In mid-1993 there were only a total of 130 websites… Crazy, right? Today, there are over 1 billion! Having your own website is not a luxury anymore; it’s a necessity. Some marketing consultants claim that one no longer needs a website in order to succeed online. While it is possible to do well without having your own website, it is by no means ideal as a long term strategy for most businesses. Your website is the only online medium that you control 100%. From content to design to sharing options, it is an equivalent of being a homeowner in real life. Social media networks, especially Facebook, are known for constant changes that are beyond your control. Some of these changes will directly affect how your content performs, including your sales and your bottom line. You just going to have to learn how to deal with it and move on… With your own website, you are in charge of everything that happens on it. Don't ever give it up! Now when you know that EVERYONE needs a website, let's talk about your choices. What kind of websites are available to individuals and companies? What website works for your business? For the sake of this video, let’s say that there are two types of websites: template-based and custom. Once they’re finished, you become the owner of the product. There’s also a third type of websites, which is somewhat of a hybrid model (like Wix.com). It’s more of a service than a product and it’s target audience is DIY web designers. This video is all about template vs custom. I will make a separate set of slides addressing the pros and cons of DIY website publishing services.

1. By Vladas Krivickas
A guide for a confused business owner
What is a “Custom Website”
and Who Needs One?

2. Do Businesses Still Need a Website?
• In mid-1993 there were only a total of 130 websites…
Crazy, right? Today, there are over 1 billion!
• Having your own website is not a luxury anymore; it’s a
necessity.
• Some marketing consultants claim that one no longer
needs a website in order to succeed online. While it is
possible to do well without having your own website, it
is by no means ideal as a long term strategy for most
businesses.

3. Website VS Social Media: It’s All About Control
• Your website is the only online medium that you control
100%. From content to design to sharing options, it is an
equivalent of being a homeowner in real life.
• Social media networks, especially Facebook, are known for
constant changes that are beyond your control.
• Some of these changes will directly affect how your content
performs, including your sales and your bottom line. You just
going to have to learn how to deal with it and move on…
• With your own website, you are in charge of everything that
happens on it.

4. What Are Your Choices?
• For the sake of this video, let’s say that there are two types of websites:
template-based and custom. Once they’re finished, you become the
owner of the product.
• There’s also a third type of websites, which is somewhat of a hybrid model
(like Wix.com). It’s more of a service than a product and it’s target
audience is DIY web designers.
• It provides a set of templates and online tools. You can use the tools to
make some customizations and easily publish your website online.
• The downside of this model is that you never actually own the website.
You are merely renting it by paying monthly access fees. I plan on making a
separate video about DIY websites and their pros and cons. This
presentation is all about custom vs template.

5. Template
• The best analogy for a template is prepackaged food.
Let’s take pre-made mac & cheese as an example: all
you need to do is heat it up and it’s ready to serve. A
template is a premade website. Unpack it, upload your
own content (text, pictures, videos) and you can go live
in a matter of hours.
• Best templates provide more options for
customization: you can change colors, fonts, and layout
(to a certain extent).

6. Custom
• Every industry has its own luxury segment. From fine dining
to luxury sedans, there are sellers who sell and buyers who
buy top of the line merchandise.
• To continue with our food analogy, a custom website is like
dinner made from scratch. Web designers and developers
that build truly custom websites do not use any kind of
templates or third party Content Management Systems.
• In other words, they create design and write code without
using anybody else’s work but their own.

7. Websites are Like Cars…
• Websites are like cars; for most people, the first car is not the greatest
they’ll ever own, but it works and takes them places.
• As you grow older, you start earning more, you learn more about cars,
develop tastes and preferences, have kids that won’t fit in your sporty
coupe any more... So you buy your second car, your third car, etc…
• Same is true with websites. As your business grows, you learn more
about what works for you and what doesn’t; eventually, you’ll become
more picky; you will start noticing limitations of your current template-
based website and you may decide that it’s time to go custom.

8. Top Reasons to Go Custom

9. 1. It’s Unique
• If you’re concerned that your website is going to
be too similar to your competitor’s, custom
design and development is the way to go. There’s
no way around it: no matter which template you
choose or how many small tweaks you do, there
are still going to be thousands of websites that
will appear to be your twins, siblings, cousins or
relatives of sorts.

10. 2. It’s limitless
• A custom website is like a Ferrari built just for
you. There are literally no limits as to what
such a website can look like or do.

11. 3. It’s More Secure
• Custom means unique and limited. Hackers like
familiar and widespread. Custom websites are
less prone to hacker attacks.
• It’s like Apple vs PC. Due to their small market
share worldwide, there aren’t enough devoted
hackers willing to create enough malicious
applications that would affect Apple operating
system at the same rate as Microsoft OS.

12. 4. It Grows With You
• Template-based websites are like cookies made using a cookie
cutter. If you don’t like the shape of your cookie, you have to
start over (knead the dough, get a different cookie cutter).
• People are creatures of habit; most clients don’t like dramatic
changes when it comes to their favorite websites. If your
company goes through a rapid growth and your template-based
website needs lots of new features, you will have no choice but
to pick a new template.
• Custom websites can be redesigned seamlessly without losing
the original look and feel (branding).

13. 5. It’s Maintenance-Free
• Say ‘bye’ to maintenance fees! Custom
websites do not require any updates, plugins
or widgets.

14. Is a Custom Website for Me?
• If top 5 reasons above speak to you, you’re probably ready
to go custom. In addition, ask yourself the following
questions:
- Do you have long-term goals for your business? Do you
plan on staying around or is this a temporary gig?
- Do you prefer owning stuff to renting?
- When you’re out shopping, do you prefer higher quality,
more durable items or you don’t mind getting cheaper
products that need to be replaced more often?

15. Some Need It, Others Want It
• We’ve created custom websites for all kinds of different
industries and niches: from roofing companies to foreign
embassies. Some businesses, however, do need custom
websites more than others:
- Real Estate;
- Medical;
- Legal;
- Arts
- Other competitive, saturated niches.

16. Other Factors to Consider
• Do you use a lot of paid plugins or extra applications to
generate leads, increase user engagement, perform
automated tasks, etc.? Do you pay for these services
$100 or more a month?
• It may be more economical to have a custom-built
website that replicates these services, but in a custom
way.
• You will end up owning a product tailored for your
needs, plus, you will save money over time.

17. Thanks for Watching!
• If you have any questions, feel free to contact
me personally at vladas@inclout.com or visit
our website at www.inclout.com for more
information.
• Thanks for watching and sharing!