What's the difference between a custom website and a customized website? Though these two phrases sound the same, there's a world of difference in what they deliver.
A custom website is a bespoke website, made just for you from scratch by digital marketing experts.
A customized website refers to a template that is tweaked or edited to fit client's needs.
So, which one is better for your business? Let's break it down.
Customized means "modified from something else." In the case of websites, that means taking an existing formula for a website and making small changes to fit your business.
There are several types of businesses that offer customized websites.
With websites like WIX, users can choose from a variety of templates to create their own website. While this is fine for a personal website, it's a bad idea for a business website. Why?
One problem is that WIX or similar websites seem unprofessional to your customers. That's because they are unprofessional. These sites aren't designed to meet your customers' needs. They're designed to appeal to the largest common denominator, which means they fail to meet the higher standards businesses should provide to their patrons.
Second, they are more focused on ease of use for the site's owner than efficiency for the site's visitors. That is no way to do business in the 21st century.
Often, graphic designers will offer "designer" websites for a high price, but what are you really paying for?
These websites are designed to look good, not necessarily to work well. Since these designers are artists, not tech experts, it's all about the aesthetic. Usually, they have a formulaic format that they just plug different styles into.
The problem is that these websites are an example of form over function. For a modern business, a website is more than just a showpiece. It's a way to connect with customers and serve their needs.
So how do you align your business goals with your website?
Custom websites are built from the ground up to fit your exact needs. Whereas customized websites just feature cosmetic changes to a standard website build, we create a complete marketing platform to suit your business.
We base our website builds on our extensive experience in the industry. We also conduct a complete review of your business's web presence, including research into your target audience, SEO, and competitors' websites. That way we know we will meet your business's goals.
Whereas a "customized" website is based on a broad formula, our custom websites address your specific needs. We don't just tweak aesthetics–we build a completely new site just for you. That doesn't mean aesthetics aren't important to us. They are. But for us, it's only one (very important) part of the whole process.
The difference between these two is enormous. So much so that we call what we do a "SMARTSite." What that means is that our sites are designed to anticipate and address your customers' every need. Our SMARTSites are smart! They are made to tackle problems before they arise, facilitate easy and intuitive interactions with visitors, and even help you find new customers.
With a custom website from Site Hub, you don't have to sacrifice anything. We work with the most talented graphic designers to make sure your website looks amazing, while our expert team of IT professionals ensures that it meets your customers' every technological need.
You might not think that the difference between "custom" and "customized" is important, but your customers definitely will. Being in business today means you must have a great website that is responsive to your customers' needs.
As more and more business is being done online, the website is the new marketplace. You wouldn't let your brick and mortar store look like every other one on the block. You want it to reflect you, your business, and your branding. So, why would you go with a bland, formulaic website?
Comment here with your site and we'll help you determine if it is custom or customized! Give your site the SMARTSite test.