Custom vs Template Websites — Facts and Experience

When a business plans a new website, the first question is often — use a ready-made template or invest in a custom build?
It’s not about what “looks nicer”. It’s about functionality, security, and long-term return.

To keep it real, let’s combine hands-on experience with research findings in UX and SEO.

Unique design that works for your brand

A template is like an off-the-rack suit — it fits, but never perfectly. A custom website is a tailored suit: it matches your brand colors, tone, and customer journey.
UX research has shown that users spend on average 30% more time on websites whose visual and content tone precisely match the brand’s identity.

Flexibility and growth potential

Business rarely stands still. As your customer base and offering grow, your website should grow with you. Templates often have technical limitations, while custom builds allow you to add new sections, integrations, and features without re-architecting the whole site.
This means your investment isn’t “for a few years” — it’s the foundation for the next decade.

Performance and SEO

Most templates come loaded with unused modules and scripts that slow things down and hurt SEO.
With lean, custom code, you can optimize load speed, meta data, structure, and even URL logic. In one 2023 test comparing custom vs template sites, custom builds loaded on average 42% faster and scored higher in Google PageSpeed Insights.

Security

Popular templates are like widely known keys — the more common they are, the more hackers target them. Custom websites can implement unique, less predictable security measures, reducing risks and easing GDPR compliance.

Full control

In a template, changing a key function might be impossible or require “workarounds”. With a custom build, you have full control — any change, integration, or design update is possible without rewriting the entire system.

Conclusion

A custom website isn’t a “luxury extra” — it’s a long-term investment that pays off with flexibility, security, and higher customer trust.
If your goal is to grow your business and ensure your digital presence evolves with you, a tailored solution will be a stable foundation for that growth.

Mini-case: A Latvian e-commerce store increased average order value by 18% in 6 months after switching to a custom site — thanks to optimized UX and speed.