WordPress - Prebuilt template dilemma

The benefits and risks of using a bought template for next website

WordPress is great, and you can use many free or low-cost templates to develop your next campaign or business website. While opting to buy a prebuilt template can seem like a quick, cost-effective solution, it is important that you understand the advantages and disadvantages of making this decision.

We have been developing on WordPress since 2008 and have used or been tempted to use a prebuilt template as a starting point for projects. We have also inherited many of these prebuilt template projects from other agencies that we have migrated and now support for our clients. 

While the benefits seem clear and enticing, the risks are bigger for larger organisations, and you need to be aware of the possibilities and limitations. This article outlines the pros and cons or benefits and risks we discuss with clients when they ask, ‘Can we just use a prebuilt template?’.

While there are suitable times when the answer could be yes, the risks outweigh the benefits in the long term. However, if you are considering selecting a prebuilt template, please use this article to help your team - remember to do your research - DYR 🙂. 

Please let us know what you think of the article. 

Cost 

Benefits:

• Affordability - Buying a template is significantly cheaper than custom-building—the prices range from free to a few hundred. This is usually an ideal start for smaller businesses with limited budgets​.
• Predictable Costs - The upfront price is clear, but make sure you understand what features and capabilities you are buying.

Risks:

• Hidden Costs - Extensive customisation to meet your specific needs will increase the overall cost. Once you start customising, you will create your version and be in the bespoke space.
• Compromise - Many templates will probably lack an essential feature that you need = additional expenses for enhancements or bespoke development.​

Speed to market

Benefits:

• Kick Start – Premade templates can be set up quickly and are ideal for certain projects or time-sensitive campaigns​.
• Flexibility – Many templates are flexible, with various layouts designed for ease of use – but they have their limits – do your research.

Risks:

• Similarity - The template you selected may be popular and, as a result, not differentiate you from competitors.
• Stick to your lane—You need to stay within the template's capabilities and limit the amount of customisation. Your decision to use a bought template was made for a reason, and your team needs to remember this. See the next point.

Design & branding

Benefits:

• Saving time – Bought templates provide a ready-made structure and capabilities, reducing the time required for design and development​.
• Basic Branding Options – These templates offer a level of customisation. Minor changes can be made to align with your brand and identity.

Risks:

• Common design – Many businesses often use the same templates, leading to similar websites – we see this far too often.
• Brand dilution—Limited customisation might prevent your website from effectively reflecting your brand identity. Remember to do your research—DYR. 

Prebuilt functionality

Benefits:

• Features – Templates come with many features, such as multiple layout options, contact forms, image galleries, and social media integration, which help to save time and costs.
• Reliability – Many well-known creators have tested their templates on various platforms, reducing the risk of bugs or performance issues.

Risks:

• Limited flexibility – Templates may not have all the features you need. Make sure you are happy to live with these limitations.
• Benefits removed – Customising a template will require development, negating the initial time and cost savings.

Accessibility

Benefits:

• Basic compliance – Many templates include foundational accessibility features out of the box. ​
• Simple layouts – Templates are designed for accessibility from the outset - do your research - DYR 🙂

​ Risks:

• Already behind  – We see many templates that do not comply with accessibility standards. You are starting from a disadvantaged position, which will have cost implications in the future. 
• Additional costs – Ensuring compliance will require extra testing and customisation of the templates = more costs and development​.

Performance

Benefits:

• High-Quality – Some templates prioritise performance, offering faster load times and an improved user experience.
• Regular Updates – Some creators provide updates covering performance and compatibility with new web standards​.

Risk:

• Not optimised – Templates can include unnecessary features and code that impact your site’s performance.
• Speed – Poorly developed templates can lead to slower load times, frustrating your customers and impacting your search rankings​. 

Security

Benefits:

• Basic Security – Many templates include standard security features and are regularly updated to address vulnerabilities, providing a basic level of protection against threats.
• Community Support: Popular templates have user communities that identify and fix security issues.

Risks:

• Increased Vulnerability - Templates relying on third-party plugins are more vulnerable to security breaches.
• Dependence on the creator - Selecting a reliable template creator is crucial. Many creators move on, and updates are discontinued.

Browser & Devices

Benefits:

• Cross-Browser - Most templates are built to work across various browsers and devices.
• Responsive - Modern templates deliver a great experience on all devices.

Risks:

• Compatibility - Templates may not be fully compatible with all browsers and devices— regardless of the benefits, you should still test them to be 100% sure.
• Sustainability - As web standards evolve, older templates fall behind, leading to compatibility issues that require updates or feature replacements​. 

Ongoing Support

Benefits:

• Basic Support - Most template creators offer some support, which is helpful for troubleshooting and minor customisations​.
• Regular support - Some creators provide regular updates to maintain compatibility and fix security vulnerabilities.

Risks:

• No or limited support - Free templates often come with limited or no support = you’re on your own.
• Dependency - You're vulnerable if or when the creator stops updating the template ​.

SEO & Performance

Benefits:

• SEO-Friendly - Many templates are designed with SEO best practices - DYR 🙂
• Pre-Optimised Structure - High-quality templates (read the reviews) often have a structure optimised for search engines.

Risks:

• Over-engineered - Templates with excessive features can include bloated code that slows down the website, negatively impacting your SEO.
• SEO customisation - Many templates need additional optimisation to meet advanced SEO standards =  extra time and effort​. 

Integrations

Benefits:

• Integration-ready - Templates often include pre-built integrations for popular third-party tools like CRM, eCommerce, payments, and social media.
• Extra Features - Most templates support plugins and extensions, providing endless opportunities to add new features at little to no additional cost.

Risks:

• Compatibility - Not all third-party tools integrate with the template, potentially causing conflicts and requiring additional troubleshooting.
• Complexity - Numerous third-party integrations will make your website more complex to manage and support. See our article on the WordPress Plugin Dilemma. 

​Scalability

Benefits:

• Quick win - Templates offer a fast and scalable website launch option.
• Expandable - All templates allow you to add new pages and features as needed and provide some scalability.​

Risks:

• Limitations - As you grow, you will eventually notice template limitations, which may lead to a move to a customised or combined solution.
• End of life - Extensive business growth (a benefit) will necessitate a complete website redesign and build. 

While the opportunities and benefits are appealing, remember to do your research - DYR 🙂 when considering using an off-the-shelf template. The quality varies, but there are clear business cases to do this, as well as compelling reasons to build your own.

Please get in touch to discuss your next project

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