Templates used to seem like a good idea to me. You’d open a program like Microsoft PowerPoint, choose a template, fill in the text, add a graphic or two and you had your presentation slide done. A recent trend in web design is template site builders. Some are good for a quick blog site or a personal page to share with friends; however, for a business, there are several issues to consider.
First is the message you send about your business. Sure, showing you are budget conscious could be considered a plus for a debt councilor, but never under estimate the power of exuding confidence and reliability to your clients. A creative, productive custom website will send an instantaneous signal that your business is real, stable and capable of providing professional service. You only get one chance for a first impression.
Another thing to consider is your unique appeal. Don’t let the first thing a customer sees be the same look and/or feel of dozens of other websites. That template look stands out like a sore thumb.
Now, we move on to some major considerations. The world is changing. Go back in time just twenty years and ask someone if they could image not having phone service for their house. Today a large majority of people have canceled their landline phone and only use a cell phone. Another example of change is desktop computers. Go into your local electronics store and see how many desktop displays you see. Tablets and All-in-One’s dominate their shelves. Consider another change that is here and will continue to grow. Devices like eReaders and software like NaturalReader were designed to target the hearing impaired, but are being used as hands-free devices by a generation on the go. The mobile craze is in full swing. Having a book read out loud is great for anyone driving, running, walking or just lying on the couch with their eyes closed.
This is also a major problem when it comes to Search Engine Optimization because Google catalogs websites it can read. If a Google spider program looks at a website but encounters jumbled code, or is directed incorrectly while indexing the site content, the site ranking will suffer. To maximize the potential that Google will correctly index your site, have it custom designed by a professional designer.
To sum up: if you want a unique, professional site that sends the right message to your customers and is optimized for eReaders and Google spiders, avoid the template look and site builder programs. Hire a professional web designer and reap the benefits! 8/6/14 Written and Copyrighted by Computer Networks and Design, LLC. ©2014