If you’ve ever looked for a website template before, I bet you found yourself down a rabbit hole of choices, am I right? There are soooo many sources available online. Once the excitement wears off and decision overwhelm kicks in, you might start wondering…
What should I be looking for anyway? How do I compare two options that seem great? How do I make the best choice for the business I have right now AND the one I imagine it could be?
Giiiirl, I hear ya. To help you make the best decision for your business (and it’s next digital ensemble), I’m taking you through the 4 major elements to look for and consider before you press “purchase.” Come take a look…
01. What are Your Must-Have Features?
First things first. The right website template MUST have the features that your business will need to survive and thrive. In fact, I always recommend writing down a list of your website “must-haves” BEFORE you even go browsing. For example…
Are you selling products? Make sure you can do so with the template.
Will you be blogging? Make sure there is a blog design built in.
Will you need a long sales page? Try and find a template that has a sales page template.
What kind of features or pages do you plan to add to your website in the next year or two? Dream big!
Defining your goals at the start will help you identify the right template when you spot it, and cancel out the noise made by all the templates that aren’t right for you.
02. Find a Website Template Source You Trust
The next step in selecting the right template is finding a resource you trust. Googling “website templates” is going to return a ton of results. Some might be dazzling and look perfect for you, but as much as it pains me to say it, it’s a simple truth that not all template providers are created equal.
If you’re going to invest your time and hard-earned dollars into a website template, you’ll want a provider that has your back. You can look into this by investigating some of these questions for the template designer(s) you’re considering:
- Do their templates, in general, include your must-have features?
- Do they provide support, education, and resources to help you customize the template if you get stuck?
- Are their templates optimized for mobile viewing? Called “responsive” in tech lingo — definitely view and explore the mobile version before purchasing.
- Is their own website’s experience a positive one with a trustworthy brand? They should be leading by example!
If you’ve landed on a template shop that doesn’t tick all of these boxes (yes, ALL of them), you’ll want to keep moving. You deserve to find one that’s going to truly support you, your business, and your success!
03. An Aesthetic That Fits Your Brand
Yes, templates are meant to be changed and customized. But if you aren’t a website designer, you will definitely want to choose a template that has somewhat of a built-in aesthetic that you can easily tweak to make your own.
Like template features, having an idea of what you’re looking for aesthetically before you go shopping will help you sift through the options. Is your brand modern and minimal? Eclectic and artsy? Chic and femme fatale? Create a list of “style words” and reference it when you begin your hunt!
04. That Extra “Something”
Most business owners who use a website template don’t want it to look like they’ve used a template. They want it to feel custom and special and different enough to be noticed… and I’m totally into that!
However, if you’re not a website designer, this is difficult to achieve on your own. Luckily, I’ve found a simple way to take a big step in that direction. Here’s my best tip (saved for last!)…
Select a template that looks a little different from most templates you’ve seen before.
That’s right. Find a template that goes a bit outside of the typical box. Why? Because even with minimal customization, this extra “something” will help make your site look custom designed. Easy as that!
Ready to make your business look like it just returned from a spa weekend? Check out our suite of website templates inspired by some of my favorite destinations around the world.
xx,
Ariel
