Web Templates: Both Hands of the Argument
I remember last week getting an email from a company in Essex that sells web templates (so a competitor I guess). Basically he wanted to know if I wanted to sell his templates for him and I would get a 20% commission for every one I sell.
I was speechless (only for a minute of course). How dare this individual try and ruin my business persona by suggesting I sell his pre-packaged templates!
Only on receiving a call from a prospective customer did I warm, if only slightly, to templates. You see this fellow had started up his own business a couple of years ago and as he was strapped for cash at the time, he bought one of these templates. Now he had a bit more time and money to invest, he wanted a revamp and some sort of recognition in the search engines.
On one hand, yes web templates are cheap and they are good if you are a small business starting out and what very little money you have has been eaten by tools, machinery, materials, etc (believe me I know). They get you online quick and its great to have a website address displayed in your "Opening Soon" advert.
On the other hand, and my prospective backed me up on this one: As web templates consist of a set number of pages, you have to create content if you fall short of the quota of pages or even worse merge content onto one page if you have more. Content keeps any website interesting, but as any new business owner starting out will tell you, time is one thing you don't have. Also this particular website had more graphics than content. A bad idea, I am sure you will agree.
Also the search engine weapon in these templates consisted of Meta tags, the same page title and that was it.
Another disadvantage and I have thought this since I first heard the initial concept: Every business is unique, therefore every website should be unique as well. There should be no set number of pages or logos of a certain size or images that don't fit in. Some businesses want 5 pages and some want 50 pages. It is a personal choice. If every single company in one sector of the market had the same web template, there would be no real identity. How could a customer differentiate between you and say, your main competitor who has the same layout website?
In summary, I would say Ok if you're strapped for cash and need a website very quickly, by all means opt for template. But as soon as you are established enough, go for your own image.
And did the template salesmen get a reply back from me? That almost doesn't deserve an answer.
I was speechless (only for a minute of course). How dare this individual try and ruin my business persona by suggesting I sell his pre-packaged templates!
Only on receiving a call from a prospective customer did I warm, if only slightly, to templates. You see this fellow had started up his own business a couple of years ago and as he was strapped for cash at the time, he bought one of these templates. Now he had a bit more time and money to invest, he wanted a revamp and some sort of recognition in the search engines.
On one hand, yes web templates are cheap and they are good if you are a small business starting out and what very little money you have has been eaten by tools, machinery, materials, etc (believe me I know). They get you online quick and its great to have a website address displayed in your "Opening Soon" advert.
On the other hand, and my prospective backed me up on this one: As web templates consist of a set number of pages, you have to create content if you fall short of the quota of pages or even worse merge content onto one page if you have more. Content keeps any website interesting, but as any new business owner starting out will tell you, time is one thing you don't have. Also this particular website had more graphics than content. A bad idea, I am sure you will agree.
Also the search engine weapon in these templates consisted of Meta tags, the same page title and that was it.
Another disadvantage and I have thought this since I first heard the initial concept: Every business is unique, therefore every website should be unique as well. There should be no set number of pages or logos of a certain size or images that don't fit in. Some businesses want 5 pages and some want 50 pages. It is a personal choice. If every single company in one sector of the market had the same web template, there would be no real identity. How could a customer differentiate between you and say, your main competitor who has the same layout website?
In summary, I would say Ok if you're strapped for cash and need a website very quickly, by all means opt for template. But as soon as you are established enough, go for your own image.
And did the template salesmen get a reply back from me? That almost doesn't deserve an answer.
Look Out, Look Out, New Scam Mail About
I received an email yesterday. It seemed to be an automated email from ANS Payroll System telling me that my account had been debited to the sum of £356.XX. following the automated stuff, and I quote:
If you have any questions about your payment (including refunds, delivery status, wanting to cancel your payment),please do not hesitate to contact our team by visiting CHANGEDFORLEGALREASONS.COM
Kind of screams "FAKE" from every pixel of the screen, doesn't it?
Anyhow I have just typed "ANS Payroll" in Google and got the same message quoted by Scoobie from The Scream Forum that says: "Do not click on links if you get this email as it will try to infect your pc, Its done to look like you have placed an order etc".
Well they nearly convinced me, but one thing they didn't put, which is quite important if you have just bought £356.98's worth of DVDs, was my postal address. Or even my other contact details! Makes it quite obvious from the email stating all the financial stuff and no personal details that they are a bunch of money-grabbing bar stewards!
I am sure ANS Payroll is really a genuine company. Although through no fault of their own, I am now frankly wary of finding out if they are or not.
The sad thing is, scammers mails will get more and more convincing. I predict in the future that there will be a lot more of these emails that try to tempt us, scare us, infuriate us and probably even bribe us.
In a way it must be a bit of an art form, like Creative Writing or playing a Saxophone, that you get better as you go along. You just have to read it all the way through first and look for your all important personal details.
On another note, I have been reading in my archive and realised that my last blog entry before this one was 10 August (Oops!). Bad bad me! I apologise unreservedly to my loyal followers (?) and assure you that this won't happen again. Although any of you that have children that have been on School holidays for 6 weeks will understand completely where I'm coming from. Even more so when I tell you that the start of term has been further delayed until Thursday. Am I tearing my hair out? Of course.
Also Comments on Postings on my forum have been withdrawn until Blogger can give me a half-decent answer on how to delete individual comments. Basically some lifeform has been trying to add comments promoting his service/product/nothing in particular.
Sorry about that.
If you have any questions about your payment (including refunds, delivery status, wanting to cancel your payment),please do not hesitate to contact our team by visiting CHANGEDFORLEGALREASONS.COM
Kind of screams "FAKE" from every pixel of the screen, doesn't it?
Anyhow I have just typed "ANS Payroll" in Google and got the same message quoted by Scoobie from The Scream Forum that says: "Do not click on links if you get this email as it will try to infect your pc, Its done to look like you have placed an order etc".
Well they nearly convinced me, but one thing they didn't put, which is quite important if you have just bought £356.98's worth of DVDs, was my postal address. Or even my other contact details! Makes it quite obvious from the email stating all the financial stuff and no personal details that they are a bunch of money-grabbing bar stewards!
I am sure ANS Payroll is really a genuine company. Although through no fault of their own, I am now frankly wary of finding out if they are or not.
The sad thing is, scammers mails will get more and more convincing. I predict in the future that there will be a lot more of these emails that try to tempt us, scare us, infuriate us and probably even bribe us.
In a way it must be a bit of an art form, like Creative Writing or playing a Saxophone, that you get better as you go along. You just have to read it all the way through first and look for your all important personal details.
On another note, I have been reading in my archive and realised that my last blog entry before this one was 10 August (Oops!). Bad bad me! I apologise unreservedly to my loyal followers (?) and assure you that this won't happen again. Although any of you that have children that have been on School holidays for 6 weeks will understand completely where I'm coming from. Even more so when I tell you that the start of term has been further delayed until Thursday. Am I tearing my hair out? Of course.
Also Comments on Postings on my forum have been withdrawn until Blogger can give me a half-decent answer on how to delete individual comments. Basically some lifeform has been trying to add comments promoting his service/product/nothing in particular.
Sorry about that.
