Gone are the days when creating a decent website required a lot of coding and design skills. Learning and mastering the codes were tricky and it requires too much time. Today, just about everyone can create a website using content management systems such as WordPress, Drupal and Joomla.
Most businesses find readymade website templates cheaper than creating a website from scratch, simply because it won’t require the help of web designers. Website templates are also generally easier to manage.
However, picking the best template for your website needs may seem like a daunting task. Why? Because there are thousands of amazing, professionally designed web templates that you can choose from and customise. It’s easy to be overwhelmed with the templates and confusion sets in when each theme appears to look better than the other. So, how do you choose the template that is the best fit for your website? In this article, we share specific elements to consider so you can get an idea of what’s right for your site.
1. Relevance to your field
Different website templates are designed for different industries. From real estate to design and photography, automobile to the medical industry, your area of focus will determine the type of theme you should choose.
Content management systems (CMSs) that offer free or paid website templates always group them into specific categories to make it easier for users to find them. You’ll never run out of exclusivity.
If you import and export vehicles; to create a website on the WordPress CMS, you’ll find the right template under the Cars and Motorcycles category.
Each template in every category usually features placeholder images and text that give a precise idea of what your final website will look like after you’ve personalised it. For a car business, a sample landing page will look something like this:
For every theme, you’ll often be shown a preview website on all display types. This is intended to give you a feel of what your website would look like on desktop as well as on mobile.
Whatever platform or CMS you choose to build your website on, you can find beautiful templates that were designed for your area or industry. Such themed layouts already take into account your exact needs as a website owner.
Using such a template that already matches your specific type of business or service saves you a lot of headache and time you’d otherwise spend on customisation.
Functional Web Layout
How information on your website will be structured depends on the layout. You should consider that website templates arranged clearly and in a “tree-like” layout will help site visitors find information easily.
It is also important to choose a layout that meets your practical needs as it is. Otherwise, you’d have to redesign the template by making a lot of changes. Not only will the redesign consume your precious time but it also increases the amount of work involved. Choosing a website template that works exactly as you want without the need for many changes helps you save design time. It may also cost less to put up such a website.
Don’t go for a template simply because it looks attractive. Most templates in the same category tend to have near-equal levels of appeal so you should be able to find a suitable template without sacrificing functionality. Look at the homepage structure and the inner pages before you make a final decision about a template.
Do they have enough space to accommodate the kind of images you want to put? Are you looking to have mostly text pages on your site? If you are looking to have a lot of text on the home page, your theme selection would look something like this:
On the other hand, if you will include more or bolder graphics/ images and less text, this kind of template would be more suitable.
For a good choice of template, ensure the layout:
- Has enough room for the kind of content you need to have on your site
A realtor will need to display property on the website, a news agency will need a Web layout that features an archive option and accommodates longer texts, a PR firm will be better off with a layout that conveniently displays the various services it offers, while a fight instructor requires a proper infrastructure for videos.
- Allow for easy content upload and edit
Normally you should have all the files you wish to have on your website ready before you look for a template. It will be easier to deal with a layout that has a place for each content as it is. This eliminates the need to significantly change the picture sizes or volumes of text.
- Visual appeal to both you and your target audiences
Ideally, you should find a template that already has the corporate colours of your business, the type of fonts, stock images and icons you need.
Aesthetics matter and the final website should be an exact reflection of your brand. The best template is one that will carry these features without needing a lot of changes.
Keep in mind that a visually appealing website should be equally appealing to your target market. So, start by understanding your market in terms of their likes and dislikes, and pick a template that they will find tasteful.
- Good navigation and responsiveness
Responsive web design is a key to the quality browsing experience.
Your audiences will love you if you give them the easily navigable website with a simple and intuitive design. Unless you are into redesigning the whole thing with some serious coding, it’s a good idea to look for a template that allows for easy navigation across all its pages. Be sure also to have a web template that is consistent across different types of display: desktop, laptop, tablets and mobile phones.
- Amount of edits needed
It is easier to edit a web template as opposed to creating a website from the ground up. However, the more the edits needed the costlier it gets in terms of time and money. More substantial changes may often require that you hire a professional at significantly high fees.
As a rule of thumb, a simple template structure with just a few pages should be easier and cheaper to customise than a more detailed one. Whatever you choose, ensure that customisation is required only to enhance the existing templates and not for a complete redesign
Wrap Up
So, as you can see, there are a lot of considerations when it comes to choosing the right template for your website. The perfect website theme is a question of what’s right for your needs rather than plainly what’s best. Once you know precisely what to look for, the process becomes much easier, less overwhelming and even fun.
Template Installation
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