If you are a business owner and want to expand your clientele and market-share, and create a place where potential and current customers can go to learn more about your company and easily find contact information,what you need is a website. If you are a small start-up looking to begin an online venture, you need a website. And most likely, you want to achieve

your business goals within a reasonable timeframe and for a reasonable

price, without skimping on quality. After all, you need more than just visitors

to your website. A successful business requires visitors who turn into

paying, repeat customers and trust your company. The best way to do this

(in addition to offering a quality product or service) is by producing a

professional website.

In the past, online businesses were given little choice when it came to

creating a high quality website. You could either hire an expensive

professional web designer or web design company to make the entire site

for you or you could produce the website on your own. The first choice

would cost you big bucks - anywhere between $50 and $200 for only one

web page! The second option required at least a small knowledge of HTML

and design elements as well as a large chunk of your time - something

most business owners don't have.

Luckily the times have changed and web entrepreneurs have a lot more

choice when it comes to creating a professional website with or without all

the bells and whistles (depending on the type of site you plan on having). In

fact, a growing trend in website design is the use of ready-made website

templates.

What exactly is a template?

Website templates are basically ready-made web pages that you can

download from a template design company. The HTML code is ready to go

• all you have to do is choose a template that suits your business and

customer base, download it and then edit according to your specifications.

Most companies showcase all the available designs on their site for you to

preview before downloading, so you'll know exactly what you are buying

beforehand.

A website template is almost like a hybrid creation, perfect for online

businesses because it is so flexible. With a template you have the best of

both worlds - the professional image and functionality that normally come

from a website designed by a hired designer coupled with the affordability

and flexibility of a DIY web design project. One such website template

company I found that offers reasonably priced, quality templates is

http://templatedogma.com/.

Once you have the basic design in your hands, editing is a cinch. Editing

involves adding your own content, logos, pictures, graphics and more to

the template to make it unique. Keep in mind that a template will not

usually come with ready-made content or other features, as this is

something that must be created afterwards. Good website templates can

be edited with a variety of popular HTML editors, so make sure you

purchase website templates that mention the editing programs with which

the templates are compatible. Search for website templates that can be

edited using software such as DreamWeaver, FrontPage, GoLive and

Photoshop. Most people either already know how to use these simple,

user-friendly editors or can learn very quickly.

Another option is to have someone edit the template for you. If you really

have no clue when it comes to web design, even with a prepared template,

most website template companies also offer a custom design service. This

keeps the cost down, which is the main benefit of utilizing a template in the

first place, while still letting you enjoy the perk of having someone else do

the editing.

The Price is Nice

Arguably, the most popular selling point of website templates is the price.

For as low as $20-$40 you can purchase a template that looks just as good

or better than a "professionally" designed site costing you much more.

Many web designers charge thousands of dollars for website creation that

simply isn't that good. And working with a designer takes a lot more time -

hence the hefty price tag. You have to work back and forth over a period of

several weeks just to come up with a design that works best for your

company. Website templates are much more cost-effective to produce,

which is how the prices are kept so low. And of course, you save time as

well as money. You can literally have a website up and running - earning

you revenue - within a few days or less. Website templates make setting up

your online business as easy and efficient as possible.

Flash Websites

What if you require more than a simple, straightforward website? Perhaps

you want a flash-based design for your site? No problem - flash website

templates can also be purchased for a decent price without sacrificing

quality, simplicity and usability. Many template designers offer a wide

range of template styles, so don't fret if you require something a little more

complicated than the average website. Website template designers offer

the consumer a lot of choice, making it easy to create a website that will

work for your business.

In addition, businesses that want to buy a template no other website will

use in the future (a unique site) should purchase a copyrighted template.

When you opt for a copyrighted template you receive all rights to the site

design and can be sure it will not be re-sold to another business. On the

other hand, the rights of non-copyrighted templates remain with the

template company, and as a result, anyone can buy the same one. If this

won't interfere with your business buy non-copyrighted templates and save

some money, but if you want an entirely unique site, spend a little more for

a copyrighted site that won't be found anywhere else on the web.

Whatever you decide to choose, website templates are the future of web

design. You can't go wrong - nothing could be more cost-effective or

simple.