Perfect Template

Choosing the Perfect Website Design Template for Your Website

Using ready-made website templates is one of the best solutions for building your website. It allows you to make a professional website quickly, easily and affordably. When using a website builder to create your website, the first step is to choose a design template.

But how do you choose the perfect template for your website?

In this article, we will take a closer look at the templates of website builders. We will also go over some recommended criteria for choosing the perfect template for your website.

Choosing the Perfect Website Design Template for Your Website

What should I look for when choosing a design template?

When deciding on a design template, the number one question to ask yourself is how much customization do you want?

Every template requires some degree of customization. For example, despite the stunning default images in a template, chances are you will have to replace them with your own images to make the website more "you."

When looking for a website design template, your goal is to find one that best fits your needs and at the same time, limits the required customizations to the easy ones.

Easy customizations:
  • Adding your own text, images and other contents such as videos.
  • Content body layout
  • Changing website color scheme and font sets

Thanks to the easy-to-use drag-and-drop editors that most website builders provide, you can easily create columns, sidebars, and other layout variations by dropping and organizing elements as you wish on your webpage.

Changing the website color scheme and font sets is also easy because most website builders provide the necessary tools. For example, IM Creator and Website.com both provide professionally-designed color schemes and free web-safe fonts that you can easily swap into your design template.

Customizations that may require a bit more skills and patience:
  • Homepage design
  • Menu bar design
  • Page header design, in particular logo placement

In other words, when deciding on a design template, you need to pay more attention to the homepage design, logo placement and menu bar design.

Choosing the Perfect Website Design Template for Your Website

Why is the homepage design an important factor?

Your homepage is usually the first page of your website that a visitor will see. It is also the page that is responsible for drawing in the majority of your website's traffic. Because of these reasons, your homepage needs to be well-designed and optimized.

While most website builders allow customization of your homepage, a complete redesign will require some time, design sense and patience. So, it is always best to find a template whose homepage design is as close to what you need as possible.

Choosing the Perfect Website Design Template for Your Website

Which homepage design is best for my website?

Homepage designs with a single high-quality image

Your homepage needs to appeal to people. It needs to have spark – something that catches their eye – and images and videos are the most effective tools. Possibilities include a single stunning image, slideshows, photo galleries, or a high-quality video.

Let's look at the following examples.

Homepage designs with a single high-quality image

  • Click to see this template from Wix
  • Click to see this template from SquareSpace

These homepages all have one large, stunning image located prominently towards the top of the page. You can also see that the menu bars are slim, clean and clutter free. Because of the slim menu bar/header, the image immediately becomes the focal point of the page. Your attention is immediately drawn to the image.

This type of design is best for hospitality, portfolio (ie. interior design, architecture, artists, etc.) or websites that rely on beautiful photographs to attract customers.

In order for this design to be effective, the image you use has to be strikingly stunning and high-quality so that it immediately draws attention and captivate your visitor.

Homepage designs with a single high-quality image with content

  • Click to see this template from Website.com
  • Click to see this template from Websitebuilder.com
  • Click to see this template from SquareSpace

These homepages also have one large, stunning image located prominently towards the top of the page. But instead of being the main focal point of the homepage, the images are now supporting images – to help draw attention to the headline, supporting text and the call to action button.

This homepage design is the safest choice and can be used for all websites.

Again, in order for this design to be effective, the image you use has to be strikingly stunning and high-quality so that it immediately draws attention and captivate your visitor. It also shouldn't be too distracting – you want the headline and call to action button be the center of attention.

Example of a website using this type of homepage design is the Apple.com website.

Homepage with slider

  • Click to see this template from SquareSpace
  • Click to see this template from Website.com
  • Click to see this template from Wix

These homepages all feature a slider containing various stunning images. You can also see that the menu bars are slim, clean and clutter free. Because of the slim menu bar/header, the slider immediately becomes the focal point of the page. Your attention is immediately drawn to the images. Because of the movement of images, it creates a wow factor and adds "interest" to the homepage.

Because of their utility in showcasing visual content, sliders are best for product tours and photo galleries and portfolios. They also work great when used to display information that needs to be presented sequentially (ie. a story).

Example of a website using this type of homepage design is the Dell.com website.

Another example of a website using this type of homepage design is the Coca-Cola.com website. Notice how the headline in all the slides are the same – creating a consistent message that is supported by the series of slides. These slides act as supporting images to reinforce the taste the feeling™ message.

