Executionists - We Get Web Done

Are you a prisoner of Template Monster or a Template Monster Clone? Services that provide pre-made, cookie-cutter website templates like www.TemplateMonster.com abound. They cater to the clients on an extremely limited budget who think $64 is a reasonable amount for a complete site design. They also cater to do-it-yourselfers who have some HTML knowledge and think they can whip up their site using the Template Monster template as the starting point.

A website for $64 that sounds like a great deal but once you start looking through the designs you notice that there are only a handful of page layouts that comprise their 20,000 plus designs. Onto these standard layouts they have slapped some color, images, and sample text. The visual power of these templates is provided by the “hero shot” or main image. Since these are all fictional businesses, Template Monster can find the most attractive imagery and put it front and center. The visual design of these templates is compelling because they can build their basic layout around images and graphics that are impactful.

Unfortunately the $64,000 question/issue is “does this template apply to my business?” This question is often overlooked as clients try and shoe horn their business into a glitzy generic template. Later, they discover that these templates represent fictional businesses. The client’s real business style, products and services do not “map” to these templates.

A few of key areas where this is the case are:

• Promotional and marketing areas where there should be “calls-to-action” to motivate users through the site are lacking or inappropriate.

• That “Template-y” feeling. Sophisticated web users will quickly realize that the business has used a template because of the imagery and the style will be familiar and/or incongruent with the site content. In our opinion, this lowers/cheapens the perception of the business in the eyes of your audience.

• Client logos and images will probably not match the quality of the template graphics.

Let’s not forget the technical side. Clients will still need a developer to customize the template with their content. Issues that I have heard about with templated solutions include:

• HTML, CSS and PHP code is mostly machine generated with poor standards.

• Links on the templates don’t work

• Poor online support

• Issues with editing Flash templates

• Issues with licensing images that the Templates use (the images the templates use may not be for resale)

At Executionists, all our sites are 100% custom designed for our client’s business. We produce designs that match the clients’ marketing, content, and business goals. On top of that, our 13 years of experience in developing websites enables us to bring new ideas to the table, resulting in a more compelling presentation to target customers. It’s time to put a sword through the heart of the Template Monsters and develop a unique online voice for your business.

Call us for a free website consultation (310)754-3807