Building a site used to be difficult and time-consuming. Thanks to readymade templates you no longer need to be an expert designer or a developer to create great websites. These days the process has become so simple but with so many choices, it can still feel overwhelming. In this article, we will be identifying the top 3 tips for choosing your responsive website templates.
Tip #1: Picking the Design of Your Template
Today there are literally thousands of beautifully designed templates it seems almost impossible to pick one. Here are a few steps to narrow down your choices and pick the best readymade template for your niche.
1. Know your customer. This is a must for any business owner and especially important when choosing your site design. For example, if you run a site for men’s clothing but choose a site design that is great for a blogger you will be in real trouble. Look for a website builder that offers helpful categories like e-Commerce or art.
2. Sizing – full-width vs boxed-width. This could have been the first tip as full-width is great for modern company designs while the boxed-width is perfect for traditional, business-focused sites.
3. Header layout – this seems like a minor item on the to-do list but actually a wrong header layout can really harm your site. This is where you communicate what your brand is and who your customer is. Think of it as your first impression and choose wisely. The safest choice is a fixed header with the ability to add content. This way you can visually and verbally make an impact on your visitor.
4. Responsive design – making sure your site is responsive does not just mean it can be viewed on a smartphone or other mobile devices. The design should carry over and impress your visitors no matter how they access your site. Since more than 90% of all traffic comes from a smart device, choosing responsive website templates is one of the most important elements of website design.
Tip #2: Forget About Coding
Before you call a developer to code your site you should know that today almost every website builder requires little to no coding. For example, Ucraft uses what’s called drag and drop technology, which means you can have all the creative control like a programmer without schooling (yay!)
Seriously though, not only can you create an amazing site without code your company can use that money towards something that is really necessary.
That being said, there are still a few website builders that require some level of coding so be sure to take a look before you begin designing.
Tip #3: Be Flexible and Customize
A lot of people think that because website templates are pre-made they have lost their originality. Instead, think of your template like a strong foundation for a home. You want it to be there but you are also meant to customize it to suit your needs and needs of anyone using it. Here are a few different ways you can make your site stand-out.
- Originality is key – you want your customers to walk away feeling they received a personalized and customized experience. Use features that will create that for your visitors.
- SEO-friendly – when picking a template you may have your heart set on a real beauty.If that site doesn’t allow you to customize, to create easier navigation, very fast loading, and the ability to optimize and analyze each page is a must. Choose a site builder that has its own SEO app so your site ranks high on SERPs.
- Be Responsive -NOT having a fully responsive site is no longer an option. If your template is not fully responsive do not choose it.
- Logos – your brand is everything so make sure your logo really stands out. You could outsource this but why when you can use a free logo maker tool?
- Third-party integrations – make sure your site can easily add popular elements like iTunes or Eventbrite.
Bonus Tip: Search for site builders that carry a wide selection of amazing responsive designs. If you are thinking of choosing a responsive website template, search for companies that have everything laid out.
Takeaway
Creating a beautiful site doesn’t have to be hard anymore. Be sure to choose a responsive website template so you can guarantee your visitors an amazing and easy mobile experience. There is no reason to code these days (sigh of relief) but you still should and can make your site completely original and unique. Just choose a drag and drop website builder so you can easily customize each part of your site to suit your niche.
Author Bio: Rachael is a content writer at Pearl Lemon who has written on a diversity of topics, from colored diamonds to SEO software. In her spare time, she enjoys singing, sketching, cooking, and video games.
