What is a Website Template?

When you’re busy launching a new online business you don’t have a lot of spare time to design and build a website from scratch. That’s why so many online entrepreneurs turn to website templates to build a website for their services, courses, blog, biz info, and more. Website templates give you the ability to customize a strategic website in a shorter amount of time and with no coding required. 

What are website templates?

Website templates are pre-designed layouts that can be easily arranged and customized into a simple yet effective website. They give you the ability to customize the brand elements (colors, fonts, imagery, copy…) but skip the coding and design work. Website templates are typically drag and drop so you can easily build a professional website that is optimized for conversion. 

How do website templates work?

The user-interface varies from platform to platform, but the basic functionality of website templates is universal. The design work and coding are already done for you so that all you have to do is add your brand elements and arrange the layout. You can easily move and remove elements to create a customized website that’s on-brand and unique. 

If you go with a professionally designed website make sure the designer includes instructions on how to use the template for your specific platform. For example, we include tutorials on how to get, upload, and customize our WIX website templates so you’re not left guessing what comes next. The purpose of a website template is to make it easier and quicker for you to build a professional online presence. 

What are the benefits of using website templates?

Save time and money. One of the most notable benefits of using website templates is how much time and money you’ll save. Even if you have coding experience, designing an entire website from scratch takes weeks of time that you could spend actually running your business. Time is your most valuable resource when you’re an online entrepreneur and you need to spend it wisely, especially in the beginning. 

Cost-efficiency is another benefit for website templates. They are a fraction of the cost of custom designed websites. Should you eventually spring for a custom website? Maybe, but that’s not always possible right away. Website templates are designed to give you a professional online presence quickly and affordably. 

Fully customizable. Website templates are fully customizable so that you can create an on-brand website that your audience recognizes. You can change the colors, fonts, images, and rearrange the appearance to make your website look and flow exactly the way you want it to. 

One of the keys to successfully running an online business is to build a recognizable brand that stands out. Your website, social media posts, email marketing, and landing pages should all have a cohesive look and feel that your audience knows, likes, and trusts. Website templates give you the ability to easily create a consistent look for your website. 

Optimized for user experience. The number one benefit of using a professionally designed website template is that it is built to optimize the user’s experience. Professionally trained website designers know how to build a website that shares important information and moves your audience through your sales funnel.

Professional designers stay up to date with the latest trends and often work with marketing analysts to strategically design website templates. The basic website templates that are available on many website platforms are great for quickly building an on-brand website, but might require extra optimization work. 

Whether you choose a professionally designed website template or a free website template, you’ll be able to create a professional online presence in a short period of time. 

What are the alternatives?

If you want a full-fledged website and you can afford the investment, then custom-built is a good option. There are a lot of really great website designers who will work with you to create a gorgeous website. It will take longer and cost more, but you’ll get EXACTLY what you want and need. 

If you can successfully launch and run your business without a multi-page website, then you could consider a landing page or sales page. Landing pages are single page websites that are designed for one purpose - conversion. If you want to know more about the difference between websites and landing pages, then check out our blog. 

One other option you could consider is no website or landing page at all. There are successful businesses that are completely run on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram - it just depends on what works best for your business model. 

How can we help?

We design website templates and landing page templates for online service providers. All of our templates are optimized for user experience and conversion so that you can focus on what you do best - serving your clients. 

If you’re interested in our WIX website templates or Canva landing page templates, you can visit our shop here! We offer website, marketing, and branding templates to help online service providers quickly and affordably launch their dream business.