Whether you’re new to starting a business or you’re trying to refresh your brand, the mere mention of a website can stress you out. You know you need one, but communicating your brand to potential clients might seem overwhelming, especially if you aren’t skilled in website design and writing code.

Showit offers a host of solutions for creative professionals just like you. With no-code, drag-and-drop style design, Showit is easy to use to build your website or portfolio.

Even with Showit’s powerful tools and visual focus, using it can be daunting at first. There are so many different approaches to designing your website that it becomes time-consuming to sift through all the options.

There are two main ways to get started with Showit to get your business online in style. You can choose between investing in a custom design or picking out a pre-made template.

Both options have advantages and disadvantages, but which one is right for you?

Industry experts with years of experience can benefit from Showit just as much as new entrepreneurs can. So if you’re exploring Showit and trying to decide whether you should invest in a custom website or use a Showit template, this blog is for you.

Let’s check out all the differences between a custom Showit design and a Showit premade template to figure out which route is best for you and your business.

Template Or Custom: Which Is Right For You?

With design professionals offering premium Showit templates at a reasonable price point, pre-made templates can be just as great as the custom designs that you can get for your website. Neither one is better than the other, and there is a place and time for both.

However, there is a choice out there that is best for your individual, unique business.

There are a few must-have items that are crucial for your website to succeed in getting your brand across to your clients. Your site needs to be clean, easy to navigate and communicate your brand voice.

Whether you’re using a template or you’re investing in a custom design, Showit makes sure that your website will appeal to your potential clients as well as your returning customers.

Let’s look at the advantages and disadvantages of both templates and custom designs to determine which option you should choose.

Showit Premade Templates

When you’re just starting out, you won’t know everything there is to owning a business. This might include website design, which is one of the vital points to starting a business.

Showit templates are premade website designs that serve functionality and ease of use for new entrepreneurs who need to put their site out there in front of potential clients. While you can edit these templates to fit your needs, as well as your brand, the framework is already set up for you to then customize.

Showit Template Pros

You’ll find that many website designers offer premium Showit templates at a range of different price points. If you’re a new business or a startup, choosing a premium template is a great choice.

Here are some advantages of choosing a pre-made Showit template for your website.

1. Better For Lower Budgets: If you don’t have the budget for a custom website design, a Showit template is an excellent option for new businesses and start-ups. While some templates are free, which can suit a small budget, we recommend that you invest a little bit of money to get something of higher quality.
2. No Learning Curve: Website design, even with Showit’s easy-to-use visual tools, has a steep learning curve that can seem overwhelming at first. When you use templates instead, the design is there for you to add to.
3. Embedded Features: Showit has some really cool add-ons, like copywriting guides or conversion techniques that come embedded into the templates. This way, you don’t have to fuss with coding that you may not be an expert in.

Showit Template Cons

Using Showit pre-made templates is not going to be as customizable and unique as a custom website design would be. 

Let’s look at some of the disadvantages of using templates.

1. Too Similar: With templates, you run the risk of looking too similar to other websites and brands, even when you edit them to make your visuals match your brand and switch up the functionality to suit your end user.
2. Sunken Cost: Some templates just won’t work for you. If this happens, you may end up abandoning a template you may have paid for because it doesn’t suit your unique needs.

With this in mind, some Showit designers offer template customization. This means that for an extra fee, the designer will customize their template to perfectly fit your brand.

Even if you aren’t a new business, templates can be a perfect pick for someone who doesn’t have the time or energy to build something from the ground up.

Custom Showit Websites

Businesses that are ready to show off their brand and really invest in their website will benefit more from a custom Showit design. A custom design can elevate your brand to new heights.

Choosing a custom design means a memorable, unique brand experience for people to see when they click on your website. It better represents you and your business and presents your work more intimately and authentically.

Custom Design Pros

One of the biggest reasons for an entrepreneur to choose a custom Showit design is to be able to control all the moving parts. That being said, here are a few more reasons to choose a custom design.

1. Uniqueness: If you choose a custom web design, you will work with an expert Showit designer to make a custom, uniquely-yours website. It will be built totally from scratch, meaning that it won’t look like anyone else’s site.
2. Better Functionality: You can embed more complicated web features, like e-commerce, pop-ups, and Google reviews into your site. Typically, this will also make your SEO stand out among your competitors as well.
3. More Control: When you work with a designer one-on-one, you’re at the wheel, driving your vision toward the finish line. You have full control of where you want to take your website, with the designer helping you get there.

Custom Design Cons

Custom Showit designs are a worthy investment, but they are an investment. Let’s take a look at why a custom design might not be the best fit for your brand.

1. More Expensive: You need a bigger budget to accommodate your new website, as custom designs will be more expensive than templates will be.
2. Longer Process: Because your website will be built from scratch, it will take more time than picking out a template. You’ll need to budget time for the designer to build everything, and then for revisions.

For industry professionals and most established brands, a custom website design is the best choice for your business!

Build Your Brand With Showit Website Design

There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to using Showit for your next website. Both premade templates and custom designs are great options for any entrepreneur!

But with this guide in mind, you can choose which option is the best fit for your unique business and brand.

If you’re new to the business and don’t have room in your budget for a custom design, the Showit premade templates are a great choice for your business. If you’re willing to put in the time and effort to make the template fit your brand, you can achieve a great result.

If you’re an established business and want more control over the final result, or you need more complex features that you can’t find on a template, choosing a custom Showit design is the right option for you. You may not have time to sift through templates or mould them to your needs, but with the right budget, you can invest in something custom.

No matter which option you go with, when you’re using Showit, your website will turn out clean, beautiful, and functional.