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Overused Template or Custom, Unique Design?
Just to have some fun, to continue the type of posts @jcaleb makes...
When buying from a web host, do you feel that it is important to see if they can afford a custom, unique design?
Will the fact a host uses an over-used template (from Themeforest, for example) affect your decision when deciding to purchase from a web host? Does this give you a sign that such web host cannot be bothered to make a good appearance on their guests, potential customers, or customers?
I personally believe that design is everything, its what people recognize your company as and its what they remember you by. I would never use a template for any company or business I may be affiliated with. As such, we use custom designs only.
Please share your thoughts!
Comments
I would not hesitate at all to buy from a provider that has a simple website and obviously focuses at keeping their stuff stable (RAM Host/TinyVZ/TinyKVM or prgmr for example). In fact, those are pretty much the first place where I'd look.
Second come the 'unique designs', and in the absolutely last place comes any site with a stock template, flashing discount buttons, cheesy stock photography, or live chat popups. In fact, if you have one of those intrusive live chat popups. you're guaranteed to never see me back on your site again. Ever.
I care about the services offered, not about the eye candy. And i like the design of prgmr.com
If it's easy to read and navigate, that's all that matters to me. I personally find simplistic better, for the longest time RAMHost had my favorite website design ever. There was another host in LEB that I commented on a while back that I loved but can't remember the name of it now.
Before anybody asks or comments, our theme was a free theme I found online. I was tired of spending money on themes when there are so many rippers around here. I paid for our logo but the template was where I cut corners. Our next theme will be more like @Bitcable if we ever decide to change it up.
I prefer unique designs, however if it's a template, you won't be counted out as long as you put effort into it instead of leaving it as the stock template. I'll admit there are some cool templates out there I wouldn't mind using.
The downside to unique designs is that they get ripped an awful lot.
If i'm getting ready to spend money on a site, the design better be custom made and professional.. That custom design tells me the company is serious, and intends on staying for a long time.
Simple and minimalistic don't turn me away. A good system administrator is rarely a skilled artist. Being a good system administrator doesn't mean you can afford to hire amazing designers either, nor is that an indication of the quality you can provide.
However, a template will not do for me. When I see someone who just bought a $30 template on ThemeForest and threw it together, my mind instantly drifts to...do they do the same with their servers? Just find a bunch of scripts and install them hoping that they don't fail? Anyone can be a web host, set up a vps, and sell a dedicated system. Not just anyone can KEEP doing that and provide the kind of service their customers deserve.
All I ask is that the presentation be original, not that it be extravagant. We went a little extravagant with ours, but we're aiming for customers who have no idea what LET and WHT are, so an attractive front end is of infinite importance.
i think custom web template is not important, because most lowend customers are somewhat technical and objective people. and stingy maybe (just look at how many reaction an offer get when they say 128mb OVZ for 5$). they will research and gather data to get the best deal for their $$$.
@jcaleb I guess what it really comes down to is your market. To market to people here, just don't try to look like you're skating by without a thought to it.
@jarland yes, it's the market. there are market where this thing matters. man, the web design of the popular providers here looks like they were designed by the crunchbang maintainer.
Myself and most people I speak with value the uniqueness of a website design and would be unlikely to purchase services/products from a site with a non unique design.
Like others have said, it doesn't have to be fancy at all, it can be very simple and minimalistic; it just has to be unique. Using the exact same template that other companies are using is to be avoided at all costs in my opinion and always seems a bit sketchy/lazy.