Having a website is no longer an option – a long stated sales cliche that has finally become a reality. And with the advent of tools like WordPress and myriad of other online technologies getting something “up” is easier than ever. In most cases when using these tools you are offered the option of using a pre-designed template. The templates are essentially mass produced in a variety of styles and already fitted to the tool of choice – shortening the process of publishing a website from at least several weeks to less than a couple of hours.
Should I use one of these templates?
The short answer is no. Anything that represents your business as a whole should not be template based. To me, and most people browsing on the web, a website now represents more than generic piece of information available 24/7, it’s a direct reflection of your business. Especially since in most cases it is used in the judgement call of doing business with you or not (even in B2B!) if they are getting to know you for the first time.
So, when discussing templates, it really comes down to three main problems that relate to expressing the unique nature of your business: templates are limited in customizability, they often have poor usability, and ultimately lack an expression of your unique selling proposition.
Why is customization a concern?
For one, templates are very image centric, versus content centric. It forces you into thinking about how to fill in the template, rather than on what content you should be presenting to your prospects. For example, you want to add a fifth top level menu for your custom business process, but you can’t, because the template only has room for four top level menu items. You are also likely forced to use image banners of a specific size / type, again limiting your expression. Finally, most templates use Flash, and while this might seem cool, it’s really not. Smart phone compatibility aside, animation, especially one that’s generic, is simply a waste of your visitors time.
Usability is very important to today’s web surfer
More and more people are using the web constantly. In fact, in some demographics they use it more than they watch TV. Designers of templates take little heed in understanding your demographic, how the site is used, and often ignore basic usability guidelines – like how the menu works, or how search is integrated. How do your visitors react? Simply – by leaving your site!
Templates also often lack proper search engine optimization (and as mentioned above use Flash more often than not). Template designers care little about this important aspect. The fact is templates are designed with you in mind, since you are the one buying, not your consumer.
Highlighting your business’ uniqueness
Above all, the greatest problem with templates is that they lack an expression of your unique selling proposition – your position in the market. Your website is part of the sales process, whether it’s simply used for information, or for actual interaction like product demonstrations or white papers.
Using a template greatly limits your own thought process, and de-values the process of thinking about your position, your brand, and the importance of the content you present. Instead you spend time thinking of how the content can fit the template, and filling in the gaps.
If you are not different, and do not present any added value, you can easily go down the slippery slope of becoming a commodity – perception is reality. And if you’ve ever dealt with selling or buying readily available commodities you know that it can only come down to one thing – price.
So where do I go from here?
When thinking about web presence your goal should be to represent your business and it’s uniqueness as clearly as possible. Prospects that aren’t personal referrals (and even in some cases when they are) first go to your website to get an idea of who you are, how you work, and who you’ve done business with in the past. Making a good first impression on your site is important and can give you a real leg up.
I know it can seem like a hassle, especially when you have the easy option of getting a template in 5 minutes, but spending some time early on to really explore how you want to express yourself online can pay big dividends. It will provide you with positive re-enforcement of your unique value, attract the right type of prospects, and ultimately greatly shorten your sales cycle.