Once you have made the decision to start your e-commerce store, you need to think about how it is going to look and how you are going to make sales. Building your site can take some time and knowledge of development, or you also have the option of downloading a pre-determined theme. Much of what you will end choosing can depend on how much you are willing to take on yourself and if you’re planning on hiring someone to help.
Here are some reasons for and against using a template when you go to build your e-commerce store.
Consider your budget
Before you make any decisions when it comes to building your e-commerce store, you need to know how much you want to spend on your design and development. This can depend on how much you are willing to take on yourself, or if you want to hire someone to build your site for you. Methods like headless commerce make it easier than ever to make changes to your site without having a professional take a look, but it can depend if you want something basic or more complicated.
Custom features
It can be much more difficult to create a site with custom features when you are using a template. Since it might require some additional coding, you might need to involve a professional if you have certain requirements when it comes to forms, interactive elements, and more. You might even want to consider doing some testing before you build your site in order to see if those are features that your customers would like to have for their convenience.
Stand out from the competition
With so many e-commerce stores out there, it can be difficult to make yourself known if your industry. When you use a template, you might find that your competitors have used something similar or even copied your design. While it can make it a lot easier to use something provided, you might end up confused with another store you are trying to compete with. This is why it is important to do a competitor analysis in order to see whether or not your theme is commonly used and whether you should hire someone to help you.
Consider your SEO
You might also want to consider how much control you are going to have over your SEO strategy when you use a template. Unlike if you choose to build your site from the ground up, you might not be able to make sure that your site is technically sound to be picked up by search engines. A template can also greatly affect your site speed if you are not careful.
In summary
Deciding whether or not to employ a template for use in your e-commerce store can be one of the most difficult decisions to make early on in your business. The good thing is that even if you have to start out with something simpler, you can always upgrade in the future.
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