Based in Canton, GA, USA
The term bespoke web design may not mean a lot to you if you don’t work in the web design industry. It’s a forgotten word to some extent, but using it for your website needs will help distinguish you from the competition.
In the following article, we’ll be discussing your options for getting a website off-the-ground. You can either go with one of the many “push-button” templates that promise a quick, no-hands approach to building a website. Or, you can go more customized.
And that’s where our introductory term comes into play. So let’s look at the advantages, but first:
What the Heck Is a Bespoke Website?
The word bespoke, as you might have surmised by now, means to be made for a particular customer or user. In other words, customization.
Taking the concept a little further, bespoke website design is a concept where the website is built from the ground up to your specifications. On the surface, that probably sounds intimidating or expensive.
And it can be. But there are many advantages, which we’ll get into in a moment. Before we go there, however, we should understand the alternative.
Yes, most small business websites have gone to template designs, so much that there are more website builder options today than ever before. It begs the question:
Why Do People Use Templates for Web Design?
Business owners wouldn’t do it if they didn’t foresee some value. Maybe they’ve got to get their web presence off-the-ground in a hurry. Perhaps they trusted the wrong custom website designer and have been burned.
- They see in a template something simple, easy-to-use, and a quick fix to the necessity of being a mobile-friendly. But templates also bring with them a slew of disadvantages:
- They’re cookie-cutter and make it hard to distinguish your business from any other
- They don’t play nicely with customization needs that you might have specific to your industry
- They don’t do as well with SEO
- They’re easier targets for scammers and malware
Bottom line: you just don’t get as much out of template designs. But that may be harder to see if you’ve never weighed the full advantages of custom web design. So, in the next section, we’re going to cover those bases.
7 Advantages of Custom Web Design
Before jumping into the advantages, it’s important to settle in with the type of content management system (CMS) you plan on using. WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla are the three biggest, with WordPress leading the way with over 75 million sites out of 172 million active.
A custom WordPress website is often the preferred choice. That’s likely because it’s simple enough for businesses to handle day-to-day activity without always needing to consult a specialist. Whichever route you go, here’s what you can expect from full-scale customization.
1. Easy Social and SEO Setup from the Beginning
Your web design consultant can more easily integrate your social media activity and search engine optimization architecture into the site from the start. For example, custom-built sites can seamlessly display Twitter or Facebook feeds directly into your home page, allowing site visitors to see what you’re posting about and what discussions are being had.
Since social media tends to be a haven for conversation — some good, some bad, all engaging — your site can receive a nice SEO boost from that interest and activity. Using a template design is clunkier and requires more upkeep and maintenance.
2. Reputation Management
A custom web design distinguishes your site from others in your niche. Since most are probably using templates, your site (done right) will craft an air of professionalism that will give you an advantage with potential customers in a head-to-head fight.
3. Business Tailoring
Some businesses may have unique needs a template design won’t be able to meet. Any industry-specific feature that requires a higher level of understanding won’t be hashed out in a pre-bought design package.
For example, let’s say your site’s goal is to offer a web-based platform for engineers, architects, city officials, and contractors to work together on large projects that require drawings, simulations, etc. Nothing against them, but you’re not getting that from Wix!
A custom designer won’t have the knowledge of your industry. But he will be able to take specific direction and build in the features you need with the overall structure of the site.
4. Direct Attention
A template design isn’t easily fixable without specific customization knowledge. As a result, you’ll find yourself waiting for a patch or an update whenever something goes wrong.
Bespoke web design connects you to your very own designer who knows your site and can respond to issues immediately and effectively. No waiting, just results.
5. Better Security
Templates are easier for hackers to study and “practice” on. Their practice means malware, viruses, etc. Given the sheer number of template designs in use, that makes sites running them easy targets.
A customized site is unique. One of a kind. It’s not immune from being compromised, but it has a much smaller target on its back.
6. Complete Ownership
Nothing’s quite so disheartening than finishing your awesome website design, right out of the box, to see that a competitor has basically the same thing. Sure, the colors may be different, but you look like you could be part of the same parent company!
Bespoke web design leaves you in a better situation. That’s because you own the look and functionality of your site outright. And again, ownership helps you stand out.
7. Getting What You Pay For
Template sites may give you a lot of what you don’t need and not enough of what you do. The company you’re buying from determines how your money is allocated. Who does business this way?
Customized sites allow you to spend your budget more efficiently. You determine the features that stick and the ones that don’t.
Make Your Site a Better One with Bespoke Web Design
A template design may get your site off the ground. But it also guarantees your site will inherit the blandness and challenges of dozens of other websites.
Bespoke web design guards against this and ensures your site presents you for the unique company that you are. If you are ready to get your customized website off the ground, contact us with your needs today.
