| By Jason Brockway, Directional Media Group
What is a web template you may ask? A web template is a pre-designed website that is built by a web designer and sold for a fraction of the price of a web design company.
So it's obvious that a web template is a great idea? Well there are always two sides to every story. Although the template is cheap, it lacks the tailored design that a company needs. Suppose your company decides to buy a web template, you buy it download it, and then you have this file saved onto your computer. Now what?
If you have ever looked at a web template it is somewhat confusing. Every web developer has there own methods to create a functional website. So your sitting there reading the directions of where the folder is to place your main text, you then locate the file and realize that you don't have the software capable of editing this code. If you do have the software and you can locate the file now you have to invest your time trying to decode someone else's thought process.
So now you need to make a decision to either hire a web development company to help you implement your text, navigation and logo, or to scrap the template and take a loss on your investment.
Templates can be good however if you are on a strict time constraint to launch a new product line. They are generally cheaper than having a web design company create your company's site for you assuming you know what you are doing when it comes to web development. One thing that they lack though is customization.
Say you purchase a template spend the money for someone to “brand it” to your companies needs, and then the company that sold you the template sells another 20 of the same template that you bought.
How will that look if your customers come across a competitor's site that looks exactly the same as yours? Would you trust the company, or would you think it was a scam?
I Really Don't Have the Budget Though!
One acceptable reason to use a template is if you are on a strict budget. Do some research, and be sure you ask what files are contained in the template. Make sure you have all the software needed to customize the template. Most templates that we have seen have html, .swf, .psd, and php files.
So what software will you need? For the html and php files a simple notepad in Windows will work assuming you have html coding knowledge. Or you can purchase editing software such as Dreamweaver, or FrontPage.
The .swf file won't do you any good. If the template contains flash make sure it includes a .fla file otherwise you won't be able to edit it. Also note the version since not all versions of flash are compatible.
The .psd file will only work with Adobe Photoshop, so make sure you have that program if you would like to edit any layouts or photos that may be included in the template.
Software isn't cheap so do your homework before you invest in a template, and contact a local web design company for a quote for the same project, it may end up being cheaper in the end. |
