Buying A Website Template

Why Buying A Website Template May Not Be A Good Idea

Last time, we discussed how you should go about hiring a web designer – what to look for and what to watch out for. There is, however, another option when it comes to acquiring your website: purchasing a pre-built template.

Doing a quick Google search for something like “website template” or “web templates” will undoubtedly yield thousands of different online businesses willing to peddle their products in exchange for your money. You will see templates varying from traditional, table-like builds to flashy, high-tech and animated looks. The more you look around, the more you’ll realize that each website that sells such templates has their own style of design – you’ll see similar elements of style within all these templates. If you’re serious about purchasing a pre-built website template, take your time and shop through as many vendors as possible. Don’t be afraid to ask questions like how many pages are provided with the template, how easy it is to setup (and if they are involved at all in the setup and upload process), and if they offer ongoing support with purchase.

If considering purchasing a template, consider the following:

What level of expertise you will need to integrate the template into your own site.

How easy it will be to change/update certain elements of the template site.

How search engine-friendly the build is. It is not uncommon for such templates to be built in an assembly-line like process where volume is the biggest concern, and not the effectiveness of the product. If you see a website template you like, I highly recommend you consult an SEO professional before you buy.

There will be many others who will buy the same template – your website will be a carbon copy of other businesses out there. Not only is it unenviable to have a replica site, but you may be subjected to duplicate content penalties enforced by Google and other engines. For clarification, again contact an SEO professional.

That said, some website template vendors offer you the ability to purchase an exclusive license for the template, ensuring nobody can buy that template after you (although you cannot guarantee that anyone else hasn’t bought an unexclusive license before you).

Ultimately, if you are happy with the template’s look as well as the flexibility of the site and the customer support you may very well need, a template may be something to consider if your SEO consultant can approve the search engine-friendliness of the template.

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