Did you custom design your site or use a template?

[SuziW]

Use WordPress! There's themes available to suit everyone either for free or cheap and the search engines love them. There's SEO plugins as far as the eye can see. It's easy and there's some really configurable themes that allow you to create what you want.

 

[plyrjohn404]

Template, faster and easier. But it was a paid template.

 

[supportfacility]

I would go for custom design just for uniqueness. However free templates are available and it is easier as well as faster and we can make many changes so that it looks unique

 

[eclectic]

We started out with a wordpress template that we really liked and used it as a non-wordpress site. Over the past two years, As we've seen elements from other sites and templates that we liked we've integrated them when possible into our design. It's pretty much grown into it's own thing.

I think it should be noted tho that none of us here are web or graphic designers. We're all pretty much customer service savvy system administrators and technicians. We have yet to agree upon actually spending a couple grand to pay a designer to make a site. I think eventually that time will come when one of us finds someone that we all agree upon and then we will pay to have a custom site done.

One of the things I've learned is don't try to please everyone with the site design and layout and forget about what you and your team like.

 

[freecbc3]

i am template is better

 

[Dann Man]

I think a custome design is much better than using a template. Cause usually people can tell if it was a template that you downloaded and edited yourself. Or if you built your entire site yourself or had web developer do it for you. It definitely looks more professional if its custom built.

 

[webhosting.am]

If you have skills in web design why don't you design your site yourself. But remember having a good designed site makes you look more reliable for the customer.

 

[Blue]

I think a custome design is much better than using a template. Cause usually people can tell if it was a template that you downloaded and edited yourself. Or if you built your entire site yourself or had web developer do it for you. It definitely looks more professional if its custom built.

I doubt that very much.
99% of people would never know if you are using a template or not, nor would most care.

What people tend to care about is if the site looks professional, which a well modifed template will certainly do, and if the service is professional.

 

[hostingcares]

I think templates are good enough and you can always customzed them according to your needs.