According to Internet Live Stats, there are an estimated 1.5 billion websites. This means that a business has more than a little competition on the World Wide Web, making a custom website that much more essential.
Although custom websites offer a beautiful, unique way of presenting a business to its clients, these sites are also designed with plenty of SEO optimization, scalability, and flexibility — and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Once upon a time, template websites were the norm for businesses. These cookie-cutter websites offered a one-size-fits-all approach to web design, offering a bland user experience. They lacked originality and were unable to showcase and highlight a business’s uqique features.
Luckily, custom web design now dominates the market and boasts plenty of benefits, including brand awareness and strategic content designed to turn leads into sales.
Here’s how custom websites make this possible.
The Evolving Landscape of Web Design: Templates vs. Custom
Website creation is varied and available for everyone interested in starting a website. It used to be limited to the select few who understood the ins and outs of web development, but now it’s more accessible than ever.
One way of easily creating websites is with templates. This doesn’t mean that “easy” equates to “better,” something businesses looking to build their brand should consider. Although template have their limited uses, they’re not for companies looking to expand their client base and outpace the competition. In this instance, a business would need to work with custom website design companies for a bespoke experience.
Fortunately, businesses are no longer reduced to working strictly with website templates that lack depth and creativity. By partnering with a web page design agency, companies can increase brand awareness, make websites more interactive, rank higher in a search engine results page (SERP), and more, thanks to custom website design companies.
With custom website design comes some of the most evocative, appealing websites to date, each targeted at a specific audience and designed to enhance a user’s overall experience. Although template websites are cheap and relatively quick to create, the old adage is true: you get what you pay for, and a serious business needs a serious website to help showcase its products or services.
In general, businesses are transitioning away from template websites and toward custom websites because of creativity and brand recognition — items that clients value. Template websites often feel “boilerplate” and lack ingenuity, but a bespoke website works to showcase a company’s best assets.
Taken into consideration are psychological factors, including (but not limited to):
- A website’s color choice, as it can evoke a series of user emotions
- Font use on a website, as typography plays a large role in how users feel about a product or brand
- Layouts used on each website, as these help users anticipate what to expect from one page to the next
Templates have set limitations, whereas custom websites are created to meet and exceed a client’s exact needs. No matter what kind of online portfolio they’re looking to showcase, these websites can deliver.
Limitations of Templates in Meeting Unique Business Objectives
Templates often fall flat, especially when businesses rely on them to look professional and trustworthy. The reason for this is simple: template websites often have a cookie-cutter appearance, hampering a company’s ability to connect with its target audience. This means that a customer might navigate away from a website, heading to a competitor’s more professionally designed website.
Unprofessionalism notwithstanding, template websites often look outdated. Since they’re not created specifically for any one specific business, they’re not being updated and evolving with current trends. In short, it’s extremely difficult to customize a template website, which means businesses are stuck with something antiquated, conventional, and lackluster in functionality and appearance.
Another major drawback to template websites is their inability to pivot depending on a business’s demands. Anytime a website needs an overhaul, template websites are extremely limited and often incompatible. Once again, a business is left looking unprofessional due to its outdated website that fails to showcase new information.
It’s also possible for template websites to be close to invisible in search engines. If they lack proper SEO, potential customers might not be able to find them in a SERP. Fortunately, professional website design company services can implement SEO best practices into custom websites, helping businesses connect with prospective clients.
Template websites also lack customer service, and what they offer often is limited. Users rely on interactive websites, and an antiquated one without any type of usable customer service puts businesses at a disadvantage. Eventually, the money saved on a template website is counteracted with lost sales, thanks to inadequate communication between clients and businesses.
Custom Design as a Competitive Differentiator
One of the best ways to stand out among the competition is with a custom-designed website, as this works to improve a business’s overall branding. Seeing as businesses only have one opportunity to make a good first impression, it’s important that their website showcases what they have to offer — and does so professionally.
No matter what a business’s values are, custom websites allow these values to shine through. Template websites simply can’t compete. In the instance of custom websites, this includes complete control over a website’s:
- Tone
- Feel
- Look
If there’s a certain font or color guaranteed to resonate with an audience, custom websites can deliver where template websites fall flat.
When users get an enhanced experience, they’re more likely to trust a company or brand and invest in its products or services. The more engaging a website is, the more likely that prospective clients are to interact with the site, exploring different pages and hopefully turning leads into sales. When websites are customized and tailored, they can stand out from the competition.
Since custom websites are designed to boost conversion rates, their overall structure is designed with business goals in mind. This allows web design agencies to create user-friendly sites that help navigate users through the sales funnel.
Web design companies focus on engaging calls-to-action and appealing landing pages, creating a website that encourages users to take the next step. Templates simply can’t compete.
User Experience Optimization Through Bespoke Design
Custom web design lends itself to the specific needs of each user. This means that, no matter what a business’s target audience is, custom websites provide plenty of flexibility to meet these demands. If there’s a specific layout, feature, or content a company needs to showcase, bespoke design offers this, improving the overall experience of each user.
