Website templates are web page designs created by professional web designers that are sold to others for their use. Templates normally have dummy content used as a placeholder so you can see what a finished page will look like. A template is an easy way for a novice to create a good-looking professional quality websites quickly and easily.

Most of the commercially available templates can be found in a variety of themes and color schemes. Theme templates come complete with appropriate graphic for each theme. If you have some graphic or web design skills and a knowledge of HTML, you can create a customized professional looking website at a fraction of the time it takes to create everything yourself. Just remember you don’t own the copyright to the design.

Before selecting a template, you will need to identify the goals you have in mind for your website so you can select the most appropriate template.

Advantages of Using Website Templates

There are several advantages to using templates such as:

Templates provide the basic webpage layout.
Templates can provide a consistent look and feel for the site.
Most come with professional quality graphics.
Most allow you to customize the graphics if desired.
It is usually easy to add your content using almost any HTML editor.

Disadvantages of Using Website Templates

It can be difficult to make any web design changes unless you are skilled in both HTML and can use a graphics program like Photoshop.
Although features like a login box may be part of the template design, the programs needed to make them work are not included.
Any interactive features have to be integrated into the template.
You do not own the copyright to the design unless you actually purchase it from the designer.

Features of a Quality Website Template

The following items are things to look for in a well-designed web template. A template should:

Be easily editable.
Be compatible with most HTML editors.
Upload easily.
Come with complete html files.
Have header graphics provided in psd format for easy editing.
Have their both the fla and swf files if the template uses flash.
Download quickly after the content is added.
Retain the original design no matter how much content is added.

Customizing an HTML Web Template

If you want to customize a web template but don’t have the necessary skills to do it, most template designers and other web designers offer template customization services as reasonable prices. These services usually involve minor design changes, customizing header graphics, adding logos, removing unneeded unattractive elements, etc.

Many web developers will be happy to integrate any interactive features into your template. Please keep in mind that the developer will either need to write the necessary scripts or modify existing scripts to make the interactive features work. If an existing script is not freeware, the web developer will have to add the cost of purchasing a license for the script to his labor charges.

Customizing a Flash Web Template

If you want to do anything more than just add text or substitute a graphic file in a flash template, you will either need have expertise in creating flash programs or hire a flash programmer to modify the template.

If the fla files came with the template, you can modify it using a flash editing program such as Macromedia Flash or Swish. If the fla files are not available the first thing that needs to be done is to decompile the movie since the swf files are movies. Once the movie is decompiled, the necessary changes can be made and the flash movie recompiled in any flash editor.

Summary

A quality web template can allow a novice webmaster create a professional looking website quickly and easily at a reasonable cost. Since the templates came in a variety of industry specific themes and color schemes, you should be able to find one that is right for your website.

Web template can offer the professional designer a lost cost alternative to creating the web design, header graphic, logo and all of the other graphical elements, which will allow them to charge less for their work. In either case, it is important to purchase a quality template.