Guide to Choosing the Right Website for Your New Business

Starting a new business is exciting, and one of the most critical steps is creating a website that reflects your brand, attracts customers, and grows with your business.

In this guide, we’ll break down the key differences and help you make an informed decision that sets your business up for long-term success.

The Basics: What You Get with a Website Template

Major hosting providers like Wix, Squarespace, or GoDaddy offer pre-designed templates that allow you to quickly set up a website. These templates are appealing because they’re cost-effective and user-friendly, often requiring no coding experience.

What you’ll like:

• Quick Launch: Most templates are ready to use out of the box.

• Affordable Options: Low initial costs are perfect for tight budgets.

• Slideshow Simplicity: No technical expertise needed to update basic content.

What you might notice:

Templates are designed to cater to everyone—which often means they’re not optimized for anyone. This lack of tailored strategy can lead to:

• Poor user experience (UX) that frustrates visitors and drives them away.

• Ineffective calls to action (CTAs) that fail to generate leads or sales.

• A lack of trustworthiness, which can harm your brand reputation.

The Cost: Spending money on a website that looks nice but doesn’t drive results is like throwing your marketing budget into a black hole.

1. SEO Limitations That Leave You Invisible Online
   Templates may come with basic SEO tools, but they often lack the depth required to rank competitively on search engines. With low authority and limited optimization, your business risks being buried beneath competitors.

   The Cost: Fewer organic visitors, more reliance on paid ads, and higher marketing expenses over time.
   
   

2. Risk of Data Breaches and Compliance Issues [1]
   Basic website templates often lack robust security features, leaving your business vulnerable to:

   • Hacking and data breaches that can compromise sensitive customer information.

   • Compliance failures with regulations like GDPR or CCPA, leading to hefty fines.

   The Cost: A single data breach could cost your business thousands of dollars—not to mention the damage to your reputation.
   
   

3. The Real Catch of Cheap Websites
   Templates are notoriously inflexible. As your business grows and evolves, you may find yourself unable to:

   • Add new features or integrations.

   • Scale your website to meet increased traffic demands.

   • Adapt to changes in design trends or customer needs.

   The Cost: Outgrowing your website too soon and being forced to start over, wasting both time and thousands of dollars.

While templates are a good starting point, they often leave businesses limited when they need to expand, innovate, or adapt to market changes.

How to Build a Website That Sets Your Business Up for Success

Instead of settling for a quick solution, take the time to invest in a website that will serve as a strong foundation for your business. Here’s how to approach it:

1. Research Trusted Website Builders
   Not all website platforms are created equal. Look for builders that offer:

   • Scalability: Can the platform grow with your business?

   • Customizability: Does it allow you to create a site that reflects your brand and meets your specific needs?

   • Security: Does it include robust measures to protect customer data?

   Examples to consider: WordPress, Webflow, or (for e-commerce businesses) Shopify are great platforms that strike a balance between ease of use and customization. (Localica uses Framer and Figma)
   
   

2. Invest in Learning the Basics
   Whether you’re creating the website yourself or hiring someone to do it for you, understanding the basics of web design and functionality will help you make informed decisions. Key areas to learn include:

   • SEO Fundamentals: Ensure your website is optimized for search engines to attract organic traffic.

   • User Experience (UX): Focus on creating a site that’s easy to navigate and encourages visitors to take action.

   • Data Privacy: Familiarize yourself with compliance standards like GDPR to protect your business from legal issues.

   Pro Tip: Many website platforms offer tutorials, blogs, and community forums to help you get started, they change every 6 months or so.
   
   

3. Customize Your Website to Reflect Your Brand
   A professional website should feel uniquely yours or at least follow the industry best practices. Avoid the temptation to stick with a cheap template and instead:

   • Use high-quality images and fonts that reflect your brand, show off your team.

   • Create a user-friendly layout tailored to your audience’s needs.

   • Incorporate interactive elements, such as forms or maps, to engage visitors.
     
     

4. Plan for Future Growth
   Think beyond the launch. Build your website with future changes in mind by:

   • Choosing a flexible platform that supports integrations and updates.

   • Including features like blog sections, product pages, or resource hubs that you can expand over time.

   • Keeping backups and a strategy for regular updates to avoid falling behind tech-savvy newcomer.