Most businesses looking for a website or in need of rebuilding an existing website face this all-important dilemma. A custom-built website was very desirable until recently. However, the game changed when templates entered into the picture and made lives easier for people who did not have large budgets, time, or the capacity to build their website from scratch.

Just as custom websites are necessary for certain companies, website templates provide a great solution to certain companies. Several web development enterprises in the United States offer either or both of these services. For new entrants, startups, and small to mid-sized enterprises, analyzing the difference between a website made from scratch and one built with a template can be a challenging task. Let us look at both approaches to building a website, and look at the pros and cons to keep in mind before you make a decision.

Pros of ready-to-use website templates

1.Fast and furious

A dynamic template can be located, bought, and deployed within a matter of days, if not hours.

2. Saves money

Anyone can purchase a basic template for as little as a few hundred dollars. This means you do not have to spend anything over and above that cost of a template unless you want specific customizations and functionalities.

3. Pretty straight forward

Templates are not very complicated, and most of them are ready for you to drop your content into them. This means anyone – literally anyone – can create a website without needing the services of experienced designers or developers.

4. Inbound-friendly

Templates come ready for your inbound strategies, with well-placed areas for banners, calls to action, and a mobile-ready design.

Cons of readymade website templates

1.You cannot be too selective

Several template options are available on the internet. However, the possibility that you may choose the one that is not exactly compatible with what you need remains omnipresent. While the number of ecommerce website templates increase daily, most of them still have certain limitations.

2. You will have to be flexible with your branding

Instead of the website template adapting to your brand, it is generally the other way around. You can easily find yourself shuffling things around in order to ensure that your brand and the template go well together.

3. You will be paying extra for additional functionalities

In case you need additional features, functionalities, or customizations, you will have to pay extra for such modifications. 

Pros of building your website from scratch

1.Your dream website

The options are limitless when you get a custom-made website. Based on your specifications almost any feature or tool can be added.

2. One-of-a-kind design

Your custom website is the only website like itself. Nothing is copy-pasted. There is no fear of finding another website on the internet that looks exactly like yours.

3. Exclusive experience

You can develop a unique, branded experience with a custom website design. An expert developer can help create distinct functionalities and code your site exactly the way you want it to operate at every single touchpoint.

4. Safe and secure

Custom-built websites have a safety net, as they are tailor-made and not accessible for people to pick and use. You can also get additional layers of security built into them.

5. Scalable when needed

As opposed to template-based websites, you can add many features to your project whenever you want – as and when you want to scale up in the future. 

Cons of building your own custom site

1.The cost factor

Hiring the right company can cost quite a bit more than making your website on a template. That is because it needs an expert team to brainstorm and collaborate with you and then execute your custom website.

2.Time-consuming

When comparing a template website, which can be up and running within a few hours, custom websites take much longer to build. This is because experienced developers will create code and design every single aspect of your custom website manually.

3. Difficulty in communicating your vision

At times, we are unable to articulate our vision to the web development team, who are relying on you entirely to start creating

The Bottom Line

For firms with small budgets and timeline constraints, a template-based website is the way to go. Website templates have many restrictions on brand expression, functionality, and scalability. However, you can get your site up and running in no time, which can be a great advantage.

For companies that do not wish to compromise on the quality of their website and have a decent budget and time to spare, choosing to build a custom site is a no-brainer. A custom website is built specifically for your needs, tailored to your brand’s identity and positioning, and configured to grow with you.

Lucky for you, QualDev offers both services! We can help you build a business website from scratch or work with you to choose and customize a template. QualDev has built clean, clear, and customized websites to create lasting impressions visually and interactively for several leading brands in the United States.

Are you looking for an ecommerce website design company in the USA? Look no further – we have got you covered.

Our experienced team of designers and web developers has completed a staggering 750+ web development projects for startups and mid-sized businesses. If you are still confused about which way to go, set up a quick call with the QualDev team of specialists to find a solution that suits you best.

The post Website Development: The Pros and Cons of Using a Template Vs. Building from Scratch appeared first on QualDev.

Given the extensive reach and visibility that websites and applications offer, having your own business website and a mobile app is a no-brainer today. However, simply creating one for the sake of having it does not suffice. If you consider building or revamping your own website, quality is of paramount importance.

So, who makes these websites and applications?

You would be surprised to know that a lot of entrepreneurs have tried their hand at designing and developing their own websites. The emergence of several DIY platforms has allowed individuals to explore this process firsthand. However, in most cases, the end result has been far from what they expected.

