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Thread: template

  1. #1

    template

    i have been thinking about redoing my site and i found a few templates that i would like to use but i wanted to get some feedback on if template sites makes you look bad and so on?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
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    This topic has been covered lots of times before, try a search.

    I think the general concensus is that if you choose the right template it makes your site look visually good, but if it's not unique can make you appear less professional.

    In the end it depends where your market is, if it's web-wise WHT'ers or large companies I'd stay away from templates, if it's granies hosting pictures of their cats then a template should do fine.

    Cheers
    Jona

  3. #3
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    If you're going to spend money on templates, why don't you just spend a few extra dollars and get a designer to create a template just for you.

    http://www.akdesigner.com - They created our template. They've very affordable too.

  4. #4
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    Re: template

    Originally posted by webster13045
    i have been thinking about redoing my site and i found a few templates that i would like to use but i wanted to get some feedback on if template sites makes you look bad and so on?
    There's absolutely nothing wrong with creating a web site from a template. It's easy, quick to customize, and will automatically make your site look professional. It will not make your site look "bad." However, if you have a few hundred dollars, or willing to spend some extra time planning your site, it's always better to invest in a custom design.
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  5. #5
    Join Date
    May 2003
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    Originally posted by JonaY
    ....if it's granies hosting pictures of their cats then a template should do fine.

    Cheers
    Jona
    http://www.mycatswebsite.com/index.php

    Mark Oberg
    Techweenies.com

    (No longer affiliated with Uneedawebsite.com)

  6. #6
    Join Date
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    Haha, that cat thing is clever

  7. #7
    Join Date
    May 2003
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    Massachusetts, USA
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    Thanks!

    I have one for dogs too.

    Back to the original poster's question though.

    My feeling is that template sites blend into each other too much. I know that, when I was a customer for hosting way back, I would find sites that were nearly identical and be confused as to which was the real site. Ended up skipping past both of them.

    You can find people here on WHT who can design a custom site for you at a reasonable cost. If you can't afford that, there really is nothing to say that a simple, but professional looking, site done in straight HTML without a lot of fancy graphics can't generate business. I've seen plenty of sites over the years that didn't look like much but were good at selling the product.
    Last edited by uneedawebsit; 05-22-2005 at 01:32 PM.
    Mark Oberg
    Techweenies.com

    (No longer affiliated with Uneedawebsite.com)

  8. #8
    Join Date
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    You'll find some good discussion on templates in the Web Design and Content forum. There are some good reasons to get expertise and design for your particular business need. There are some hidden costs that you might not factor into using a template that are worth considering. It's not the use of templates per se that will make you appear unprofessional except in the eyes of people who can't stomach anything but unique design. It reallyd depends on what you're going to do.
    Rich
    Husband, Father, Retired Marine, Geek

  9. #9
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Posts
    26
    As templates get more widely used on many websites, many visitors and customers may appreciate a simple designed website. Last week I've seen 3 hosting companies with the same template, only slightly modified. Even some photos were identical.

    With a custom designed site you have a much better chance to stay unique.

  10. #10
    On WHT you can find a lot of great offers for design, for very low price. Just search.

  11. #11
    Post topic of your site...and you will get a dozen templates in a fwe hours....and what is most important....4 cheap

  12. #12
    I see this template topic is rather popular if people get back to it from time to time and still no definite answer. It can't have one answer for which will suit all it seems. It depends, it depends.

    The main point appears to be: if you use a template, then your site will in no way look indidvidual. What if to customize it so that it doesn't have uch resemblance to what it've been initially?

