Templates or self made?

kai_uk

New member
Creating a website can be a time consuming task and requires a certain skill set. You need to be technical and creative, but normally people have one trait or the other. Is it better to just download a template or should we be designing our websites from scratch?
 
First off, if you decide to make a website from scratch then you have to invest in time and maybe few frustrations, if you try to to build your website based on a template, then you might have to deal with secret codes injected to the template and quite possibly, numerous other websites that have the same template as you yours. Personally, I'd like to do it both ways. I'll do a quick Google search for a free template, I'd like them simple and clean so that they're easier to customize. Then I would fire up Dreamweaver or Notepad, and do some stuff on the codes, add a few graphics here and there and then boom! I like to do it that way because, first of all is it saves time. You already got the code, the design is ready, all you need to do is make it like your own. Second is, its easier to work on something that is already structured. I for one am not a fan of codes, so having a set of codes already done makes it much faster, and I'm sure it will be a breeze for someone that is a skilled coder and web designer. But it all comes down to what you're comfortable on.
 
The answer to this depends on two factors -
1. Are you good in design ? For me, I am not. So I have to consult a designer or go for a design
2. Does the Design and the Template meet your requirements? - If you are a coder, like me, and the template doesnt get you what you need, go around and tweak the codes, add on your requrements and you are done. If you are not a coder, either hire a coder to add the functionality or look for another template which delivers what you need.

There is no other way out.
 
For me I find the biggest challenge to be translating a design done into Photoshop into a fully functional Wordpress theme. I know, generally speaking, how to do it, but it is so time consuming to do over and over again from the ground up - plus there are so many details you need to take into consderation.

From a design point of view, if you at least know your way around Photoshop and Illustrator, you can always re-create designs that you like, rather than purchase and use pre-made ones. I will often browse premium theme sites for "inspiration" and ideas.

To keep the coding simple, I rely on Wordpress theme frameworks to build my themes off of. I feel they offer the easiest transition and workflow coming from Photoshop to Wordpress, with little hassle. And if you know some CSS and HTML, you can tweak them even further to really make them shine.
 
If you want to make a website from scratches or from PSD according to your need and you like than create your own theme by HTML but today there are thousands of templates available on internet if you find your template of your desire than use the template.
 
If you know how ti build a site, just got for the self made one and create a unique site for you. But if you don't have the time to invest in this,and you're looking for a website for your namesake business, go for a template or some free site builders like wix.com, weebly.com or webs.com.
 
Using a ready made template is good option as it is easy to install and also it will save you time. As building a new template by scratch takes time.
 
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