Building a website today is as essential as creating an eye-catching sign or printing the right business cards. Because websites are one of the main ways customers and clients discover your business, many companies have made it easier than ever to create high-quality websites with customizable design templates.
However, there are hundreds, even thousands, of templates to choose from. How do you know which one is right for your business?
Narrow in on the right website template by asking yourself these three questions before you get started.
Who Will Be Updating the Website?
The design of your website is ultimately up to you, whether you will be personally updating the website or you’re leaving the updates to someone else. But, figuring out who is going to be doing the updating can help you narrow down your options.
If you will be personally responsible for updating the website, but you don’t have a lot of time or technological expertise, it’s a good idea to go with a simple website that’s built for ease of use. It’s also helpful to look for a design that doesn’t require frequent updates.
If someone else with a little more time and experience will be responsible for the website, you can branch out and try a more complex template that requires frequent updates.
What Is the Content Going to Look Like on the Site?
Next, you need to think carefully about what is actually going on the site. In general, simple designs are best, but the overall layout of your website will vary greatly depending on what you’ll be posting.
For example, a news site will minimize the use of images and graphics and instead provide plenty of white space for news stories to run. A photographer, in contrast, will have very little content. Instead, the site will likely be plastered with photos. A landscaper may fall somewhere in the middle.
Did You Remember Mobile?
No website design is complete without a mobile version. Mobile websites offer a wide range of benefits that include:
- An improved user experience: Mobile sites make it easy to click and call or scroll using a thumb or finger.
- Increased time spent on your site: The simplistic nature of a mobile site means it’s easier for visitors to browse, encouraging them to spend more time on your site.
- Quicker website loading speeds: Because it’s built for mobile, the site will load before visitors can give up and move on to your competitor’s website.
- Improved mobile SEO: Google ranks mobile sites differently. Without one, someone searching on a mobile device won’t even know you exist.
Fortunately, many templates automatically adjust for mobile. Just make sure you choose one of these templates when building your site.
Put in the time to find the right website template and you can save yourself a lot of time down the road. Updating your website with a new template can be done, but it’s a lot easier just to choose the right template in the first place!
