November 29, 2024 
The competition for specific platforms offering ready-made website templates or preloaded shopping sites is fierce.
As much as these companies want to cover all aspects of a modern, contemporary and industry-specific design, their templates still have limitations. Some willingly integrated or accepted others because a “one fit all” solution will always leave those who want more or better in the proverbial “rain”.
Why do these templates come with limitations? Simple, on the one hand, because you can technically do only so much with a given web design. If you change elements, it could disrupt the look & feel and, more importantly, alter a pre-coded sequence, which could disrupt the site’s functionality.
Sometimes these templates are upgradable, but the monthly fee or one-off purchase cost will increase exponentially beyond the original or advertised fees.
It is getting more interesting, or, from a user perspective, worse if one engages with e-commerce platforms. The “community version” is usually low priced and allows all necessary upload and purchase functions. Most also come with basic analytics. However, if you want to intensify the sales effort with an online campaign or more advanced analytics, an upgrade is unavoidable.
In addition, with platforms like Shopify, one should also be aware that the platform is rented for as long as the monthly fee is received. All data and information on the platform are shared with the platform owner.
The primary reason many companies and freelancers invest in these tools is financial. However, if the costs and the limitations are viewed over a period of e.g., five years, one will quickly recognise that a customised option, explicitly developed for the industry and specifically tailored towards the needs of the company, will always be the better option than a ready-made, one-size-fits-all solution.
Don’t let short-term thinking and a self-imposed, often unnecessary financial restriction hamper your future.
Note: Investments in any software tool can be written off over four or five years.
