Getting a website developed takes a lot of work and dedication. This includes selecting the best website template to go with when you’re in the starting stages of development and design.
Trouble is, if you’re entirely new to this process, there are dozens upon dozens, if not hundreds upon hundreds, of templates to choose from. It may feel overwhelming trying to pick the one that best suits you and your company. To help you out, here’s what to look for when trying to pick a template for your company’s website design, whether this is your first time having one developed or if you’re looking into renovating your current website.
Content Formatting
Odds are you have a lot of content to feature on your website, and it all depends on the services or products you want to feature. The big question is, how do you want the text to look on your site’s web pages? Do you want long, full-length descriptions of your services, or boxed-in details about your products? The full-length page formatting is typically better for companies that are more creative and contemporary, whereas a boxed-in layout would be better suited to more professional, traditional businesses.
Bear in mind, this is only a suggestion rather than an absolute golden rule to follow. Some traditional businesses do better than they did before with full-width pages of content, and some creative companies are better suited to feature their text as boxed-in details. The suggestion above should nonetheless be taken into consideration when it comes to choosing a template.
Features
Are you confident enough in your knowledge of HTML, or would you rather leave the serious coding and technical details to a professional? If you answered yes to the former question, a WordPress template could be up your alley, and there are tons to choose from for free or as a premium template with many additional features such as:
- Less Typical Design (i.e. Premiums are unique, whereas free ones are not)
- More frequent updates for plugins
- Ongoing technical support
- And more
However, some WordPress templates cost much more than others, and if you really want to remain unique compared to other websites, a custom template may be a better choice for you in the long run – just make sure it’s not an outdated template or theme (we’re talking pre-2010 or even pre-2005).
User Experience
Just like SEO, the best template for a website must be user-friendly. This means you may need to explore templates that feature a responsive design as well as the following features, to name a few:
- Easy-to-navigate menus
- Uncomplicated coding
- Top security features
- Simple customization
- Great accessibility
- Responsive design for mobile and tablet compatibility
All of these features should be taken into account when template shopping.
This is just a sample of what to look for in an ideal website template. One of the best courses of action you can take, to make things even simpler, is to ask a professional designer for assistance with your decision. Our team at V3 Media can offer a price quote on the WordPress Child themes we offer, with development on our part using the Divi framework and the Divi site builders. We’re also more than happy to discuss everything related to website design and development if you’re still stumped as to which template to use.