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In simple words, an online store template is a ready-made, coded layout that can be modified only to a certain extent. Although most of these solutions are paid, it’s possible to find free ones. Due to the nature of numerous store systems, templates are often tailored to individual platforms like Magento or PrestaShop.
A template can serve as a complete layout, however, in this case you aren’t guaranteed that your store design will be unique. When purchasing a given template, it’s possible to adjust certain features or functionalities such as the color of given elements that will help you make your store stand out from the crowd. Currently, the market offers thousands of templates tailored to specific types of online stores or even industries in which they operate.
If you want to make your store stand out from its market rivals, a custom online store design is the right way to do it. By choosing this option, you get a fully personalized store layout with a range of functionalities perfectly tailored to the requirements of your business. Custom graphic designs are created from scratch by professionals, consequently, you can freely arrange individual elements and select functionalities, colors and fonts that suit you best. The whole process is tailored to your needs and requirements.
The solution you choose isn’t determined solely by the implementation time or financial issues but also by the store system you want to use to develop your online shop. Why? Because every platform addresses different business needs and advocates different solutions. We’ll explain it to you with the use of three popular open source store systems - WooCommerce, PrestaShop and Magento.
WooCommerce is a WordPress extension that enables creating online stores based on this popular CMS. As this is only a plugin installed to a content management system, its possibilities to develop the system with more complex functionalities are quite limited. That’s why WooCommerce is recommended for smaller projects or stores that are just beginning their adventure on the market.
The profile of the platform usually makes WooCommerce implementations low-budget solutions, in case of which a custom graphic design isn’t the most important element. That’s why the online world offers thousands of both paid and free WooCommerce templates and it’s worth benefiting from them if you decide to choose this store extension.
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Exemplary use of the WooCommerce template in the catering industry.[/caption]
- Online store template
- Custom online store design
- Graphic design vs. store software
- Online store template or custom design - which one to choose?
Online store template
Advantages of the templates
- Budget solution
- Wide choice
- Efficient implementation
Disadvantages of the templates
- Limited editing possibilities
- Lack of uniqueness
Custom online store design
Advantages of custom online store designs
- Uniqueness
- Flexibility
- Support of designers
Disadvantages of custom online store designs
- Price
- Implementation time
Graphic design vs. store software
WooCommerce
PrestaShop
PrestaShop system is much more advanced than WooCommerce and it allows developing small, medium and even big stores. It offers convenient implementation of your own graphic designs and impressive possibilities to modify functionalities with the use of extensions. As the most popular platform for creating ecommerce stores, PrestaShop offers a wide range of ready-made templates that can be tailored to the requirements of individual online stores. However, in case of bigger projects and more competitive industries, it’s worth considering a custom graphic design. Such a store will probably serve you for many years, therefore, investing in unique graphics is much more profitable than in the case of WooCommerce. Nevertheless, both solutions necessitate considerable implementation expenses.
From all of the abovementioned solutions, Magento is the most expanded platform for creating online stores. It offers great business scaling, configuration and modification possibilities on each stage of the project. Due to such impressive capabilities, Magento is recommended for medium and large projects.
The advancement level of the platform makes the implementation quite expensive. This applies also to the graphic design. If your budget is sufficient enough, it’s worth investing in a custom layout. However, if you aim at minimizing your expenditures, go for Magento graphic templates. The Internet offers a wide range of templates that are tailored to Magento. Later you can adjust them to your requirements with the help of professionals.
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Exemplary Magento template in the clothing industry[/caption]
Both online store templates and custom designs have unquestionable advantages and disadvantages. The final decision you make is determined by numerous factors. The key ones definitely include costs, technical requirements, implementation time and uniqueness of the project.
If you care mainly about minimizing your expenditures or implementing solutions quickly, go for ready made online store templates. On the other hand, if you want to ensure advanced functionalities and unique, one-of-a-kind graphic design, choose a custom online store layout. Take your time to discuss your situation with experts and select a solution that meets your business requirements.
Thanks for the article – I’m thinking of changing my store’s design and considered using a template. Need to think through all the pros and cons once again now 🙂