There’s no doubt that businesses today need to have an online presence. Your website is an extension of your brand, your business billboard and honestly, your #1 sale rep.
But simply having a website doesn’t cut it anymore. An outdated, unprofessional website may be hurting your business just as much as having no online presence at all. A pretty website with no strategy behind it – not going to help you achieve those ambitious business goals.
Custom websites aren’t for everyone.
There’s this idea that in order to stand out from your competition, to elevate your brand, to charge higher prices – you need a custom website. But, that may not be entirely true.
Do you need a custom website?
Here are 5 questions to help determine if you actually need a custom website:
1. Is your competition high?
If you’re in a saturated market where you audience may find themselves overwhelmed with choice, a totally custom website could be the advantage you need to set yourself apart. If your potential clients are looking at tons of websites while they’re in the decision-making stage, the website (and brand) they’ll remember will be the one that was most unique.
2. Is your website more than a brochure?
Most businesses use their website as an informative brochure. It’s a place where viewers can learn about you and form an impression of your brand. They can read a sales page for a particular product or service to determine if it’s right for them. And of course, they can get in touch with you if they’re interested in moving forward. Does the purpose of your website go beyond this? If your site serves as an in-depth catalogue of resources or a place users can book events or has membership-only content – a custom website may be necessary.
3. How “premium” is your brand positioning?
If you’re selling a $10k offer, it’s possible a cookie-cutter website won’t align with your brand positioning. Same goes if you’re a well-established, authoritative leader in your industry. Your viewers may be expecting a more custom experience while browsing your site. This could depend on your industry as well. If your businesses is in the tech industry, for example, there’s probably an expectation that your site website is uber modern, super unique and has some advanced features (like fancy animations).
4. What’s your timeline and budget?
Obviously, a custom website is going to be a greater investment of both your money and your time. If you’re a newer business on a budget looking to launch a site ASAP, custom design may be out of reach. You’ll learn and grow so much in your first year, that you may find your audience and your website needs change over time. You can still get started and launch a beautiful, successful website without stretching beyond your means (keep reading!).
5. Do you want your site to be custom?
At the end of the day your website is yours. If you want a totally unique design with fancy features and advanced functionality (and you have the budget), go for it!
Is there another option?
A semi-custom website might be perfect for you.
A semi-custom website typically starts with a template as your foundation. By working with a pre-made structure, your designer can deliver you a site on a much faster timeline and for a much lower investment.
These templates are built with intentional strategy proven to work for most businesses and still offer high-quality design. Your designer will customize the template by implementing your brand’s colors, fonts, photography and copy. Depending on who you’re working with, you may also have the option to modify the existing template by changing layouts and sections to fit your needs.
I am now offering Website Intensives. This is a semi-custom service where we’ll customize the template of your choice and launch a brand new website in just two days.
You read that right, two days..
There’s no need to break the bank or spend months on a custom project. You can launch a beautiful, effective website that reflects your brand now.
