It's only natural that some businesses have relied on cookie cutter templates for their websites in the past. They're easy, already built and sometimes even free of charge. For businesses with a desire for an online presence but no budget for a website, a template can be a means to an end.

Make no mistake, though, a customized website has many advantages over one carved out from a template. First of all, let's talk business (after all, your bottom line needs some justification here). For best search engine results, you need your own site, your own domain, and your own design with its own customized url structure. With many website templates, you lose control of your url, and that's not good when it comes to customers finding your business in Google and other search engines. In fact, one of the major points of having a website is making sure your business is represented well in appropriate search results. After all, Google is going to list ten sites on its first page one way or another. If you're in business, one of those ten needs to be you.

Besides helping your business market to a wider range of customers, a custom website also looks better. Its design is unique and planned according to your business's needs, as opposed to shoehorning your company into someone else's template box. That means that you can communicate better with your audience and deliver a stronger branding imprint. It also demonstrates that your business is dynamic and vital from top to bottom.

Sure, there is cost involved with having a customized website. But there are usually costs involved with inferior templates, as well, and these costs often vary and change on the whim of the provider. You may not own what you think you own. You may not be able to access what you feel you have the right to access. And you may end up wasting not only marketing leverage and branding appeal but also valuable time, too. With customized websites, all of these important factors are within your control, and that translates into a better overall business strategy.