is a misunderstanding by many of these people about what a website template really is ? and is not. At this point, I think it only fair that I should mention that I am a professional website designer (the person you supposedly don't need anymore). I should also mention that this is not my sole motivation for questioning this idea of templates replacing web designers. As a matter of fact, I think website templates are extremely useful. I recommend using them to my clients as a way of getting a great graphical look for their site. What I hope to convey is that template consumers need to know what they are and what they aren't getting with a template.
Consider an analogy for templates: pretty boxes for very important gifts. If you buy a pretty box, and put all the right stuff inside it ? won't everybody want to open the box and use the contents? Doing it yourself will save time and money ? so why not? Sounds good, and the people who wrote those testimonials would certainly think it was a good idea ? right?
But let's consider the contents of the box. Aren't you the best possible source for information about your company, organization, product or service? Of course you are! So the content of your box is bound to be great ? right? Well ? yes and no. Good web designers know that their clients are the best sources for the information that needs to be presented on their websites. However, they recognize that not everyone can organize that information in the optimal way for inclusion in a web page. If the contents in the box are wonderful, but jumbled, or hard to get out of the box, people may not like the box (or worse yet ? the owner of the box). Just as a badly considered gift (even a beautifully wrapped one) may offend someone, a poorly organized site can actually harm your efforts.
Take the analogy a bit further. Assume that all concerns about the content are dealt with: it's perfectly organized and you've got a knack for writing copy that would make most professional journalists green with envy! Voila: great looking presentation, content and organization! Now you've got it made ? or do you? Where is the box? Your audience needs to find this incredible box before they can open it.
A website template, no matter how beautifully designed or filled, is a box in the middle of a desert. Without adding content and description meta tags, titles, alternate content, proper use of text links and alternate navigation and registering the site with search engines, directories and obtaining useful links (to name but a few of the technical considerations), your pretty box may remain in the middle of that desert. It does no good for anyone if it isn't findable on the web.
A website template is a pretty box. Pretty boxes make a difference or we wouldn't all spend so much time wrapping all the gifts we give. Some people make their own boxes and wrapping paper ? and that's really great. But most of us buy mass-produced boxes and wrapping paper. It saves time and money. So do templates. But none of us would assume that boxes or wrapping paper would make up for a poor gift. Website templates make sense if they are kept in perspective as a specialization of labor in the production of websites. They are not however, a substitute for the experience, knowledge and judgment of professionals who have a vested interest in your success.
About The Author
William T. "Chip" Lane is the owner of Lane Web Design (http://www.lanewebdesign.com) a full-service web design and consulting firm located in Mebane, North Carolina.
You are welcome to republish this article as long as the link is kept active.
Color is one of the most important but least understood... Read More
You may not believe it, but people still judge things... Read More
The importance of choosing your website keywords carefully is very... Read More
You're almost set. The content of your website, e-book, or... Read More
First you need original content. Content is the heart beat... Read More
I often wonder how serious people are when it comes... Read More
Don't mess with those links! When you're designing your site,... Read More
No, that's not the real question. The real question is... Read More
You know... Before purchasing your product a person comes to... Read More
Making a successful online business can be a long and... Read More
1. Assemble a web site development plan that is integrated... Read More
There is a widespread confusion among lots of new website... Read More
Congratulations! You've got a brand new site and it's doing... Read More
While few companies can boast as we do that our... Read More
There are many companies who build websites, all of which... Read More
I've seen articles (and websites) that suggest you can buy... Read More
Unarguably, the most important part of your website is content.... Read More
First off, I am a designer. Now you're thinking, here's... Read More
It is a well-known fact that a successful business depends... Read More
As of September, Smartads went through what so many have... Read More
Well it is not Elvis, that's for sure.I am a... Read More
Home-based businesses need a strong web presence to combat the... Read More
Do you want to use unsafe web colors without offending... Read More
QUESTION: We promote our web site in all our... Read More
Sooner or later every small or medium business owner realizes... Read More
In today's age of fast food and high-speed Internet, a... Read More
Tips to brand your websiteInclude your logo in all pages.... Read More
When JV Media Design was formed, the year was 1995... Read More
First impressions are extremely important if you hope to do... Read More
From my personal experience of around two year as home... Read More
Creating your own website is actually easy in today's world... Read More
What do the key words represent?Key words - these are... Read More
A client asked me, at what point do you change... Read More
I taught myself HTML back in the mid-nineties and was... Read More
In today's world, a web site is virtually mandatory for... Read More
If you are reading this, I assume you either have... Read More
Where does a person start when setting up a website?... Read More
When JV Media Design was formed, the year was 1995... Read More
Surfing the internet is basically an information-fest! From intellectual discussions... Read More
There's no doubt about it - the first page your... Read More
The following list of websites is the best compilation of... Read More
From my personal experience of around two year as home... Read More
As an online Entrepreneur you require a successful website.One that... Read More
Over the course of the last decade, the Internet has... Read More
Almost everything is available on the web? products, services, e-books,... Read More
On the internet we don't deal with face to face... Read More
In the early years of the internet the actual design... Read More
You have identified that to have an internet prescence would... Read More
The most important person that you need to please when... Read More
Many websites make the mistake of being all flash and... Read More
If you've a website but not making a lot of... Read More
If you are one of those who wonder how people... Read More
Argh, where's the contact button?! Believe it or not, some... Read More
In this article you will find the parallel between two... Read More
It's been said again and again, when it comes to... Read More
Making your site accessible means making it available to be... Read More
Do you want to use unsafe web colors without offending... Read More
Most NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) don't understand these important aspects of... Read More
Part one of this article is available at ... Read More
Choosing the right typeface for your website copy is important,... Read More
When your web site sells more than a dozen items,... Read More
If your website is falling through the cracks, the chances... Read More
Typos, misspellings, hideous grammar, exclamation overkill and run-on sentences all... Read More
One of the simplest things you can do to give... Read More
An application is not ready for use unless you have... Read More
1. Loading time:try to be below 20kbless number of imagesspecify... Read More
Web Design |