Some website designers choose to use a template – and there is nothing wrong with choosing to use this method! However, there are times when it is obvious that one must be on the lookout for trends in design, specifically in what is happening regarding WordPress.

There are many hacks to fast-tracking processes which help you achieve more while working less, but this is a habit that can easily cause flaws. While themes are great time-savers for many website builders and do assist in customization, using a template is not always the answer.

Today we discuss the things that may not necessarily help you when using a template for your website design career. Some bad advise which I hear recently during a seminar spurred me to consider some things which I decided to contest.

FIND A THEME TO SUIT YOUR TARGET NICHE

Those of you who design websites the likes of real estate companies should, in fact, purchase a license and go ahead using a real estate theme. However, make sure that you become very familiar with the theme that you choose.

WHY I CONTEST!

• The fact of the matter is that when you limit web design and start to purchase licenses which only tend to have a few templated options, you are running the risk of creating a lookalike website – this could seriously damage your business because clients may start to notice even the most minor of details. Copycat style indicates that you are not putting any time, money, creativity or effort into the work.

ALSO: How can you expect, as a web designer, to build an impressive portfolio if every website looks the same?

IDENTIFY PAGES THAT YOUR TYPICAL CLIENT REQUIRES ON THEIR SPECIFIC WEBSITE

In this instance, Home, About Us, and Contact pages are a provided – just as a theme developer solutionizes with a few page layouts or design options to choose from.

You could just use the templates from your theme or design your own and then, create no more than two or three template options for each individual page.

WHY I CONTEST!

Typically, this is just so generic and bla! It’s the same old same old and although it might be what some businesses require, others would need a little more creativity and imagination.

SAVE YOUR TEMPLATES FOR FUTURE USE

And remember – these are for no one to see but you.

WHY I CONTEST!

There is no need to keep repeating the same templates and storing them without sharing them. Others may use your ideas and find your templates useful – but the reality is that if you are being paid for web design, then that really is what you should be doing!

SIGN NEW CLIENTS IMMEDIATELY TO YOUR WEB DESIGN SERVICE

Foremost, explain to your new client that you will build the perfect website for their business. Then, have them sign the contract! All they need to do now is provide you with their branding info and images which you will need to use.

Once you have everything required, use the limited set of templates you have saved from previous jobs to build every website you are hired to create! Of course, you still have to choose page template options which would make most sense for each client.

All that is left is to add personalized content to each of the pages and that is about it! Easy!

The goal here: Work Less, earn more! This is how you make as much money as possible from each job without problems!

WHY I CONTEST!

What rubbish advise! Fact of the matter is, that it is terrible practice to not involve the client throught the creation of their website project.

Even worse, doing so can lead to costly rework and constant reviews. What’s more is that it also has the potential to hurt your business through negative feedback. On thing that people love to talk about is their bad experiences.

TRY NOT TO ENGAGE WITH THE CLIENT ABOUT WEB DESIGN

The client doesn’t need to be involved in the process – web designers are the experts and they know best! Clients shouldn’t have any say in the work that goes into the website – they do not even need to see it until it is complete!

WHY I CONTEST!

I cannot reitterate enough! THIS IS BAAAAAAD AVICE! Not only can this damage your reputation but it could also hurt your clients’ businesses. If their visitors realize there is nothing unique about the site they land upon they will observe that it is just one copycat to another.

There is nothing wrong with using a template, in fact, I’m in favor of them! To keep up with the times, we need to save stress and time – while producing quality online services. We are not all experts when it comes to getting tip top quality and fully functioning websites, not everyone knows coding and all that jazz.

That is why templates play an essential part of any productive designer’s workflow – to cut out all the techy gimmicks and make life easier! Faster, and less complicated gets the job done so they can also be really helpful in boosting your brand’s identity.

Certainly, the use of such a tool brings greater consistency and therefore, professionalism to the table. For example, project management templates definitely belong in the workflow of a web designer. If you wish to be FREE from tackling tedious project and time management tasks – these bad boys help you to stay focused on your work.

So here are some tips I have brought to you for cutting corners (which I must add, I only think should be done for those who are professionals and charging fairly for the service!) and using the conveniences of templates which are ready and made available to us!

Start With The Theme

Go ahead and customize it to your exact liking and create the skin your entire website. Craft it to yours and your customer’s needs with search-optimized content (both written and visual). Using a Theme Template will save you a bunch of time.

Maybe A Sectional Would Work?

This method is a good way to quickly replicate the same design elements across a website – or use a sectional in another way as the advantage is you can turn them into wireframes. What this refers to is that essentially, you are using the backbone of a sectional template to quickly bootstrap the structure of a page on another website.

The Obvious: Good Old WordPress

May not be the easiest, but once you get into it – you soon learn. Here, you will find a multi-site management tool named ManageWP. What is so great about this? It comes complete with its very own WordPress Template Builder. Why do you think it so popular?

Many people choose to use this software to build websites, simply to save time with new installations. All you have to do is create your template and then let WordPress do the rest! Install and add the plugins (as well as the themes) that you use most often for your client websites.

The Best Template of All: Project Management

The real best way to save yourself massive amounts of time is to simplify as much of your project management work as possible. Like, cut out the crap and the distractions and set yourself a structure so you have a guideline with goals to achieve! It is really the key to everyone’s success.

By creating checklists for all of your web design and business processes you are setting yourself up to win! Take your time to develop the templates that work for all kinds of tasks including for the communications you send to clients.

Keep everything intact for various reasons – so you can see progress and also so that you keep the proof! Things like contracts for new projects, and the instructions you provide yourself or others. Even templatize all of your minutes and invoicing!

You Choose

One key thing to learn is that there is a difference between adopting templates. Know the purpose – if it is optimizing your design workflow or if you merely wish to avoid doing any real work.

Personally, I believe this is what leads to the delivery of poor websites which gives clients a way to talk designers into lowering their prices. For those web designers out there being paid to provide a creative service: DO YOUR JOB!

At the end of the day, you cannot expect someone to be happy if 100% of the elements you put on a website don’t even need to be handcrafted by you and you charge fully for it! Be it on your conscience.