Websites with custom elements understand how users interact, creating clear paths for them to follow. This includes an engaging call-to-action that turns leads into sales and other inviting interactions to customize the overall experience.
Businesses running e-commerce stores, for example, can create websites that easily display their products, incorporating a seamless checkout process and streamlining the user experience. These online merchants also need trusted payment options, helping customers to feel secure while making purchases on their website.
Bespoke designs also reflect a company’s core values. By using carefully curated colors and design elements, users are invited to understand a business’s overall personality. By showcasing its brand, a company can work to form meaningful relationships with customers, securing their business for years to come.
Besides expressing core values, custom websites work to build trust and credibility by loading quickly. They do this without relying on lengthy and unnecessary code that ultimately slows sites down. Since more consumers are used to fast load speeds, slow sites appear unprofessional, turning customers off and sending them to competitive sites.
When using template websites, lengthy code is often unavailable, as these sites are built with plugins and unessential features that lead to lag times. When users are in a hurry to purchase a product, locate a business’s contact information, or find a certain page, they’re inclined to navigate away from sluggish pages. Fortunately, custom websites work to circumvent these issues which affect the user experience and SEO alike.
Customers also feel secure using custom websites, especially those with support features and chat functions. When investing in a custom website, companies are controlling their online security features, working to protect their business — and their clients.
Additionally, template websites are more prone to malware attacks and hackers. These websites are widely used, which means cyber-terrorists know their weaknesses and can exploit them with ease. This not only damages a company’s reputation but can lead to data leaks, exposing sensitive information.
Long-Term Scalability and Adaptability of Custom Websites
When creating custom websites, businesses have the added bonus of long-term scalability, as these sites are designed to add new features. With minimal effort, custom sites can easily include new pages as these websites expand with a business’s unique needs. It’s advisable that any business anticipating long-term growth should invest in custom websites from a professional digital marketing agency.
Custom websites offer a proactive approach to scalability and growth. Instead of pivoting as a company changes, custom websites anticipate this type of expansion, preparing for changes ahead of time. This means that, as a business has new demands, custom websites can quickly meet and exceed these needs.
SEO Benefits Unique to Custom-Designed Sites
Custom websites have the unique ability to help businesses rank higher in a SERP. Since these bespoke websites give businesses complete autonomy over how they’re structured, website designers can create something that’s optimized for search engines.
When doing so, a web design agency needs to incorporate:
- Fast load times
- Plenty of clean code
- Mobile Optimization
Custom websites also need the best content possible, complete with relevant keywords and compelling writing.
Calculating the Return on Investment (ROI): Custom Design as a Long-Term Investment
According to data from LinkedIn, customers can and do judge a book by its cover, with websites being at the forefront of business acumen. Seeing as 75% of users rely on websites to determine a company’s credibility, it’s more important than ever to consult with a digital marketing agency for web design.
Users look for a series of items when scrolling through websites. This includes:
- A visually appealing website with plenty of high-quality, appealing images
- A smooth user experience, free from pop-ups and complete with working links
- A website that’s mobile friendly, since global internet traffic is almost 60% mobile, according to MobiLoud
- A website that’s trustworthy and credible. This includes :
- A professional, transparent design
- Clear contact information
- Options for secure payments
- Plenty of client testimonials
- Certifications
- Backlinks to reputable websites
- High-quality content, including well-written blogs and on-page SEO
- Fast loading times, which can send clients to competitive sites
The initial expense for a custom website pales in comparison to the overall ROI, especially when web design services focus on creating brand trustworthiness. When websites are clearly designed, they offer credibility and work to prevent users from navigating toward a different, more professionally-designed site.
The easier a website is to navigate, the more likely it is for leads to turn into sales. When users can’t find a business’s contact information or don’t know how to purchase a product, they’re more likely to head over to a competitive site. When working with custom web design agencies, businesses can create bespoke websites that make it easy for clients to find desired items.
As discussed, custom websites can positively impact a company’s SEO. From there, a website is more likely to experience an increase in traffic, ranking above the competition and appearing for customers when they type certain keywords into a search engine.
It’s also important to showcase brand cohesion, something that custom websites can achieve. This helps customers recognize a business’s product, so there’s no confusion about what a company is selling or what clients can buy from them — and where.
When a professional marketing agency designs these custom websites, businesses will notice higher conversion rates. This is due to professionally designed sites free from the distractions that make a user’s experience a negative one. By creating an inviting space for customers to shop online, it’s more likely that they’ll work with that specific company instead of their competition.
Implement Custom Web Design Today
Although template websites feel like a quick way of showcasing your product with prospective clients, it’s important to remember that unprofessional websites affect the way a customer looks at a business. This, in turn, can negatively impact whether they purchase your product or service. Investing in a custom website is an investment that can affect your business for years to come.
Let’s B Media is your one-stop shop for all things web-related. We offer unparalleled creative marketing services, including digital marketing and custom website design tailored to meet and exceed your needs.
Contact us today and let’s create a custom website guaranteed to satisfy all your customers.