When building a website, one of the first steps in the process is creating a look and feel for your site, often called a theme or template. If you are using a Content Management System (CMS) like WordPress, Joomla, or Drupal, there are many pre-made templates available from various sources around the Internet either for purchase or for free. Although you may be tempted by the idea of a “free” website, it's in your best interest to have your website's theme created by a reputable developer.
Unique
For all the popular Content Management Systems, it's possible for your developer to create a custom template, tailored to the needs of your business. Every business has an image, and the best way for you to get that image across is to use a truly original, built from scratch template. This will ensure that your site is unique and functions exactly the way you need it to.
Optimized
When it comes to Content Management Systems, a theme is much more that just a look – it is a workflow. Theming allows a developer to customize the backend of your CMS, thus controlling how you add and edit content on your site. Pre-built themes often come overloaded with features that you will never use, or lack an important feature that you need. Custom templates can be optimized for your business so that the backend is uncluttered and easy to use. And, without all that clutter, your site is going to load more quickly – something the search engines really like.
Secure
Another concern for using pre-built templates is security. Some themes distributed on the Internet are known to cause major security issues by inserting malicious code that can cause your site to break, affect SEO and even infect your machine. It is a much smarter alternative to have your site built by a developer that understands the security needs of your business and can ensure that you will be safe on the web.
Your business is unique. Why try to squeeze your business into an existing template when a custom one provides exactly what you require?