Web Templates: A Great Solution for Most Web Needs
The other day I was looking through a catalog for front doors. I was stunned at the beauty of some of the “models.” I was thinking about what a first impression they would make if installed on our house. I further imagined a guest as they came upon our house as they approached the front door to see one of these installed. Then it dawned on me further that like these doors that you can order, most homes, including the affordable and attractive ones, are created from common blueprints, patterns that are repeated elsewhere in the housing development – or in other locations, but with customizations. Let’s call the blueprints “templates”, at least for the sake of my argument here. Most people don’t walk into a well designed home, built from a blueprint used to create other similar homes and think how common the home is. A website is quite similar.
If templates work so well for home building, a complex endeavor indeed, why not for website creation? Now, granted, if you have the budget, a custom plan/blueprint (custom website) can be drawn up for you by an architect, but if you’re like most people, and most small to medium sized businesses out there, a budget dictates the most effective use of your funds.
Now there are literally hundreds of web templates available out there – highly attractive, nicely designed and ready to be implemented into a Content Management System. And the real beauty, assuming you get the right one, is that all the cross-browser compatibility CSS issues have already been worked out for you. Why redesign the house? Why for instance, should one have to re-figure out all the electrical wiring or framing structure for every dwelling you build? You can now take a template you like and work it to the point that it speaks of your company, or your personal service. Often, they come with built-in javascript functionality for cool effects. I’ve found that you can build your site with all kinds of bells and whistles from the ground up but the time it takes to do that is often too costly.
Some of the web template sites I like with a little commentary:
I’ve purchased several templates from them and have been quite pleased. They also sell code snippets and although I haven’t purchased any yet, I most likely will in the future.
They even have what looks like good quality Expression Engine templates – I think about the only resource on the web for such.
Now for the web designer/developer, there’s still PLENTY of work to be done. The focus is now on the customization, the branding and adapting the site to the business’ or individual’s unique needs. It’s a win-win situation for both.
If you would like me to talk to you about your website, or for an estimate please contact me.
Pete