Most enterprises outsource the web development process to companies that specialize in providing these services. Full-service web development companies usually have a team of managers, software engineers, coders, web designers and marketing professionals who work closely with their clients to bring website and mobile app ideas to fruition.

What does a web development company typically do? 

The primary scope of work for a web development company includes ideating, designing, creating and maintaining websites and applications. Let us break this down further:

• Website development services

As is evident from the millions of business sites on the internet, websites come in a variety of styles and sizes. A website can be custom-built by a web development company to suit the unique needs and preferences that a business has. Unlike the websites developed during the last decade, these days websites are created taking a mobile-first approach. This means developing your website for smaller (handheld) devices and then adapting it for access on a laptop or PC. The approach a web development company takes to create your business site would depend on a range of factors that include the following:

• The type of business (B2C / B2B)
• The industry or domain that you operate within
• The geographies and audience demographics that you cater to 
• Your budget for the creation and maintenance of the website
• Your objectives and goals (both short term and long term)

• Mobile application development services

Business owners have realized the need to adopt a mobile-first approach. Trends and studies point towards the fact that audiences spend the majority of their time on their smartphones. Just like websites, applications are also created primarily for mobile usage. Here are a few factors that determine how the app development process will pan out:

• Platforms where you wish to make your business app available (iOS, Android, etc.) 
• Type of business and the industry you belong to
• Target group demographics 
• Purpose of the application 
• Your budget for building and maintaining the app

Typically, a web development company will help you build an app and/or website by engaging in the following activities:

1. Ideating and freezing the framework, architecture, and navigation
2. Choosing a coding language to build your site and app (HTML, PHP, JavaScript, ASP, etc.)
3. Coding and programming the back end
4. Integrating media elements like videos, images, and audio
5. Publishing content and optimizing it according to best practices
6. Working on designing the User Interface and User Experience at the front end
7. Testing the website and app before it goes live (beta testing)
8. Identifying problems and fixing bugs
9. Conducting speed and performance testing
10. Implementing codes and going live
11. Maintaining and updating this online real estate on a regular basis

The web development process involves several other steps, most of which are taken care of by your outsourcing partner along the way. Some companies also offer to design and build a site or app using an online Content Management System (CMS) like Joomla, WordPress, Magento, or any other from the host of existing platforms.

In essence, a web development company works with its client and design team to provide end-to-end website creation and app development services.

Web development project journey and process

Image source: https://www.qualdev.com/web-development/

The steps that the website development company follows after they receive a request to build a website or a mobile app include the following:

• Setting up meetings or calls to understand the scope of the project and to identify the needs of the client. Once the initial discussion takes place, the web development company sends a quote.
• Discussing the approach, scope of work and finalizing budgetary aspects. The development process begins after a formal contract or agreement is signed.
• Project planning involves setting a timeframe, outlining the project plan and beginning the work on wireframes.
• The tech assessment phase involves mutually agreeing upon the technologies, platforms, and techniques that will be used for the creation of the website.
• The web development company then creates and shares mockups or prototypes to give the client an idea of how their end product would look.
• Once approved, the next step is designing the look and feel of the website and application (UI and UX). This includes creating signage, graphics, icons, buttons, effects, transitions, color schemes, etc.
• This is followed by the programming and coding of the different aspects (back end development, as mentioned above).
• While quality control is an ongoing aspect of web design and development, this step basically ensures that thorough quality checks are done before deployment.
• Once the website or app is ready to go live, the web development company deploys it on the predefined platform.
• Client training comprises of explaining the functioning of the website and application in detail. This is an important step in the process since the client’s team needs to know how the site works and what aspects they can handle at their end.
• Once the app and website are live, the web development agency is responsible for providing ongoing support according to the terms mentioned in the contract. This involves weekly or monthly calls/meetings, backend support, troubleshooting, re-optimization, and data reporting.

Are you looking for a web development partner?

If you intend to partner with a web development company to build your website or app, make sure you look at aspects like their past work (project portfolio), experience, capabilities, process workflow, and pricing. If they tick all the right boxes and offer value addition in terms of creative inputs, 24×7 support, and quick turnaround, you have yourself a winner!

At QualDev, we offer end-to-end custom web development services and solutions to clients from a wide range of industries.

The post Web Development 101: What Does a Web Development Company Do? appeared first on QualDev.

