Custom website or a template?

This is not a battle of good and evil, both routes make sense in different situations. The difference lies in what you expect from the website now and in a few years’ time.

Template

Quick and cheap to start. You buy a ready-made look and fill it with content. The downsides come later: the site looks like a thousand others, tends to be bloated and slower because it does lots of things you don’t need, and is harder to adapt when the business grows or wants something non-standard.

Custom website

More expensive and slower to start, because it is designed and programmed. In return it is fast, carries your brand’s own face, contains exactly what you need and is ready to grow. In the long run it is often cheaper to run and maintain than an overgrown template.

When to choose which

A template makes sense for a short-term project, a small budget or a simple business card site. A custom website pays off where your brand matters, where you need specific features, where speed and SEO play a role, and where the website should serve for years.

The middle way

Sometimes the best option is a quality foundation extended with custom code exactly where it is needed. The result decides, not dogma. If you are wondering whether to rebuild your current website, a redesign may help. Not sure? Write to me and I will recommend the route that makes sense in your case.