Homepage with video

  • Click to see this template from Wix
  • Click to see this template from Wix

Videos are very effective in getting people's attention. It adds an original, unexpected element to your website, making it stand out and engaging. This homepage design carries enormous benefit to website and brand awareness. This type of design is a good alternative to sliders.

This type of design works best for creative agencies and businesses/people in the entertainment industry. But it can cost a bit to find or make the video.

Note: if you are unable to find a website template that offers a video element, you can easily just add a video to your page.

Example of a website using this type of homepage design is the louisvuitton.com website.

Why is the site menu bar design an important factor?

Your website menu is the primary tool that your visitors will use to navigate your website. In other words, it's the main tool that gives your visitors a sense of orientation.

Your website menu is like a road map to all the different information contained within your website. If the navigation is clean and clear, you can easily direct your visitor's focus to those important areas on your website. There is no point in having a very creative and appealing website if your visitors are unable to navigate around it.

Thus, your website's menu bar design is very important.

Menu bar design includes the following elements:
  • Position and orientation of the site menu
  • Position of the site logo
Why is the site menu bar design an important factor?

Which menu position and orientation is best for my website?

Horizontal menu bar at top of page

Visitors generally expect to find horizontal site menu bars across the top or vertical site menus down the left side of the website.

Horizontal menu bar at top of page

  • Click to view this template from Website.com
  • Click to view this template from Wix
  • Click to view this template from Weebly
  • Click to view this template from IM Creator

This is the most popular and effective menu bar design. Because people are used to seeing the menu bar at the top of the page, putting your website's menu bar on the top of your webpage is just putting it where people would expect it.

Horizontal menu bar at bottom of page

  • Click to see this template from Wix
  • Click to view template from SquareSpace

While this menu bar design is not common, it works exceptionally well for graphic intensive websites. By putting the menu bar at the bottom of the page, you're essentially putting it out of sight, forcing your visitors to focus on the content that is immediately in front of them. This type of menu bar design is most seen in photography and portfolio websites.

Vertical menu bar at left side of page

  • Click to view template from Website.com
  • Click to view template from IM Creator

This is another effective menu bar design for graphic-intensive websites, such as portfolio, restaurant, salon, spa, etc. The vertical menu bar design is also a great option if you have a lot of menu tabs to display, or if your menu bar titles are longer than usual.

Why is the site menu bar design an important factor?

Top navigation vs. left navigation – which works better?

Unfortunately, there is no absolute answer. Each navigation design has its own benefits.

Benefits of a top menu bar:
  • People are accustomed to reading left to right across a screen. So a horizontal menu bar will be more efficient for visitors to read.
  • A top menu bar conserves more vertical space.
  • Top navigations are easier to find because they are usually accompanied by the header and logo, both of which are visually dominant objects on the webpage.
Benefits of a left menu bar:
  • Visitors are more inclined to click on the next link to view a different page.
  • A vertical menu bar can be implemented in a responsive web design for better navigation for any screen size.
  • A vertical menu bar works very well for on a single page layout.
  • While a vertical menu takes up the left side of your webpage, you gain vertical space for your content.

Where should I place my logo?

Logo placed in left area of header

Logos are the biggest representation of a brand and where you place your logo says a lot about the goal of your business.

Showing a logo in the left of the header area is probably the most common design pattern. The logo serves as a landmark that helps visitors identify the website they are visiting.

Logo placed in left area of header

  • Click to see this template from Website.com

Showing a logo in the left of the header area is probably the most common design pattern. The logo serves as a landmark that helps visitors identify the website they are visiting.

Also, in this design, the logo is often placed on the same level as the menu bar. This draws attention to the site menu. Visitors are more likely to click on the menu tabs and explore the website.

This is the most popular and effective menu bar design. Because people are used to seeing the menu bar at the top of the page, putting your website's menu bar on the top of your webpage is just putting it where people would expect it.

Logo placed in right area of header

While a top left-aligned logo is comfortable for users, a logo can also be placed in the right of the header area, though it is the least common design.

Take a look at the website of the New York Edition hotel. Because the website uses a right-side menu design, placing the logo on the right makes perfect sense.

Logo placed in center of header area

  • Click to view this template from Wix

Because this design puts all the attention on the logo, it is best used for websites focused on creating a brand identity.

Where should I place my logo?

Does it really matter where I place my logo?

