Semi-Custom vs. Custom: Which Web Design Service is Best for You?
Custom and semi-custom are two types of web design service you may come across when looking into building a new website but might not be 100% clear on what they entail and more importantly which is going to be the best for you and your web design project. In this post, I’ll be going through semi-custom web design, sometimes referred to as template customisation or template re-style, custom web design and also DIY and semi-DIY website design, what’s involved and the differences so you can make a more informed decision.
Sounding helpful? Great, let’s crack on!
All opinions are my own and I only endorse products or services I genuinely recommend. The word “Squarespace” is a trademark of Squarespace, Inc. Larva Limited is not employed by Squarespace.
I need a New Website! What Next?
When you’ve made the exciting and perhaps slightly daunting decision to embark on a brand new website that’s just the first decision and step towards seeing all of your website plans and dreams come to fruition. Following on from that initial giddy moment there are going to be a few more deliberations and decisions to be made along the way.
Questions that may be popping up …
Which web platform is right for me?
Could I build MY OWN WEBSITE?
Do I have the skills to build a great site?
Can I afford to pay a designer to build my website?
have I got the will & time to DIY a website?
WHAT IS A SEMI-CUSTOM WEBSITE?
Let’s quickly tackle that first question for you ‘Which web platform is right for me?’… you may well already have Squarespace on your shortlist of preferred web design platforms as it’s such a versatile and popular platform for both DIYers and designers alike. After many years working with, and being frustrated by WordPress, I found Squarespace and have never looked back! It’s my preferred and recommended website design platform in the vast majority of cases with the exception of higher volume e-commerce sites where Shopify is likely to be a better fit.
As a Squarespace Circle Member and advocate I recommend Squarespace but will also advise alternative services when they may be a better solution. Working with me can bring you some great Squarespace perks including 20% off new annual website subscriptions + extended 6 month free trial.
Understanding your Options:
First of all let's breakdown the various options for creating a website and help you narrow down which is the best fit for you. As Squarespace is my preferred and recommended web design platform this post will be referencing the various options with Squarespace however the 4 options below may also apply to other DIY website design platforms where professionally designed templates are available to purchase.
1) Fully DIY
This is where you build your website fully on your own from one of the free standard Squarespace templates or build your site with Squarespace Blueprint AI - a guided design system provided by Squarespace. That said, with Squarespace you're never completely on your own. With it’s award winning support team, 24 / 7 email support, Squarespace Help Center, video tutorials, webinars and community forums comprehensive documentation and assistance is always at your fingertips.
Designed for DIYers it’s ease of use makes Squarespace ideal for going fully DIY and designing a beautiful and functional website yourself.
Thinking of Giving Fully DIY a Go?
Get off to a great start with an extended 6 month free trial period + 20% off your first year of Squarespace* - get in touch to get started.
*Applies for new Squarespace accounts.
2) Semi DIY
With semi-DIY web design you’ll build your site from a Squarespace template you've purchased. These are often referred to as Premium Squarespace Templates as they are carefully crafted by professional Squarespace Designers and often created for a specific niche.
Semi DIY is where you’ll add all your text and image content yourself and style the template to match your brand. Sometimes the template may already be a great match for your brand colours and style off-the-peg and may also contain images you can use too, but remember, ideally you’ll still want to amend the template to be more unique and more like you.
Wondering if a semi DIY web design approach could be for you?
Take a look at my favourite Squarespace template designers and templates - all are Squarespace 7.1 Fluid Engine and professionally designed to create a lasting impression.
2) Semi Custom
Here you purchase a Premium Squarespace Template but rather than DIYing it yourself, instead with semi-custom design, a Squarespace Designer like myself uses their expert skills and experience to add your text and image content and to restyle the template to your brand for you.
Also known as a template re-style, template buildout or template customisation service, this is really a DFY, done-for-you web design service, rather than DIY. During the process, you’ll supply the necessary content for your new website, including images, text, and any other elements vital for success. You’ll collaborate closely with a Squarespace Designer who will quickly elevate your template into a remarkable, impactful resource for your brand and business.
Thinking semi-custom web design might be right for you?
Imagine replacing the 'Coming Soon!' with a perfectly customised, high-quality website that genuinely represents your brand, your expertise and values, all in a short time and at a reasonable price. Sound good?…Meet The Two Week Website my budget-friendly template customisation service designed to get you online with ease.
4) Fully Custom
With fully custom website design you hire a Squarespace Designer such as myself to create a completely custom designed website. You’ll provide your image and text content and work closely together with your designer who will carefully craft a bespoke website that perfectly represents and aligns to your authentic brand.
Being tailored to your specific needs the fully custom design approach will be a more detailed and involved process taking time to develop and complete. Your Squarespace Designer will be starting from scratch or from their own ‘base’ template and will be designing from the ground up to craft a unique-to-you online presence.
