When it comes to building (and – the exciting part – launching!) a new website, there’s a lot to consider. How much information do you need to include on your site? What photos will you include? Will you write your own copy? Have you got a brand to integrate?
But, perhaps one of the most important questions of all, is whether you’re going to opt for a bespoke or an off-the-shelf website.
Essentially, this comes down to DIY vs custom. And while it may make sense to go for the cheapest option, there are enormous pros and cons of both routes.
In this blog, we’ll guide you through the benefits (and drawbacks) of bespoke compared to off-the-shelf, with the hope that you can better understand which one would be best for you.
What is a bespoke website?
A bespoke website is one that has been designed, developed and perfected for a very specific user and purpose. It’s handcrafted, unique and made for you (and you alone!). This means that you aren’t restricted by templates; with the right web developer, they should be able to fulfil any of your requests… Within reason, of course! From client portals to membership sites, the sky really is the limit with a custom-made website.
There’s a lot of flexibility that comes with a bespoke website. You can update when you need to and you can ensure that your ‘site is a brilliant representation of your brand. They can evolve with you (rather than hindering business growth) and will often have more SEO capabilities.
Typically, bespoke websites have more capabilities when it comes to intuitive user experience (UX) and on-band user interfaces (UI).
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What is an off-the-shelf template website?
An off-the-shelf website is made up of pre-designed templates, plugins and integration. They’re ‘ready to go’ and are not designed bespoke to the customer; this means that they are FAR cheaper than their custom-made counterpart and a fantastic place for people to start early on in their business journey.
Website templates are typically designed to suit a range of needs – and there are a lot out there. You can still customise a template website with your own images, branding and copywriting, with some also offering the option to shift the template around to suit your needs.
You can also purchase eCommerce templates – an excellent option for product focused startups.
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Pros of a bespoke website
There are huge benefits of getting a bespoke website; and – depending on where you are in your business journey – this could be the route for you.
Pros of a bespoke website include:
- It’s all about YOU – Kinda obvious, but a bespoke solution is going to be designed entirely around your business needs. Your developer will be working to a clearly defined brief which means the final product will be 100% yours and yours alone. Whatever you need, it’s the developers job to try and make it happen.
- Designed to SCALE – One of the (many) fab things about a custom website is that while they are built with the final goal in mind, they are also designed to grow. What we mean by this is that the website will be developed in a way that means it isn’t pushed to its limits at any point – there’s the space and capacity for it to scale, take on more traffic and hold more content.
- More FLEXIBILITY – Bespoke websites have far greater flexibility with regards embedding new designs or functionality; ultimately, this gives them a longer shelf life.
- Truly TAILORED for SEO – Your bespoke website will be built alongside an SEO strategy. There’s no need for additional (sometimes costly) plugins. It’s all there, from the word go.
- ULTIMATE security – Everything on a bespoke website is built systematically and in a unique way. They also use less (if any) plugins, which reduces the threat of security breaches. Everything is super succinct, which minimises the threat of vulnerabilities poking their head into the system.
Cons of a bespoke website
It isn’t all sunshine and rainbows – there are disadvantages of a custom website that need to be considered.
- HIGHER initial cost – There’s no two ways around it; custom websites are much more expensive than a template solution. This is due to the time and expertise that is funnelled into a bespoke website. All functionality is built from the ground up and to a very unique specification, and so this comes with a bigger price tag. Unless you know that you’ll get a return on your investment, it isn’t always the right option for someone at the very start of their startup journey.
- LONGER delivery time – If you need a speedy result, a bespoke website isn’t the answer. Again, it’s hardly a surprise, is it? Consultations, research, initial proposals, edits, feedback, coding, unpicking, rewriting, implementing, launching… Oof, it takes a while! This is something to consider when making your decision.
Pros of an off-the-shelf website
But what about off-the-shelf websites? What are the benefits of this solution?
- SUPER cost-effective – an off-the-shelf website is significantly cheaper than a custom option. They are therefore a great option for business owners who don’t have as much revenue behind them – especially startups who are still testing the viability of their business idea.
- QUICK turnaround – you can have an off-the-shelf website set up, filled with content and customised within your day within a matter of hours. Keen to get cracking? Templates could be the perfect solution.
- NO coding experience required – you don’t have to be a website developer (or even a particularly techy person) to get a template website off the ground. Off-the-shelf solutions are SO user-friendly these days, with drag and drop functionality that makes building a beautiful website a breeze.
- BRANDING capabilities – just because it’s a template website, doesn’t mean that it’s going to look like every Tom, Dick and Harry’s site. Yes, it’s an off-the-shelf solution, but you can still customise it to your brand and make it feel like a natural extension of your business.
- EXCELLENT plugin options – there are tons and tons and TONS of plugins out there which can fulfil your every need. From enhancing SEO, to adding customer forms, client feedback and testimonials and even membership portals, the plugin landscape has come along leaps and bounds in recent years.
Cons of an off-the-shelf website
An off-the-shelf website isn’t for everyone. Cons include:
- LIMITED customisation and scalability – while you can customise a template website, there are limitations. It won’t be as unique as a custom website, and often templates aren’t designed with scalability in mind. This means that there will likely come a point in your business future where you need to shift to a custom option.
- TOUGHER to nail SEO – off-the-shelf websites are not typically optimised for search engines. It’s therefore on you to put in the work to ensure Google favours your website above your competitors.
What’s the right choice for you and your website?
When you’re choosing between a bespoke and an off-the-shelf website, it ultimately comes down to your budget and expectations.
If you have a strong, specific vision for your website and have the funds to invest, then bespoke is likely going to tick your boxes. However, if you’re at the start of your business game with less money behind you and not a particularly strong direction that you want to take your website, then a template website will give you what you need.
Our advice is to spend some time exploring what you want your website to do for you and your business and where it sits on your list of business investment priorities.
H3: Can Littlebigbox help you create a beautiful new website?
Littlebigbox designs and develops unique, SEO tailored, impact-driven websites for businesses all around the UK. If this is something that you would like to discuss, book in a free consultation. We’d love to chat.
