Custom Website Design?
and why it’s your next best move!
From online development agencies to graphic designers, WordPress to Wix, knowing where to start (and who to trust) with your website can be overwhelming. Don’t fear! This is your all-encompassing guide to everything website design so that whether you are a full-staffed company or still testing out the waters, your online presence can be looking (and converting) it’s best.
What is Custom Website Design?
Custom website design is the process of creating a website tailored to the specific needs and goals of a business. Unlike generic templates, custom designs are unique and reflect the brand's identity, ensuring that the website stands out from competitors.
The Difference Between Custom and Template-Based Design
Template-based designs are pre-made and can be adjusted to fit your needs, but they often come with limitations. Custom designs, on the other hand, are built from scratch, offering endless possibilities to ensure that your website perfectly matches your brand and functions exactly as you need it to.
Benefits of Custom Website Design
Investing in custom website design can provide numerous benefits for your business or organization, no matter what your mission is! Here are some of the most important reasons to choose custom built websites over templated designs.
Unique Brand Identity
A custom website design allows you to create a unique and cohesive brand identity. This is essential in setting your business apart from competitors. A professionally designed website can include custom graphics, logos, and other elements that reflect your brand’s personality and values. Typically, a template based website offers limited flexibility in design, meaning your website may not actually fit your brand identity.
Enhanced User Experience
A custom website is tailored to provide the best possible user experience. This means that the navigation, layout, and functionality are all designed with your target audience in mind. A well-designed website can make it easier for users to find the information they need and take actions, such as making a purchase or contacting your company.
Better SEO Performance
Custom websites are often better optimized for search engines. By working with a professional website development team, you can ensure your website is built with SEO best practices in mind. This includes proper use of keywords, meta tags, and responsive design to improve your site’s search engine ranking.
Scalability and Flexibility
As your business grows, your website needs to grow with it. Custom website designs are more scalable and flexible than templated designs. This means you can easily add new features, pages, and functionalities as needed. Custom designs can be built to accommodate future growth, ensuring your website remains relevant and effective over time.
Faster Load Times
Speed is critical when it comes to user experience. Custom websites are often faster because they are built with clean, efficient code. This can lead to faster load times, which is essential for keeping users engaged and improving your site’s SEO performance.
How to Ensure Your Website is High Quality
One of the drawbacks of custom website design is the time-intensive investment required. When investing your time and resources into custom website design, it’s important to ensure that your website is of the highest quality. Here are some tips to ensure your website design is of the highest quality.
Work with Professional Designers
One of the best ways to ensure a high-quality website is to work with professional designers and developers. Look for a company with a strong portfolio and positive reviews. And don't stop there! Many companies will "offer" custom website designs when they are really just putting your information into a template. Take a look at the quality of the websites the company has designed, you will be able to tell if they are simply reusing templates!
Focus on User Experience
User experience should be a top priority in your website design, or creating a website that is easy to navigate, visually appealing, and functional. When building your own website, user experience can sometimes be lost to visual appeal or cheaper packages. Steeple & Hearth builds affordable websites that focus simultaneously on user experience and aesthetics. Learn more here!
Optimize for SEO
SEO is crucial for driving traffic to your website. Make sure your custom website is built with SEO best practices in mind. This includes optimizing your content with relevant keywords, using meta tags, and ensuring your site is mobile-friendly. If you are building your own website, note that hosting sites like WordPress or Squarespace do not automatically, perfectly format for mobile viewing. If you are building a custom website and do not have developer experience, it's important to work with a professional website designer to ensure your website mobile formatting is user-friendly and functional!
Steeple & Hearth is Your Custom Website Design Partner
At Steeple & Hearth, we build our client's dream online home. What's an online home you may ask? You can read more on an online home here, but it's basically what the name says: the places where your business or organization live online. Check out some of our coolest projects below.
A Church Website (?): Abundant Life Lowville
Yeah, we know. You'd probably never think that a church website is one of our coolest projects. So what made this custom website development so fun? Our partnership with Abundant Life Lowville was marked with a clear passion and vision for where they want to be in the next 5-10 years. Because of their clear vision, a powerful partnership formed. Check out the final, 100% customized website here.
Historically Local: The 1812 House
An established Bed & Breakfast looking to increase their efficiency and online discovery contacted Steeple & Hearth to revamp their website. What was so fun about this project? Steeple & Hearth worked with the 1812 House to build, yet another, fully customized website build that acted as a "facelift" from their old website. As an established business, the 1812 House knew exactly who they wanted to reach, and what they wanted them to see, but were lost on the next steps. Check out their customized solution here.
Professional Services: Black River Valley Business & Community Alliance
Let's be honest... professional services sound anything but cool. However, when you partner with a community-minded non-profit dedicated to uplifting their locals, the work gets much more fun. BRVBCA approached Steeple & Hearth to build a fully customized website for their new non-profit. The biggest request? That it would align with their preexisting brand. Check out the results here.
So... whatcha waiting for?
Custom website design is an investment that can provide significant benefits for your business. From creating a unique brand identity to improving user experience and SEO performance, custom designs offer endless possibilities. By working with professional designers who focus on producing the highest quality of customization, like Steeple & Hearth, you can ensure your website stands out. Click here to book your FREE consultation call with us!
