You bought a website template with the best of intentions, but weeks later the template is sitting untouched in your downloads folder, and your website still isn’t launched.
Whether it’s because you’re overwhelmed, busy, or just not confident in your capabilities, this experience is totally normal. As a website designer who offers Showit template customization services, I see it often.
Sometimes, business owners just need some hand-holding and encouragement to get started. Other times, they simply don’t have the capacity to work on their website, and choosing to outsource template customization is the right decision.
Let’s explore when it makes sense to edit your website template yourself and when you might want to hire a professional to bring you to the finish line.
Understanding Done-For-You Website Template Customization
First things first, let’s talk about website template customization services. Website templates are pre-built and often customized by the business owner themselves, but if you don’t want to do it on your own, you can work 1:1 with a designer to modify the template for you.
Think of it like the sweet spot between DIY and custom design. You get a predefined website structure, and the designer brings it to life with their eye for detail, aesthetics, and strategy. It’ll feel like something that’s truly yours without the price tag of a fully custom website built from scratch.
If you want a polished website but are working on a limited budget and want to avoid the DIY-route, this is the perfect solution for you.
When it Makes Sense to DIY Your Showit Website Template
The excitement of purchasing a new website template is unmatched. You open the editor, fueled by all the possibilities, but the reality of launching your website is probably more challenging than you realized.
This is totally normal – building a website is hard work! But choosing to push through and do it yourself comes down to whether or not you have the time, capacity, and willingness to learn.
DIY-ing your website template is usually doable if:
- You have extra time you can set aside to work on your website
- You’re familiar with your website platform and know your way around the backend
- Your brand identity is already established
- You’re not afraid to spend time Googling and learning if necessary
- You want complete control of the end result
If you have the capacity and are willing to spend the time on it, customizing your new website on your own is totally doable.
When Hiring a Designer for Showit Template Customization is the Better Choice
The majority of business owners are fully capable of DIYing their website template. But just because you can, doesn’t necessarily mean you should.
Time is a huge consideration. Depending on the season of business you’re in, you may not have hours to spend customizing a template when you could be serving your clients. If your brand identity isn’t well-established, you may struggle with getting the aesthetics just right.
Hiring a designer to customize your website template is probably right if:
- You want professional polish that builds trust
- You want to save time and launch your new website faster
- You want to feel confident sharing your website anywhere
- You want a designer’s help with the creative direction and visual strategy
- You have the budget to hire a web designer
If you want a professional website but don’t have the time to DIY or the funds to invest in fully custom, template customization services are your solution.
I offer Showit template customization that takes your existing template and transforms it into a polished, personality-packed website that’s ready to launch in just one week. Get all the details here.
How to Decide Between DIY and DFY Showit Template Customization
We often feel pressure to wear all the hats and DIY all the things in our businesses to prove to ourselves that we can.
But it’s not about whether or not you’re capable. I fully believe that as a business owner, you’re smart and resourceful and capable of DIYing your website.
Ultimately, it’s a personal decision that depends on how quickly you want to launch, scale, and grow your business. Handing off your website template to an experienced designer could help you build momentum in other areas of your business.
If you’re still not sure which way to go, here are five reflection prompts I encourage you to think through:
- What’s the opportunity cost of DIYing your website? What could you accomplish in your business with the extra hours if you hired a designer instead?
- Take an honest look at your current website and any edits you’ve already made to your template. Does it reflect the brand and business you’re running today, or are you still showing up as the version of yourself from two years ago?
- Where’s the friction in your customer journey? Are you missing out on sales or bookings because your site just isn’t up to par and you’ve hit a technical ceiling?
- Do you have an established brand identity you love? Are your colors, fonts, typography, and brand voice cohesive? Or are you actually needing a creative partner to help pull that identity out of your head and turn it into something strategic?
- Are you willing to truly place your trust in an expert or are you attached to controlling each detail and section of your website?
Want to DIY Your Showit Template?
Choosing to DIY your website template means juggling decisions about the layout, copy, SEO, navigation, and more.
In this podcast episode, I walk through how I customize Showit website templates step by step – from mapping out your user experience to incorporating your brand visuals:
Embed podcast: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6HhlgPXVTKlrEH5FvbO673?si=6c4644bb7a5b4904
Ready to Get Some Help Customizing Your Showit Template?
Sometimes, going the DIY website route is the right choice. But if you purchased a template and are looking for more support, I offer Showit template customization for business owners who want to launch their websites fast and confidently.
I do all of the setup in the backend of Showit, from optimizing images to tweaking the layout. You’ll get five customized website pages plus a website copywriting guide.
When we’re done, you’ll have a website you can feel truly confident sharing with your dream clients and collaborators. Reach out to book a call today!
