Site builder....bad to use it?

[Up & At 'Em]

Hi everyone!

For those here who've answered my posts in the pre-sales area, I'm finally a member thanks to all of you! I really appreciate all the wonderful replys I got from you in answer to my questions there.

Now I have a new question. I'm thinking about having more than one website. Actually, I've decided this will be a necessity in the very near future. I really don't want to hire another person to build a site for me, and I was thinking of using the site builder here at HG. But, I've heard that these pre-made templates (anyone's, not just HG's) are not good to use because the search engines have a very hard time picking them up. Is this true? Are they bad to use? It sure would save me some time and money, not to mention a few headaches.

I'd appreciate any thoughts or input any of you have.

Thanks!

Kim

[PsiPro]

From an SEO point of view, just do not duplicate content and you shuold be fine. Modern search engines can read the pre-fab templates as well as not. If you use the style of website builder where you just draw absolutly positioned divs everywhere, then your in trouble. I do not belive this is the type of website builder HG offers.

From an SEO standpoint there isn't much difference that I know about. From a marketing POV, these sites look poor compared to a custom designed one. Sorry you had alot of headaches with your designer tho, hopfully you are satisfied with the end quality of his work.

Personally, I would not use them. To me they are a gloified notepad. They are to constaining in what you can make with them.

[Impavidus]

Here are some free website templates:

http://www.oswd.org/

http://www.openwebdesign.org/

[Up & At 'Em]

PsiPro: So, it might be ok to use a pre-made template? It won't be my main site. It will be a one page site, very simple, with a download for purchase.

As for my designer, yes, he did a good job on the template. It's just that I had a deadline and he finished three weeks late, and then when I was ready to pay him he said the project went over budget and I owed him another $300.00. He'll get his money, but he's lost me as a client because of it. From all the reading I've done here and on other forums, though, this seems to happen quite often. It's like anyone can have a business designing websites, even a 12 year old, and they don't seem to care much about business ethics. Good help really IS hard to find!

Impavidus: I bookmarked those sites. Thanks!

[PsiPro]

Originally Posted by Up & At 'Em

PsiPro: So, it might be ok to use a pre-made template? It won't be my main site. It will be a one page site, very simple, with a download for purchase.

As for my designer, yes, he did a good job on the template. It's just that I had a deadline and he finished three weeks late, and then when I was ready to pay him he said the project went over budget and I owed him another $300.00. He'll get his money, but he's lost me as a client because of it. From all the reading I've done here and on other forums, though, this seems to happen quite often. It's like anyone can have a business designing websites, even a 12 year old, and they don't seem to care much about business ethics. Good help really IS hard to find!

Yes a premade template will proably work alright for your purposes.

I have had alot of clients come to me complaining about that problem with their designers and how their website cost them far more then anticipated. Its always good to try to go with a referral.

[Up & At 'Em]

PsiPro: I know you probably don't care, but I'm going to tell you why I used this designer just so you won't think I'm a complete idiot. Here's the deal....

This designer is local to me. I contacted him and two other logo designers after having a couple bad experiences on the internet with graphic artists.

All three logo designers were out of my budget, but this guy came up with a solution. He said he'd have his intern do the work under his guidance and only charge me a quarter of his usual fee. He offered this because I had told him my company was a start-up and I couldn't afford his usual fee.

It took a couple months to get the logo from him, but I didn't mind as I knew he was charging me alot less than any of his other clients. When he delivered the logo, he also delivered letterhead, biz cards and envelope designs to match....AND NEVER CHARGED ME A PENNY EXTRA!!! Not only that, but he never even asked me for a down payment before the work was started. I paid him at the end, after he delivered all the files to me.

The logo and letterhead set designs were phenomenal. I've shown them to several discerning eyes and everyone has agreed they are eye catching and professioal.

Since my logo and letterhead set designs were so good, and knowing the designer did websites too, I told him I'd like him to do my website when I was ready. He said, "Go for it....I can have it done by the end of January." I decided what the heck? His own website was nice, he delivered more than I had asked for on the logo and was very easy to deal with....it just seemed like a great idea at the time.

So, you see, I didn't just choose him to do my website out of the blue. I met him face to face twice, talked with him on the phone, and he had already done a great job on another project for me. That was why I chose him. If not for him not meeting my deadline and charging me extra after the work was done and delivered this time, I would use him again. But I just don't trust him anymore.

Now, I did get a referral for the programmer. I'm hoping things will go more smoothly with him.