You don’t have to look hard to find someone telling you why using premade themes for your creative business will hold you back. They’ll come up with all kinds of reasons, but in the end you’ll probably notice that most of these people are web designers who want you to book projects with them instead of buying premade themes.
Now, they have a point. Depending on the designer you work with, it’s very possible to get better results with a custom website than something premade. But on the other hand, if you have the right theme and are using it correctly, you could find yourself growing faster than someone with a custom website.
To help put some of these incorrect thoughts to rest, today we’ll go over 4 myths about using premade themes for your creative business website.
[Tweet “Are you falling for any of these myths about using premade themes?”]
Myth #1: You won’t look professional
One of the most popular myths about using premade themes is that there’s no way you can look professional using a template.
This one definitely gets old fast because it just isn’t true. Sure, there are a lot of awful themes out there that look totally templated and have an unprofessional feel, but there are a lot of shops who know exactly what they’re doing when it comes to designing templates. They’re designing them with your type of business in mind and there’s nothing unprofessional about them.
I’m sure it wouldn’t take long for any of us to find a professional looking theme and an unprofessional looking custom website, right?
So if you’ve seen this myth and have been worrying that it’s true, you can put that to rest. As long as you find a theme that is well-designed and created with your type of business in mind, you’ll look just as professional as a custom website would make you look.
Myth #2: Your website will look like everyone else’s
Another common myth is that your website will end up looking just like everyone else’s if you use a premade theme.
Now, sure, if you’re using a theme from one of the most popular shops out there (like StudioPress), people who have been around longer might recognize that you’re using one of those templates.
But most themes come with customization options that will make you stand apart from the rest. Look for themes that let you set your own fonts and colors, upload your own images, and get creative in areas that give you a little freedom, rather than going with the exact layout the theme demo is showing.
Unless the theme you’ve found is extremely restrictive, there’s no reason your website should look like anyone else’s.
Myth #3: It won’t match your brand
Going right along with the last point, the third myth people tend to believe about using premade themes is that you can’t make your brand stand out on something pre-made.
Now, if you’re installing a theme, leaving all the default settings, and using cheap stock photos, of course it’s not going to match your brand.
But if you take a little time to update the colors, make the fonts match yours, and use photos that give off the look and feel you’re going for, your website will be perfectly branded to you.
Keep these things in mind when you’re searching for a theme. You want to make sure you’ll have the freedom to change fonts, colors, and all of the images that are shown on the demo.
Myth #4: You’ll feel limited
And the last myth is that you’ll feel limited with a premade theme and the only way to get what you want is to go with something custom.
This may have been true a few years ago, but it isn’t anymore with all the tools that are available.
For example, Beaver Builder is a plugin that integrates with pretty much any theme out there and gives you the ability to drag-and-drop things around your pages to look exactly the way you want them to. There’s no reason to be limited with tools like that. (Check out our Beaver Builder tutorial here!)
Feeling better?
We know it’s frustrating to know that something like a premade theme is the best choice for your business (at least for now) and having other people telling you otherwise. Hopefully, busting these four myths today have helped you feel better about the choice of using a premade theme until you’re ready for the next step.
If you’re ready for a new look, check out our 3-day email series all about choosing the right theme for your business so your goals are supported and you’re in love with your final decision.
