Comments on: Website Templates: can you use them in professional web design? http://www.killersites.com/blog/2008/web-design-and-templates/ Real world talk about web design, programming and the business of web design. Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:25:16 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.3 hourly 1 By: Scott http://www.killersites.com/blog/2008/web-design-and-templates/comment-page-1/#comment-152078 Scott Thu, 01 May 2008 11:11:15 +0000 http://www.killersites.com/blog/2008/website-templates-can-you-use-them-in-professional-web-design/#comment-152078 I'm a freelance web consultant and have been designing site for 11 years. Recently, I started using templates and it has been a life saver. I'm artistically challenged but I'm extremely good with graphics so templates allow me to get the basic ideas and layout and then I can completely customize the entire site. It saves an enormous amount of time and you can give the client multiple design ideas within minutes rather than weeks of consultation and layout. I often thought myself as a cheat for using templates as I'm a web "designer", but the truth of the matter is, templates offer me a much better design and I can get my clients up and running extremely fast which is most important. If you search for professional web designers, you will most likely see familiar templates in their portfolio and usually on their own site as well. I’m a freelance web consultant and have been designing site for 11 years. Recently, I started using templates and it has been a life saver. I’m artistically challenged but I’m extremely good with graphics so templates allow me to get the basic ideas and layout and then I can completely customize the entire site. It saves an enormous amount of time and you can give the client multiple design ideas within minutes rather than weeks of consultation and layout.

I often thought myself as a cheat for using templates as I’m a web “designer”, but the truth of the matter is, templates offer me a much better design and I can get my clients up and running extremely fast which is most important. If you search for professional web designers, you will most likely see familiar templates in their portfolio and usually on their own site as well.

]]> By: Mark http://www.killersites.com/blog/2008/web-design-and-templates/comment-page-1/#comment-128705 Mark Mon, 11 Feb 2008 11:29:38 +0000 http://www.killersites.com/blog/2008/website-templates-can-you-use-them-in-professional-web-design/#comment-128705 Hi, I tend to think that it always pays to be honest with your client. There's no point telling them the're getting a bespoke site, when in actual fact it's off a template site. The fall out that will result and the damage it can do to your reputation isn't worth the risk. Templates have a place and serve a purpose and this tends to be for the companies who only have a small budget. If your client has the money though, design something special and from scratch. Cheers Mark Hi,

I tend to think that it always pays to be honest with your client. There’s no point telling them the’re getting a bespoke site, when in actual fact it’s off a template site. The fall out that will result and the damage it can do to your reputation isn’t worth the risk.

Templates have a place and serve a purpose and this tends to be for the companies who only have a small budget. If your client has the money though, design something special and from scratch.

Cheers
Mark

]]> By: Stefan Mischook http://www.killersites.com/blog/2008/web-design-and-templates/comment-page-1/#comment-128023 Stefan Mischook Fri, 08 Feb 2008 16:47:37 +0000 http://www.killersites.com/blog/2008/website-templates-can-you-use-them-in-professional-web-design/#comment-128023 Hi, Practically speaking, you can just check on the Web to see that your assumptions don't turn out to be true. I've been in the Web business for over 12 years and I can say with great confidence, that templates are the way to go. Just as they are in so many other industries. Stefan Hi,

Practically speaking, you can just check on the Web to see that your assumptions don’t turn out to be true.

I’ve been in the Web business for over 12 years and I can say with great confidence, that templates are the way to go. Just as they are in so many other industries.

Stefan

]]> By: Blue Flame http://www.killersites.com/blog/2008/web-design-and-templates/comment-page-1/#comment-128010 Blue Flame Fri, 08 Feb 2008 14:57:03 +0000 http://www.killersites.com/blog/2008/website-templates-can-you-use-them-in-professional-web-design/#comment-128010 A quick note about what the author said about "There are billions of web pages on the Web - what are the chances someone will come across the same template twice?" My take: In a smaller town and even cities, the SMB's approach to internet search is similar in manner. I mean that they will probably use the same key words and accordingly bring up the same results. So they will find the same templates. Now, let's add the human factor. We all like what is aesthetically pleasing. So,they will probably pick the same style template. This is especially true if they are in the same industry. Now giving these factors, it is not so unlikely that prospective clients will see the same template being used in different companies. Now the prospect has lost the warm and fuzzy and the company using the template probably lost a sell for obvious reasons. Just one man's opinion. A quick note about what the author said about
“There are billions of web pages on the Web – what are the chances someone will come across the same template twice?”
My take:
In a smaller town and even cities, the SMB’s approach to internet search is similar in manner. I mean that they will probably use the same key words and accordingly bring up the same results. So they will find the same templates. Now, let’s add the human factor. We all like what is aesthetically pleasing. So,they will probably pick the same style template. This is especially true if they are in the same industry. Now giving these factors, it is not so unlikely that prospective clients will see the same template being used in different companies. Now the prospect has lost the warm and fuzzy and the company using the template probably lost a sell for obvious reasons.

