You’re a small business owner and you need a website. With your budget already likely stretched thin, you might be leaning towards using a website blueprint instead of having one built up from scratch. Is this a good idea?

The simple answer? Yes! And we’re not just saying that because we can sell you one. The fact is, for a small business with a limited budget and very little technical skill, a website blueprint is a great way to go. 

Here’s why.

The cost.

Set up your business with a professionally-designed website blueprint for a few thousand bucks! Believe it or not, a custom-designed website could set you back ten times as much. You might find the designs and functionality a bit more limited with blueprints, but there are many blueprints to choose from.

If time is money, then speed is a factor. 

A blueprint website can be up and running within a fraction of the time it takes to build a site from scratch. While custom-designed sites can take months to develop fully, your blueprint-based site could be up in about a week. However, you should make sure you’ve got all the content and pictures needed to customize your site ready to go ASAP.

No surprises. 

With a website blueprint, you already know what you’re getting. You don’t have to envision the finished product. A website blueprint can be customized in many ways, including colours, pictures, and text, and you’re in control of those changes! You need not worry whether a web developer has understood your vision.

Easy on the eyes. 

Your website is, in many cases, where your customers get their first impression of you. Ready-made blueprint websites are designed by professionals who, in the case of Launch by SIVA, also design custom sites. Therefore, you know you’re getting expert design quality despite the lower cost and shorter turnaround time. 

Website blueprints function properly.

Professionally designed website blueprints come with standard options like ‘home’, ‘about’, ‘services’, and ‘contact us’. Everything a small-to-medium business needs to get started. More complex website blueprints can also include e-commerce elements including online ordering, credit card processing, and even live chat, but remember: these features will require more backend support in order to function properly.

They work for your customer.

At the end of the day, the appearance of your website is only part of the battle. Another consideration is does it even work for your customers? Blueprint websites are based on tried-and-true website building methods, with consistent navigation links throughout. Your customers will end up where you want them to end up.

There are down sides.

Yeah, we’re in the business of selling you a website blueprint. But we have to be upfront: there are some disadvantages to it. The main downside to a pre-built site is that it’s not exclusive to you and therefore isn’t fully unique. While you can customize the appearance, it may have the same feel as other sites out there.

Blog about it!

Another consideration to make before opting for a blueprint over a custom site is that pre-built sites need extra love to be optimized for search engines. It would be up to you to keep your website fresh with current content like blogs. This content has to be rich with keywords that not only promote your product or service, but also heighten your chances of being higher in a Google search result. Luckily, there are companies out there that can help you with that, providing a predetermined number of blogs just like this one.
In the end, it all comes down to what you need out of a website, and what you want your customers to get out of it. Already decided? Get started with Launch today!