Placement does matter, especially if you want users to remember your brand. Placing the logo in the left area of the header is conventional, and people are more comfortable with the design.

Placing your logo in the center of your header allows you to focus visitors' attention to your logo, creating maximum branding effect.

However, in the example of the New York Edition hotel website, if you are using a right-side menu design, then the logo becomes more effective when placed on the right side as well.

Where should I place my logo?

Does the size of the logo matter?

Your first instinct might be to make your logo bigger so it creates a better brand recognition. Unfortunately, in the case of websites, bigger is not necessarily better.

The bigger the logo, the more attention it draws. But do you really want your visitors to focus on just your logo? Don't take away from the main call to action. For example, if the main purpose of your website is to get customers to purchase your product or service, and the shop now button is also in your website's header, it has to compete with your large logo for attention. That's essentially shooting yourself in the foot.

It is certainly acceptable to opt for a relatively smaller logo on your website if your company name and logo is always used in the names of your products and are displayed throughout your website in multiple locations.

In other words, there is no standard size when it comes to the logo on your website. It depends on the design of your website as well as the logo. You want it big enough so that it can be read easily, but not too large that it becomes a distraction.

Should I stay within my field or industry when choosing a website template?

No, you shouldn't limit your choices to templates designed for your industry.

Many web design templates are created with a specific theme. You can find templates designed for restaurants, landscapers, yoga instructors, online stores and many more. A themed layout takes into account the specific needs of the website owner and the template is designed with the type of business or service in mind – in other words, the closer the template is to your industry, the less overall customization will be needed.

But keep in mind that a theme is not restricted to any industry. Often, it's the template sample images and content that makes a template a certain industry. Once you remove images, you will see that a handful of the templates actually do look very similar, if not the same. Don't choose your website template based on the sample images on the template – you will be replacing them with your own images anyways. In other words, don't be distracted by the sample content.

Another element that people often use to differentiate websites of different industries is the website's color scheme. Blue is often the color of corporate just as green is often the color of nature. By changing the color scheme of any website template, you can easily transform it into one that connects better with your audience. For example, if you are selling high-value luxury consumer items on your website, a darker color palette is a better choice - black is the color of timeless and classic, with a sense of luxury and value. Just take a look at Lamborghini's website.

So, don't let color dictate which template you should use and don't limit your choices based on colors. Many website templates, ie. Wix and Website.com, offer a library of pre-set color schemes that you can easily swap into your website.

Instead, look for a template that has a design layout that meets your needs.
  • How do you want your homepage to look?
  • What kind of site menu do you want?
  • Do you need a one-page website?
  • Are you looking for an online store template?
  • Is the template flexible enough to allow the integration of the features you need (ie. blog, photo gallery, videos, forms, social sharing buttons, etc.)?

Is a responsive website design important?

If there is one feature that is critical to all website's success, it is mobile-friendliness and responsive website design.

What is responsive website design?

Responsive web design refers to a website designed to adapt to whatever screen size is being used to view the website, without compromising functionality or aesthetics. The purpose of responsive website design is to provide an optimal viewing experience across all platforms, screen sizes and resolutions.

How does it work?

A responsive website is designed with a specific width, in percentage, that is relative to the browser size. It then uses the width of the user's web browser to determine how it should display the website.

A responsive design adapts the layout of a website to the viewing environment. In other words, the website will adjust bigger on a large screen, and adjust smaller on a small screen.

Why is responsive website design important?

The only way to best support your visitor’s viewing experience is to make sure your website work well regardless of which device they are using at any given time. A responsive website design lets you do just that.

Another benefit of using a responsive website design is your website is always ready to support new devices and screens in the future. Responsive websites are fluid, scaling up and down as needed to best fit the screens used to access the website. This means that if new devices hit the market with new screen sizes, your responsive website is already prepared to meet the those new devices and screen sizes.

What is the difference between a mobile responsive website and a mobile-ready website?

With a mobile responsive template, your website is automatically optimized for mobile devices.

Website builders that provide responsive designs:
  • Squarespace
  • Duda
  • Weebly
  • IM Creator

With a mobile-ready website, you are given a mobile editor with tools to pick and choose what content to display or hide on the mobile version of your website. So technically, you get versions of your website – desktop and mobile. This option does give you more control over the mobile version of your website and your visitor’s mobile experiences.

Website builders that provide mobile-ready templates and a mobile editor:
  • Wix
  • Website.com
  • Websitebuilder.com