A template website starts from a pre-designed structure that is adapted to the business. A custom website is designed around the individual business and its content, customer journey and visual direction. Templates can be fast and cost-effective; custom design can create a much better fit when differentiation and flexibility matter.
I build custom websites.
So I obviously have a preference.
But "template" is not a dirty word.
A good template used honestly can be the correct solution.
The problem is when generic work is presented as bespoke work and priced accordingly.
What is a template website?
A template provides a starting layout.
Hero.
Sections.
Navigation.
Service cards.
Footer.
Styling.
The user or designer swaps:
colours;
images;
copy;
logo;
sometimes fonts and section order.
That can get a business online quickly.
Platforms such as Squarespace, Wix and WordPress ecosystems have large template markets.
For a very small budget or DIY project, this can be useful.
Gavin's take
My preference for custom work is not about making every project more elaborate. It is about starting with the business and then deciding the layout, rather than starting with somebody else's layout and making the business fit it. Custom should mean considered, not complicated.
What is a custom website?
Custom means the design decisions start from the actual business rather than a pre-existing page layout.
What needs to be above the fold?
What proof matters?
Does the owner need to be visible?
Is the main CTA a call, quote or booking?
How much photography exists?
What is the brand tone?
How should pricing appear?
The layout is shaped around those answers.
That is the model I prefer at Built by Gavin.
Templates are faster when the fit is good
If a café needs a simple five-page site and finds a template that already suits its photography, menu structure and booking flow, adapting it may be efficient. The same principle applies when deciding between a website builder and a professional designer.
There is no virtue in rebuilding the same visual structure from scratch purely to say "custom".
The question is whether the template constrains the result.
Templates become awkward when content does not fit
This is the common problem.
The template has:
three service cards.
You have five services.
It has:
a giant hero photograph.
You have no good photos.
It expects:
six testimonials.
The business is new.
The client then starts manufacturing content to fill boxes.
That is backwards.
The business content should shape the website.
Custom design creates differentiation
If three competing businesses buy the same popular theme, they can look remarkably similar.
Different logo.
Different colour.
Same website.
A custom site can create a more recognisable identity.
That matters more for businesses where brand and presentation influence the sale.
Consultants.
Restaurants.
Creative services.
Premium local businesses.
It may matter less for an emergency plumber where clarity and trust dominate.
Custom does not mean complicated
This is important.
A five-page site can be completely custom.
This is closely related to why simple websites often work better.
Custom refers to the design approach.
Not the amount of backend engineering.
Built by Gavin's smaller sites can be custom-designed while remaining technically simple.
That is part of how I keep scope sensible.
Template does not mean bad SEO
A well-built template site can rank.
A custom website can fail to rank.
Search engines care about the resulting website:
content;
technical accessibility;
performance;
relevance;
authority.
Not whether the designer started with a blank canvas.
SEO is not an argument for custom design by itself.
Custom does not automatically mean high quality
A designer can custom-build something terrible.
A well-designed premium template can be excellent.
Look at the result.
Custom is a process advantage, not a quality guarantee.
That is another reason portfolio review matters.
What about performance?
Templates can carry features you never use.
Sliders.
Animation libraries.
Page-builder code.
Widgets.
That can create bloat.
But not every template is slow.
Custom sites can also be over-engineered.
A focused custom build gives the developer more opportunity to include only what is needed.
That is one reason I like it.
Maintenance can differ
A WordPress theme plus many plugins may have a larger maintenance surface.
A static custom site may have much less routine runtime maintenance.
But this is architecture, not template-vs-custom alone.
You can have a custom WordPress site.
You can have a template static site.
Keep the concepts separate.
Why do some agencies use templates?
Efficiency.
Templates can let a provider serve more clients.
That can be completely legitimate.
The commercial issue is transparency.
If a company sells:
custom website design — €5,000
and then changes the logo on a €60 theme, the client may reasonably feel misled.
If it sells:
professionally configured template website — €900
that is a clear offer.
What does Built by Gavin do?
I build custom websites around the individual business.
That does not mean every design element has never existed before.
Buttons are buttons.
Navigation is navigation.
Cards are cards.
The custom part is the composition.
The hierarchy.
The content structure.
The visual direction.
The decisions.
I am not trying to reinvent the web on every project.
I am trying to make the website belong to that business.
When would I suggest a template instead?
If your budget is extremely limited.
If you want to build it yourself.
If speed matters more than differentiation.
If the website is temporary.
If a strong existing template fits almost perfectly.
I would rather tell someone to use Squarespace sensibly than convince them they need a custom project they cannot afford.
How should you compare quotes?
Ask:
Is this custom?
Is a commercial theme involved?
Is a page builder involved?
What can be changed?
What does the price include besides the template?
Content?
Setup?
SEO?
Photography?
Support?
The template licence itself may be cheap.
The expertise configuring the whole website can still have value.
Worth knowing
“Bespoke” on a quote is not evidence that the work is bespoke. Ask what is actually being designed around your business, what is being reused, and whether that distinction matters to the outcome. A well-used template can be better value than poor custom work; good custom work should earn its premium through fit and judgement.
The bottom line
Templates trade flexibility and uniqueness for speed and efficiency.
Custom design trades more design work for a closer fit and stronger differentiation.
Neither is automatically good or bad.
The important thing is knowing what you are buying.
Built by Gavin chooses custom because I want the structure and visual direction to follow the business rather than force the business into a pre-made layout.
Want to see what I mean by custom without unnecessary complexity?
Look at my work or current website options.
The scope can stay small while the design remains individual.
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