There are a number of reasons that you might want to consider looking into customizing your e-commerce store instead of using a template. While templates can be a great way to start if you are on a limited budget or you are using your store as a way to make some side income. However, if you are planning on building out a large business from your e-commerce store or offering custom products, then it might worth it to invest in a custom site.
Here are some reasons why you might want to consider a custom site for your e-commerce store.
It provides better testing
One of the major benefits of having a custom site is the fact that you can test your site to see what works, where it needs adjustments, and where your users end up dropping off. Methods like headless commerce make it easier than ever to test your pages and see if there are any technical or user experience problems that might crop up. In order for your e-commerce store to come across as professional, you want to know your site works well.
You have more features
Templates are a great way to get started if you don’t know what you are doing when it comes to web design or you are working as a solo entrepreneur. However, if you are planning on hiring someone to help you or you want to be able to add features like video, before and after slides, or multiple colors or options for your products, then a custom site is probably the way to go. It also depends on what your experience level is and what you are hoping to get out of your business.
More control over SEO
While you can build a business by advertising and marketing on social media, when it comes down to finding targeted clients, one of the best things to do is to use SEO. On the other hand, it’s likely that you will only be able to implement an SEO strategy if you are able to make changes to the site structure and see if there are any technical problems. This means you will need to have a custom site with a hosting platform rather than relying on a template.
More storage space
Hosting your e-commerce store might seem like a lot of work, but you are less likely to run into certain boundaries that come with a template. One of these is a limit to the number of products you can have on your site, as well as how many images or code you can have. Hosting allows you to choose a plan that works for you and the type of business you want to build, which can be beneficial when you are looking to build out a website that you can be proud of.
In summary
A custom site can end up making your e-commerce store look more professional, and it can also allow you to have more features. It can also benefit you by bring targeted users to your site through SEO and can allow you to test your site to see if there are any problems.