The design of your website plays a very crucial role in strengthening the online presence of your brand. More than 70% of internet users prefer to see something that appeals to the eyes, instead of looking at a simple plain design. Having a user-friendly, efficiently-running website, attracts maximum web traffic. This means that the first step, towards achieving success online, would be to ensure that your website is professionally designed.

Let us look at the benefits your business website receives from professional web design: –

Successful Digital Campaigns

An eye-catching website attracts a significantly higher number of prospects and is the starting point of your digital marketing strategy. However, if you are not using proper channels to market your product/service, then it is of no use. Social media, e-commerce platforms, and apps help you reach out to clients across the globe. If you use social media accounts like Instagram and Facebook, you can connect with millions of users and easily market your brand through them.

Shopify, Big Commerce, etc. are some ready-to-use e-commerce platforms that you can use to introduce your business online. If you make use of a mobile or desktop app you can enhance customer experience to a great extent. If you do not have a professional-looking website, you will find yourself unable to strategize your marketing efforts because of a lack of a proper reference point online. So, your first priority should be to get a website that is attractive, informative, and user-friendly, so that you can use it as a reference point for the channels mentioned above to market your brand digitally.

Accessible Website

Just developing a wonderful website, does not mean that you have everything you need. Take steps to ensure that your website loads smoothly on all browsers. Users do not have the patience to wait at a website where images take ages to load. Your top priority is to engage the customer as soon as he lands on your website, thus your website should be accessible on all browsers and must be fast. Hire the right experts to make sure you face no technical issues with the site. Thus it is vital to get a professionally designed website that passes the various tests. When your website functions perfectly at all times and is always available to customers, you will find yourself in a position to close more sales.

These statistics will surprise you,

• 47% of internet users expect a website to load within 2 seconds.
• 64% of the mobile users expect a website to load in 4 seconds.
• You lose 11% page views if the load time of your website is delayed by 1 sec
• Conversions reduce by 7% for each second a website loads late.

Thus, if are making $100,000 daily, then by improving 1% load time, your sales can go up by $7,000 daily.

Not a bad deal at all, isn’t it? To achieve this, you only need to invest to get your website designed professionally.

Reduce in Bouncing Rate

Having a website that is user-friendly, bug-free, virus-free, and easily accessible on laptops, computers, tablets, and smartphones is a boon. Your website is the face of your business and provides your audience with a first impression. Adding interesting content, thoughtful images, and logos, binds your niche audiences and keeps them coming back to your website for more. A professional looking website engages your audience, causing them to stay, thus reducing bounce rate.

Long-Lasting Impression

A badly designed website might get you a customer, but may leave them with a very bad impression of your business. It is important to deliver a great first expression through your website to prevent users from leaving mid-way. A professional web site creates a long-lasting first impression in the minds of your audience. Also, the user interface of a nicely designed website is smooth allowing for easy accessibility to content.

Complies with Latest Trends

Web designing experts keep abreast of the current trends and design new websites accordingly. They know what clients like in terms of format and look of the site. For example, sometimes the user gets frustrated if the website is not able to load images quickly. A professional website developer may include animated logos, scroll-triggered animations, distinctive themes, etc. to add extra punch to your website. When you offer your customers something extra and unique, why would they leave you!

Extended word of mouth

How many times have you enjoyed looking at a website that was excellently designed? It is very likely that you have shared that company name or website with friends and relatives simply because of the impact the website has had on you. Great design combined with an intuitive navigation on the website results in a great experience for the end-user. This word of mouth leads to more traffic and encourages potential customers to visit simply because they know beforehand that the website is well-designed.

Immense Benefits from Responsive Design

Most customers use their smartphones to place orders and to search for products or services online. When your website makes use of a responsive web design, it means that it is compatible with smartphones. Having a responsive web design helps to improve customer experience thus increasing your ROI.

Bottom Line:

The above points illustrate the importance of having a professional web design for your website. It is time-saving, hassle-free, very responsive, and worth the value. Good web design ensures that your leads remain on the page, thus increase conversion rates.

Running a business these days means that you need to engage certain level of professionalism in all areas of the market. In today’s world, where the internet is so easily accessible to all, having a poorly designed website, could be the only reason for losing a lot of potential business. Add a layer of professionalism to your web design with the help of QualDev website development company and realize your business goals in a shorter time frame! 

The post Why Do Businesses Need Professional Web Design? appeared first on QualDev.