Just one man’s opinion.

]]> By: Visionx Media Solutions http://www.killersites.com/blog/2008/web-design-and-templates/comment-page-1/#comment-120564 Visionx Media Solutions Fri, 11 Jan 2008 02:11:20 +0000 http://www.killersites.com/blog/2008/website-templates-can-you-use-them-in-professional-web-design/#comment-120564 The resource of using a template for low budget sites is certainly a valid point from a business standpoint, but I find that even low budget clients want to be treated in a special way. They want to know that their business is still unique, etc., which is true anyway. If you're a good coder, you can probably crank out a small site in the same or less amount of time it would take you to come up with one or two designs... so why not do that for each one of your clients, regardless of the budget (obviously, if the budget is ridiculously low, then you 'kindly' guide them elsewhere). Also, for your regular or large clients, templates should NEVER be considered, since they are paying you top dollar for your expertise in both design AND development. Just my 2 cents! The resource of using a template for low budget sites is certainly a valid point from a business standpoint, but I find that even low budget clients want to be treated in a special way. They want to know that their business is still unique, etc., which is true anyway. If you’re a good coder, you can probably crank out a small site in the same or less amount of time it would take you to come up with one or two designs… so why not do that for each one of your clients, regardless of the budget (obviously, if the budget is ridiculously low, then you ‘kindly’ guide them elsewhere).

Also, for your regular or large clients, templates should NEVER be considered, since they are paying you top dollar for your expertise in both design AND development.

Just my 2 cents!

]]> By: Devon Website Design http://www.killersites.com/blog/2008/web-design-and-templates/comment-page-1/#comment-119540 Devon Website Design Sun, 06 Jan 2008 13:24:05 +0000 http://www.killersites.com/blog/2008/website-templates-can-you-use-them-in-professional-web-design/#comment-119540 Our background is also in graphics design. It can literally take seconds to come up with a distinctive design for a client at a very low cost. If a client has a higher budget it will allow us to spend more time working on the design phase so its worth thinking carefully about your budget. In the end of the day the majority of internet traffic is comming from search engines. By definition people decided to visit your website before they see it. Graphic design wont attract customers but it helps keep them interested once they get there. Our background is also in graphics design. It can literally take seconds to come up with a distinctive design for a client at a very low cost. If a client has a higher budget it will allow us to spend more time working on the design phase so its worth thinking carefully about your budget.

In the end of the day the majority of internet traffic is comming from search engines. By definition people decided to visit your website before they see it. Graphic design wont attract customers but it helps keep them interested once they get there.

]]> By: marcus http://www.killersites.com/blog/2008/web-design-and-templates/comment-page-1/#comment-119500 marcus Sun, 06 Jan 2008 05:09:53 +0000 http://www.killersites.com/blog/2008/website-templates-can-you-use-them-in-professional-web-design/#comment-119500 The approach I take with templates, especially when it comes to low budget websites, is explain that I can design a website from scratch and it will take me approximately x number of hours at y dollars per hour. Since my hourly rate is generally more than a template costs to buy, clients with limited budgets almost always choose to go with a template versus a completely custom design. The approach I take with templates, especially when it comes to low budget websites, is explain that I can design a website from scratch and it will take me approximately x number of hours at y dollars per hour. Since my hourly rate is generally more than a template costs to buy, clients with limited budgets almost always choose to go with a template versus a completely custom design.

]]> By: souleye http://www.killersites.com/blog/2008/web-design-and-templates/comment-page-1/#comment-119414 souleye Sat, 05 Jan 2008 23:51:05 +0000 http://www.killersites.com/blog/2008/website-templates-can-you-use-them-in-professional-web-design/#comment-119414 From my perspective - I'm a designer, meaning that I come from a graphic design background before I came to web design - I've been designing web sites, even low budget ones from scratch. At one point I started wondering if I were the only one, seeing that almost everyone else uses templates. So if you use a template, you're not the only one. Second, customers these days are more web educated that say 8 years ago, so many of them already will shop for a template, then seek a designer to tweak it. So it's not shameful to tell a client that if they want a low budget web site, the only way to go is start with a template and try to personalize it, and that's where you come in From my perspective – I’m a designer, meaning that I come from a graphic design background before I came to web design – I’ve been designing web sites, even low budget ones from scratch. At one point I started wondering if I were the only one, seeing that almost everyone else uses templates. So if you use a template, you’re not the only one. Second, customers these days are more web educated that say 8 years ago, so many of them already will shop for a template, then seek a designer to tweak it. So it’s not shameful to tell a client that if they want a low budget web site, the only way to go is start with a template and try to personalize it, and that’s where you come in

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