If you're just starting out, it is perfectly normal to use a free template. It can help you launch quickly, get a solid design and focus on what you do rather than designing a website yourself.
If you're just starting out and don't want to invest money into the website you can definitely find many premium designs that are free. You can find free templates for most website builder out there.
And no, it does not make your business look cheap, if you get the right template to fit your brand it can even have a positive impact compared to designing it yourself when you have no experience.
If you're not a web designer you either hire a designer or get a template. And hiring a designer is not feasible for most people starting out. So a template should do the job.
But they're not without cons
If you don't choose carefully your website can look cheap, be bland or even worse feel like a template website.
Looking for a free template? Here's a full list of them.
1. Why You Should Go For a Free Template:
A free template does not just save money, it can also:
- Reduce the hassle accompanied by a purchasing decision
- Give you time to figure what your brand will be before buying
- Give you the option to try out multiple templates and see which one fits you and your brand.
There are a ton of free templates out there that can do the job. The trick is filtering through them and avoiding the ones that seem too bland or too generic.
Which is why I made this list of 11 Free Stunning Portfolio Templates for Designers to help you filter through the free templates and find the right ones.
2. When Free Templates Work Well
Any brand or person can buy a free template and it would work just fine. But it's not optimal for all.
Free templates are amazing for a personal project, portfolio, starter business, or just a side hustle that you want to grow.
If your business is bigger or you've started making progress with it, a free template my not be the answer.
You either go paid or better-yet, hire a dedicated
3. Drawbacks of Using Free Templates
You want your brand to look unique, unfortunately with a free template anyone can get that same template without even paying. Making it very hard to stand out if your website is part of your brand image.
You can mitigate this by customizing and branding it as much as possible. But still, the layout, the sizing, everything is free for anyone to use.
The drawback is that you can't ensure the template is not overused. It could have hundreds or even thousands of people using the same template.
There's also the risk of poorly SEO optimized templates. So you'll have to check carefully for tags, titles and other metadata to make sure everything is set up correctly.
4. Tips for Using Free Templates Effectively
- Customize The Template To Fit Your Brand: You can have a free template, but what you can't have a non-existent brand-image. You need to make the template fit the brand as much as possible. The colors, fonts, spacing, border radiuses, and even white space.
- Optimize Content: You need to learn SEO optimization techniques such as image compression, proper tag naming and other SEO best-practices. This is more important with free templates because you can't guarantee their quality.
- Use plugins or tools to extend functionality (e.g., for WordPress).
5. When Do You Upgrade to a Premium Template?
The time you upgrade to a premium template depends on quite a few things such as your brand, your needs, what role the website plays.
But generally, the more important the website's role is the faster you should upgrade.
Whether to a paid template or a dedicated freelance designer, both can be game-changers when it comes to you website.
Some indicators you may need to upgrade are:
- The need for advanced functionality: As your website grows, you'll find yourself needing extra tools and functionality that your current template may not have.
- Time For An Actual Brand: You've done your branding, you now have a brand image. If so, you definitely need a custom website to fit this image. It can make a huge impact.
- Growing Traffic
- Template looks outdated
- Template became viral
These are all indicators and signs you should probably upgrade to either a paid template or hire a freelance designer to build you a dedicated branded website.
Some People Ask:
Can I use a free template for an e-commerce website?
Yes, but most lack advanced features needed for e-commerce, like payment gateways and inventory management. A lot of Shopify templates are free anyway. You just have to pay for subscription.
What are the risks of using a free template for my business website?
Risks include limited customization, overused designs, and potential security vulnerabilities if not regularly updated.
How can I make a free template look unique without coding?
Use custom images, fonts, and colors. Many free templates offer easy-to-use customization options that don’t require coding. Make sure the template provider (software or platform) offers easy customization.
Are free website templates mobile-responsive?
Many are, but not all. Always test the template on multiple devices to ensure it’s mobile-friendly.
Can free website templates be easily customized to match my brand colors?
Yes, most free templates allow for basic color changes through the settings or theme customization panel.
What features do premium templates have that free ones don't?
Premium templates can offer advanced design options, more customization, better support and can generally be more optimized.
Can I upgrade from a free template to a premium one later without losing my content?
Yes, most platforms allow you to upgrade without losing content, but always back up your website first.
Can I rank on google with a free template
Some free templates are SEO-optimized, but you’ll need to ensure you’re following SEO best practices (e.g., keyword usage, content structure).
Conclusion
Getting a free template can kickstart your dream project in no time. I know because I've tried it. It's very exciting having something ready in minutes and focusing on the business itself.
It can be a great option for personal brands, portfolios, and small-businesses in beginning stages.
But if you're an established business I would highly recommend against them. Your website can get bland and generic very quickly and more users means more users will notice the inconsistency in branding.
It's definitely worth it to start out with a free options and then upgrade later to either a paid template or hire a freelance designer for better branding.
That's it!
Hi there!
I'm Hamza, the UI Surgeon! Author and designer here. I try to be as helpful as I can in these posts. Hope you like it!
Have a good one.