You have made the decision to build your website. You have chosen the program in which you want to build it. Now comes the agonizing decision of choosing a website template!
How to choose a small business website design template?
Before making any template decisions, you need to know how your website is being built. There are many ways to build a website, including:
- Software programs such as Dreamweaver or Microsoft Expressions
- Website builders like Weebly
- Online content management systems like WordPress or Joomla
My recommendation is always WordPress. After spending over ten years designing websites in just about every possible way, I settled on WordPress because of its cost (free!), ease of use, flexibility, variety of looks, and customization.
Let’s get back to the topic at hand: templates!
So you’ve chosen your site design method and now you’re looking for templates. Here are some factors to consider when doing your search:
1. personalization – How much can the template be changed? Some templates are designed to be used exactly as they are, while others are designed to be modified and customized. Find out how flexible your potential theme is so you can decide if it’s right for you.
two. Support for – If you have issues and problems with your template, will there be someone to answer your questions? Having this kind of customer support is something you’ll usually get from themes you pay for and not free ones. So consider whether it’s worth it to you to have support available when you need it.
3. flexibility – Does your template limit your website in any way? Does it allow you to do everything you need to do with your website right now and anything you want to do in the near or even distant future? Try to think long term with your template and whether it will adapt to your needs over time.
Four. Brand – Does the template match the brand and style of your business? If you’re starting a business from scratch, this may not be a problem, but if you’re taking your offline business online, you’ll want to consider your branding and keep it consistent. Some things you might not initially think about are matches: fonts, colors, logos, and images. Consistent branding builds trust in your business, allows your prospects and customers to feel comfortable buying from you.
5. Navigation – Last but not least is website navigation. Does the template allow ease of use to move around the site? Potentially one of the most important things about your site is how easy it is for people to find what they’re looking for. Make sure the possible templates you choose are not confusing or restrictive and allow users to easily find their way to the good stuff.