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
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    Lithuania
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    Well, the folk is right - this HAS been discussed.
    In short terms, using a template is not very wellcome from my point of view. Your site is supposed to be unique, not like millions of others.
    I will repeat myself - I began with 100% template. Later switched to...Word, made some tables. Now I am using Dreamweaver and I have learned it myself, form zero knowledge.
    My advise is: surf the web and look for sites that looks great for you. Find one or some you think are perfect. Now, it's time for you imagination. You won't be a clone, do you? So just write down how would your site differ.
    Now you have ideas about the design. I hope you do have a material - pictures, texts etc. I suggest you try any user-friendly program and play with it. Yes, play - try all options etc as much times as possible. As for me,DW is very friendly: just drag and drop (and type some text).
    At this point you don't need any template any more. Why should you pay for a template when you can do all yourself? And if you need something unique - why don't hire anyone?
    In other words, I see no sense in using templates

  14. #14
    well most people think when you buy a template tahts what your stuck with is exactly what you see. Wrong. For me, a template is many times a good place to start. It can be hard designing something from scratch to later find out you forgot to incorperate a side menu bar and now you have to start over. With templates you get the oppertunity to evaluate each design to find the one that you like the most, then from there you get all the source files and you can make whatever changes you want. I rarely keep the website i make from a template the same as the origional template. I merely use it for the layout plus some design features I might like. Also, with thousands of templates out there some have only been downloaded 3 or 4 times so what are the chances a browser will come across the same, mostly unmodified (besides the obvious like inseting company name, text, etc) website when there are more than 8 billion websites out there! The only thing I think you can really notice about a template are the iamges they come with. Usually the designers use the same images for all their templates so that pic in the corner of a girl could be on thousands of other websites. So, just experiment with templates and make your own decision. Check out templatemonster.com for starters.

  15. #15
    If you want to use a template, go ahead. I would suggest editing REALLY well so that it doesn't look like a "template" anymore.

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    Houston, TX
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    397
    how much are you going to pay for a template? pending on what you want, a site doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg.

    as far as the dog website goes.. i once knew of a site called something like "dogpoo.com" or whatever. it was run by two college guys and basically people would pay these guys to bag of dog crap, attach a note, and put it in the mail box of their enemies or whatever. supposedly they made good money doing it.
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  17. #17
    I agree. It definatley depends on the tempalte, the type of site, etc. Sometimes it's okay, but if it's a well known (free or pay) template, it can be not so good for the business.

  18. #18
    I think if you get a quality template, modify to your need or change the colour shceme... No one would find it out and looks better. If you do not have any design mind then you're better to call a designer to make it for you. Cause some people use template but don't know how to use typeface to suit the template, as a result, people feel annoying for the site design and such...

  19. #19
    I think that you can get some good free templates, but it does lower the standard of the website i think it you use a free template. It is good to get custom templates made though, there is nothing wrong with that.

  20. #20
    Originally posted by wongpk
    I think if you get a quality template, modify to your need or change the colour shceme... No one would find it out and looks better. If you do not have any design mind then you're better to call a designer to make it for you. Cause some people use template but don't know how to use typeface to suit the template, as a result, people feel annoying for the site design and such...
    Yep.

    If you edit it right, there shouldn't be a problem.

  21. #21
    Templates can save you a huge amount of time by providing a collection of ready-made design objects, like seamless backgrounds, spliced ready-to-use layouts, fonts, maybe some stock photos already customized for reusability with transparency, etc. Even if you don't use the template as-is, you can get some cool base design stuff pretty cheaply. templatemonster.com has some nice stuff.

  22. #22
    hmm.. i suggest, going for a unique template. if you really want individuality and professionalism. there are many talented designers here on wht selling unique ones for around $100 - $150 and a good one. so why buy $40 - $60 non-unique template where you know dozens might be using the same template you will be using.

    on the other hand, if you are capable of toying with photoshop and dreamweaver or whatever program you know, you can do otherwise. buy a non-unique template and customize it to your liking. in this case, you get a good template and you save $$$. - OR , buy a non-unique template for around $50 something, then hire somebody to customize it for you (this is if you don't know how to customize / tweak the temp yourself) . im not sure how much the customizing of template cost tho. but im pretty sure that won't cost that much.

    (sorry if the things i said has been said already of the posters above, me too lazy to scroll up =P )

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  23. #23
    More Unique is better but templates for sites not such important to webmasters or anon business type site will do with a normal template.

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