What about them? From time to time, new or potential clients ask us about freebie websites and online templates that let you build your own web presence. And, while the stock answer within the Calgary business web design community is “stay away from them,” we think the best answer is a little more nuanced.

So, if you’re considering building your next website from a template, or making it a weekend DIY project, here are a few things you should know beforehand:

Template websites lack the functionality most businesses want. With most, you can plug in some images and text, and maybe even one or two social links, but that’s about it. If you want to add things like videos, a blog, or advanced graphics and functionality, you’re out of luck. For most businesses, an online version of their brochure isn’t enough, which is why many companies find template websites to be lacking.

Template websites don’t always look bad, but they do always look like template websites. In other words, they don’t quite have the refined, creative look that a custom-built and -programmed business website should. To be fair, that might be better than having a bad web design, though, which is something we’ll talk about in just a second.

Your growth is somewhat limited when you use a template website. Because template websites don’t do as much as custom websites do, the businesses that use them will inevitably come to a point where they’ll wish they had something a bit more powerful, distinctive, and substantial.

So, we’re telling you to stay away from freebie templates and DIY websites, right? Not necessarily – although they aren’t an ideal option for most businesses, they can be a good choice if you’re just starting out and can’t afford a professional, customized business web design. In fact, spending nothing and getting a very basic website might be better than spending less than you would with a firm like ours and getting the same kind of website as a result.

As with most things, going “free” isn’t the best long-term value, but it can be the right short-term answer when money is tight.

eKzact has been a leader in Calgary web design for more than 20 years. Get in touch with us today to see how we can help your business.

By David A. West  Join me on Google+

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