Website templates are kind of a mystery to people. Which kind of makes sense. Unless you are in the web design industry, have used one before, or have seen some for sale, you probably don’t know what one is. Let me help break it down for you.
A website template is a pre-made website, built for a specific website platform.
Some of the most popular website platforms are Showit, WordPress, Squarespace, and Wix. They all have their pros and cons, we will have to cover those in another blog post. Personally, I would choose your website platform based on what your goals are for your website. Once you have a preferred platform picked, you can find a website template designed for that platform. One that fits your specific goals and needs.
Ok, I’ve picked a website platform, now what?
Once you have picked where you would like to have your website, now it’s time to pick a template. You can find website templates for sale in various places. They are available for sale are: in template shops such as The Open Arena Template Shop, Creative Market, and Etsy. They are also available at the platforms specific website. (Ex. Showit templates for sale on the Showit website, Square Space templates for sale on the Square Space site, etc.)
You can search templates by style, type, and by specific industry. Creative Market and Etsy are great resources for finding templates of all shapes and styles, hosted on all different platforms.
If you are in a specific industry, it’s best to find a template shop that caters to those in your industry.
For Example The Open Arena Template Shop has Showit Website templates specific for those in the Equine Industry – Equine Boarding Facilities, Horse Trainers, A Sales Horse Program, an Equine Massage Therapist, Farriers, Chiropractors and more.
Next Steps
Ok so you’ve picked where your website is going, and found a template you love. Now you have to purchase your domain, (I prefer google domains), connect it to your website, and get to customizing! Add in your colors, fonts, logos, and branding it make it completely your own. No one will ever know you purchased a template, and that it wasn’t custom designed for you!
In conclusion
Depending on what you and your business are needing from a website, a website template may be the perfect option for you. Website templates make it easy for you to have a complete website up and running in hours, instead of weeks and months. The days of waiting weeks and months to have your website published are behind us. With a website template, you have the advantage of having a website designed by a professional Web Designer, without the price tag of a fully custom website. Also, a well designed website template will still have the design and technique behind it to capture your audience and create leads.
So whether you are debating if your business needs a website(It does, just look here,) or you are just getting started on your website design journey, I hope I have helped you to understand website templates just a little bit more!
