Why Template Driven Professionally Designed Websites for Accountants are Usually The Superior Choice
Many Accounting firms have limited options when it comes to setting up a website. One option is to exploit a template; a pre-designed site that was created by an expert for use "as is". There are hundreds of sites that sell templates, and nearly all hosting services offer them free bundled with their basic plan (or at an extremely low cost). They are typically displayed with fake text on them which gives the viewer a good look at what the finished product will look like.
Your other options, of course, are to endeavor to design the site on your own or build a custom website from scratch using a professional designer. Not many accountants have the marketing, artistic, and coding skills needed to build a website themselves, and a professionally designed custom website is very expensive. For most accountants a template is the best option. A pre-made template offers you the ease of production, as well as a lower cost of the design. It also gives you the ability to then customize a few things, here and there, to make it more personalized. Custom website design is expensive. For some uses this expense is justified, but for most small or medium sized accounting firms this cost is exorbitant. The more ideas, the more the designer will charge.
Most of the created templates are offered in a variety different themes and color schemes. Some also come with a graphic introduction page, which offers images that slide/transform.
Remember, before selecting a template, you will need to identify the goals for your website. What do you want the site to look like? How do you want it laid out? Don't be afraid to browse the web for ideas. What colors do you want to use? What images? What kind of pages do you want to offer. When you have everything together, it becomes much easier for yourself or a professional designer to build the template.
There are advantages to using a web template:
- You won't need to worry about layout and navigation. When you use a template this is already laid out for you.
- Design consistency can be a real problem for do-it-yourselfers. It can be hard to develop different pages with different content and at the same time keep a similar look and feel. Templates take care of this problem for you by offering standard content pages.
- Templates include professional graphics. Filling a site with professional photos can be expensive and time consuming. The alternative, looting the internet for images, is usually illegal. Templates also allow you to customize those graphics to a more personalized look.
- Most templates support HTML editors so you can make changes to your site without needing any coding skills.
There are other advantages, too. Template sites that come as part of a hosting package will be updated regularly automatically. Of course these changes are particularly relevant if your website template is provided by an industry specific host. There are a lot of companies that specialize in websites for accountants and CPA's. These companies usually offer a complete web design package, which includes features like a client portal and a monthly newsletter.
Of course, there are potential limitations to consider:
- Graphically templates usually come "as is" unless you can code in HTML and have access to graphics software like Photoshop. Some providers will make changes for you (for an added fee) but in most cases you'll need to hire a web professional to make graphic changes to a template.
- Some website managers are easier to use than others. Many templates make it very difficult to make changes unless you know HTML. These templates can still significantly reduce your costs, but you may still need a website professional to set up and maintain it.
- Any interactive features have to be integrated into the template, unless the provider has built it in.
- The right to use a template does not imply ownership. Unless you specifically buy the copyright to the template the designer will be able to sell the same template to other website owners.
Every person wants a website that stands out from the crowd. A template may just be able to help; you have the basic layout and structure of the design, but then you can go in and change out the colors, images, etc.
If you choose to use a template take the time to choose a good one. Templates come in all kinds of styles and colors. You should have no trouble finding one that suits your firm. The template provider also matters. Find a provider that specializes in websites for accountants and includes good features and updates rather than forcing yourself to find each feature separately. It might not only save you money, but also the hassle of interviewing a number of different providers, rather than one.