Wondering if fully custom web design could be for you?
Take a look at my Squarespace custom website packages and get in touch to learn more.
Why Choose Semi-Custom Design (Template Customisation)?
So now we’ve been through the 4 web design options let’s take a closer look at semi-custom web design.
If you want a website that perfectly represents and aligns to your brand and connects with your ideal client, yet doing it yourself feels overwhelming then read on for my thoughts on why a premium template customisation service could be a great choice.
The popularity of semi-custom Squarespace website design / premium Squarespace template customisation has been growing steadily over recent times so let’s look at the plus points for going down the semi-custom web design route:
Professional Design Built-In
ExpEdited content gathering
It's More Time-Efficient
It's More Cost-Effective
Let’s dive into each of these points in more detail…
Professional Design Built-In: ☑
Carefully designed by experts premium Squarespace templates give you a high-quality, visually appealing website with all the elements needed for a modern cohesive online presence pre-designed for you. And a premium template will be fully customisable to align with your own brand aesthetic should the template selected not already fully match your colour scheme and style off-the-shelf. Meaning, fonts, colour palette, layout and images and every part of your Squarespace website template can be changed and adjusted to suit your own brand identity.
As well as looking totally stunning premium Squarespace templates are also strategically designed to inspire visitors to engage, subscribe and buy and by selecting a premium Squarespace template you’re making a smart move for both a professional and effective website.
Expedited Content Gathering: ☑
Content preparation and gathering for fully custom web design projects isn’t always an easy or speedy task for clients even with the in-depth advice and support provided within my custom design process. Normally, with a fully custom web project, I’ll create a unique website design and various page layouts from the content the client provides - that is, it’s the content that drives the design.
However, with semi-custom web design, the site design and page layout’s have already been strategically created within the template and can be easily viewed in the premium template’s demo pages. Being able to look at and use these pages as a guide to content creation can make it far easier to visualise what your new site going to look like, the content needed and in turn make it easier to create the actual content itself. And anything that reduces the time and energy expended on content creation and eases the stress of content preparation has got to be a big bonus!
It's More Time-Efficient: ☑
With a premium Squarespace template the header, footer and the various page layouts have all been pre-built for you creating a professionally designed cohesive and solid foundation. This leads to a much shorter design and build time and much faster time to launch, the sooner you launch the sooner you can be serving your audience.
When you also select template customisation you'll handover the task of personalising the template to a professional, like me! They'll customise your chosen template to perfectly match your brand style, ensuring a cohesive and stunning website. All your text and image content will be added to your new template and when all the hard work has been done for you you'll get chance to review and approve everything before your lovely new website launches.
It's More Cost-Effective: ☑
Compared to custom built websites there’s a much lower upfront cost when you go down the semi-custom route. Bespoke creation of a fully custom designed Squarespace website takes time, there’s a lot of in-depth pre-design and pre-build work and preparation that goes on in order to uncover what is needed to craft a unique website to match the clients specific requirements. This pre-design and pre-build work is significantly reduced when you select a premium Squarespace template as the site design and page layout have already been created for you.
Instead, with semi-custom design you’ll select a professionally designed template that best fits your needs at a significantly lower cost than fully custom web design, thanks to the quicker development time of semi-custom web design.
Meet the Two Week Website
Imagine a perfectly customised, high-quality website that genuinely represents your brand, your expertise and values, all in a short time and at a reasonable price. Sound good? It’s The Two Week Website my budget-friendly template customisation service.
Get online fast!
When Fully Custom Design Might be a Better Choice
A fully custom website may most likely be a better fit for those whose needs and requirements are not usually met by standard template designs. And sometimes a more detailed and thorough pre-design specification and preparation stage is needed with more time for thinking and reviewing everything incorporated into the web design process.
Fully custom design web projects will generally take from 4 weeks to several months depending on the scope and size of the project so if you’d like to take things more slowly or have less standard needs and have a bigger budget then custom web design might be a better option for you.
Decided custom design could be for you?
Take a look at my Squarespace custom website packages to learn more.
Let’s Recap!
So there we are - we’ve covered the 4 website design options of fully DIY, semi DIY, semi-custom and fully custom and established that semi-custom website design offers exceptional professional and strategic design quality, streamlined content creation, reduced development time, and notable cost savings, making it an outstanding choice for creating an appealing cohesive and functional online presence in a short timeframe.
And hopefully you’ve now got a clearer picture of which web design method / service might suit you best and are ready for the next step. As a Squarespace designer, I provide both semi-custom and fully custom website design options. While each option embodies a personal and supportive web design experience, it's important to recognize the differences and advantages of each when deciding which one is the best fit for you.
Need More Help?
If you’re still unsure or need help with your design project get in touch to chat through your specific needs and options.
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