5 ways to make a website template, not look like a template

A website template can be an amazing option if you’re looking to create a stand-out website, without the price tag of a bespoke website. However, to get all of the benefits of a template while getting a website that feels individual and gives a custom vibe, there are a few things you’ll need to do.

Templates give you an incredible design base to jump off. They instantly give you an organised, functional and beautiful website and save you days and days worth of time.

However, for your website to stand out as truly unique, you need to know how to customise your template to give it that very same unique quality that your business has.

So here are 5 ways to do that!

1) Add your own videos and imagery 

This might seem like an obvious one but you'd be surprised how many people go about this step in the wrong way.

All of my Showit Templates come with stock imagery included that perfectly fits the overall vibe of the website.  However they fit the overall vibe of the website as it CURRENTLY stands and although you could keep these images in or swap them out for other stock images of your own,  using your own photos and videos is going to instantly help your template look less like a template.

My advice is to use stock images sparingly and be very careful when using them. Make sure you spend time curating the images and videos you use so that they perfectly reflect the vibe that you want your website to give off.

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2) Add your brand colours 

Although it might be tempting to leave the colour scheme of your template the same, changing the colours to reflect your brand colours is essential.

You can draw inspiration from the colour palette of the template and replace the colours of the template with colours of a similar tone if you want to keep the same vibe but adding in your brand colours helps create that instant recognisability and maintain consistency in your business.

You want people to click on your website and instantly recognise it as your brand’s website and colour is a great way to do this.

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3) Choose your fonts

Fonts are a bit like colour in the sense that they can be very powerful tools for brand recognition.

Just like colour, it can be tempting to keep the fonts on your template the same but if you do this you need to make sure that they work for the atmosphere you are trying to create through your business and that they feel consistent with the fonts you've used on your other marketing platforms.

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4) Craft captivating copy

Your words and your tone of voice in your business should be as unique as your design is!

That’s why adding your own copy to your template will transform the impact the template has. Copy will help you establish a sense of familiarity with your established community, build up your connections and work with the strategy of the template to help convert your audience. 

So whether you write your copy yourself, or work with a copywriter to whip up some captivating copy for you, make sure you invest (whether it's your own time, or money) in writing it well!

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5) Expand the template 

Your template isn’t designed to be restrictive. It's designed to be a solid, organised and beautiful base to build upon.

One of the best ways you can make your website template feel less like a template is to take inspiration from the template and add additional sections and pages as and when you need them.

This is one of the beauties of having a template: it can grow with you and you can be creative with it!

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The best website templates to customise 

The best part about a Showit website template is that it is super easy to customise all of these things. 

When it comes to fonts and colours you can use the Site Design setting and instantly change everything across the entire site. It can literally take you minutes to elevate the design using your own branding.  Pictures can quickly be uploaded and swapped out and your copy can be pasted in!

That's why templates are so incredible because not only do they give you that instant polished look, incredible functionality and an organised base for your site but they're so quickly customised to give you that more unique feel.

If you’re ready to find the perfect website template for your business, my Showit templates are available for instant download and have been designed specifically for ambitious service providers exactly like you. View them here!