One of the first things, often the very first thing, a potential customer will do when they learn about your business is to search for it online. Where provided that you’ve done a good job with SEO, they’ll find your website. 

There’s no second chance at a good first impression, so if the first thing a customer sees is your website, then it’s important to make sure that it gives the right impression. The problem is, there are a lot of options available when it comes to making a website, which means that you have to make a lot of choices. On the bright side, this allows you to have the flexibility and make the website that’s perfect for you, the downside is that you have to worry about making the wrong choice. The good news is that there are a lot of very useful resources to help you get started, and help make the process less intimidating.

Wants and needs

The first thing that you’ll need to decide is what kind of website you want, one made from a template or one fully customized to suit your needs. A template consists of a standard layout that is reused on many websites with some minor changes. This option offers the benefits of costing less and being considerably faster to produce. Simply pick a template that appeals to you, put in your pictures and copy, and you have your website. Well, at least you have a website; unfortunately, dozens or hundreds of other people have the exact same website, just with different pictures. 

Make it custom

The alternative is a custom website. This means that everything on the site is unique to you, from the pictures and copy to the layout and navigation. This is great, because it allows you to give the first impression that you truly want, separating you from the pack and allowing customers to understand exactly how and why you’re unique. The obvious drawback is that this is a lengthier, more involved, and typically more expensive process. 

The company you hire to design and develop your custom website will need your feedback throughout the process in order to ensure that the final product is right for you. That seems like a hassle, but the benefits it offers can be well worth it. Only when a developer truly understands your company can they make the right website for it. So, if you do go this route, be sure to give open and honest feedback throughout the process. You’re not going to hurt the developer’s feelings; they won’t be offended that you didn’t like the shade of blue they chose, and they can’t make the right website for you if you don’t tell them what you like and don’t like. 

The ultimate choice

So which one’s the better choice? Templates can certainly be appealing, but quick and cheap isn’t everything. It’s easy to think that the look of a website doesn’t matter as long as people can get the information they need from it, but that’s not really the case. Sure, you could tear the corner off a piece of paper, write your name, address, and phone number on it and call it a business card, but it’d make you look terribly unprofessional. 

While using a template isn’t unprofessional, it doesn’t have the same effect as a custom-built site. It lacks the authenticity and personality of a unique website, and while unlikely, it’s possible that a customer would arrive at your website only to find it identical to the one they just left—and that’s not a good look. You want to stand out from the crowd, and your website should do the same. It might be a little daunting, it might require a little more work, but if you want a website that truly represents your business it’s going to have to be custom made.

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Think about it–you took the time to build your business from nothing. You invested time, money and energy into making it something to be proud of. Don’t let a bad (or absent) website hold you back any further. Recruiters Websites can be the final tool needed to make your website exactly what you need it to be. Let’s chat!