What is a bespoke website? And is custom web design worth it?

Bespoke website design or an off-the-shelf template? In this post, we take a look at what a bespoke website is and why choosing a customised website is a savvy move for your business.

Seventy-five per cent of consumers judge a company’s credibility by its website. Which means your site has a lot of responsibility on its shoulders. It has to make customers believe in your brand — and the products and services you offer.

The very best websites achieve this through a combination of eye-catching design, flawless functionality and exceptional user experience.

So what’s the best way to incorporate these essentials into your website?

When you first build a site, you have two primary options: create a website using a template builder or choose bespoke website design. Let’s take a closer look at what we mean by bespoke website design — and some of the reasons why we think it’s the best choice for your business.

We’ll be covering:

• What is a bespoke website?
• 7 reasons bespoke web design is worth the investment
• When bespoke website design isn’t the right choice
• How can you tell if a website is bespoke?
• Custom web design vs. off-the-shelf web design: a summary
• Bespoke website FAQs
• 5 examples of bespoke web design

What is a bespoke website?

Bespoke websites are built by a web design company from scratch. The team uses a ton of complicated code to create something completely unique. But not all websites are made in this way.

Some websites are built using templates, provided by companies like Wix, Squarespace, GoDaddy and ThemeForest. You can use these free and paid templates to create a DIY website. Or hire a designer to edit a template for you.

We’ll be honest. Template websites are quicker, easier and cheaper to build. So why would you bother forking out for custom web design services instead?

7 reasons bespoke web design is worth the investment

There are a bunch of great reasons why custom web design is well worth the money.

1. Your website is completely unique

The best templates are popular. Which means you’ll see the same designs popping up all over the web. Sure, you can edit templates to a certain extent. You can switch colours around, add your company logo and upload your own images.

But your design is boxed in by the limitations of each template. You don’t get free rein to change every single element on a webpage. This means template-based websites tend to look a bit… samey.

And this is a problem that bespoke website design can help you overcome.

A custom website is coded from scratch. Which means anything and everything is possible. You get a website that feels 100% yours — tailored to reflect your branding, your customers and your requirements.

This helps your company website to stand out from the millions of others on the web, and ensures you stick in the mind of consumers.

2. It has all of the functionality you need

An out-of-the-box template doesn’t necessarily offer all the website functionality you want to include.

You may find it difficult to build a truly mobile-responsive website. Or to include a customised email marketing sign-up form. Or to create an e-commerce checkout experience that really drives sales.

Bespoke website design can do all of the above — and then some. From calculators to quizzes to integration with the business software you like to use, custom web development helps you achieve more with your website.

3. You can achieve faster website speeds

One of the ways you can add functionality to a template-based website is by downloading plugins and extensions. But these add-ons can cause problems.

They lead to website “bloat”. They aren’t always compatible with one another. And they’re famed for slowing your website down.

Bespoke websites don’t rely on plugins to the same extent. So you have lean, clean code that makes your website super quick to load.

4. It’s optimised for conversions

Websites with great UX guide users on a clear customer journey. Users understand what your website is about within seconds of landing on the page. They find it easy to navigate around your site. And they instinctively know where they should click next.

It’s much easier to achieve this type of UX when you opt for a custom website. That’s because you get greater flexibility and can craft a user experience around the needs of your users.

You can place calls to action at the points where they stand to make the most impact. And you can use your knowledge of customer behaviour and your product/service offering to create a clear and effective path to conversion.

5. It’s future-proof

Where do you see your business in two years? Or five? Or ten?

Wherever you plan to take your business, a great website will be able to scale with you. This is something you can take for granted with a bespoke site. You’re not confined by the limitations of a template that once fit your business — but no longer does.

Instead, with the right coding expertise, you can easily adapt your custom website to meet business needs in the here and now.

Another reason why bespoke web design is good for the long term? Your site is easy to update and maintain. Because the back end of your website isn’t populated by a bunch of messy plug-ins.

6. It’s built with SEO in mind

Great user experience? Tick. ✅
Fast loading times? Tick. ✅
Code that Google can trawl with ease? Tick. ✅

As long as you’re targeting the right keywords and including optimised content, your site won’t hold you back from reaching those SERP top spots.

7. It drives sales

Working with a bespoke web design agency is undoubtedly more expensive than opting for a template site — DIY or otherwise. But in the long term, it’s often the more cost-effective option.

That’s because you end up with a professional website that communicates your brand personality and offers an exceptional user experience. You’ll also be getting more organic traffic because your SEO is on point.

A custom website increases your company’s credibility — and guides users to buy, download or get in touch. This means you’ll turn more of your website visitors into loyal customers.

When bespoke website design isn’t the right choice

Bespoke websites offer a ton of benefits for your business. But there are some situations where template websites have the edge.

An off-the-shelf design is the better option if:

• You’re in a hurry. A bespoke website takes longer to build than a template site. If speed is your priority, an off-the-shelf design can get you online more quickly.
• Money is tight. Because template sites are quicker and easier to build, they’re cheaper (in the short term) too. Bespoke websites require a higher initial investment.

Over the years, we’ve worked with lots of small business clients who started out with a template website. They were desperate to get their brand online and couldn’t stretch their start-up budget to a bespoke design.

They come to us a year or two down the line, when they realise that their website is holding them back. With a long-term perspective and better cash flow, a custom website becomes an investment they’re prepared to make.

How can you tell if a website is bespoke?

One of the first questions to ask a web design agency? Whether they provide bespoke or off-the-shelf sites. Once you get their answer, it’s worth doing a little digging — because there’s sometimes a little confusion over what a bespoke website actually is.

Some web designers say they’re offering a customised website when what they’re really offering is a customised template. They take an existing theme and flex it (as best they can) to fit your brand.

Here at Radical, we don’t consider this a bespoke website. Instead, a bespoke website is built from scratch, based on your brand, your website goals and the needs of your audience.

So, to find out whether a website is actually a bespoke build, go to the site. Inspect its source code and search for the term “themes”. If results show the name of a theme that is commercially available, you know the site is off-the-shelf. A bespoke website theme is usually named after the client.

Custom web design vs. off-the-shelf web design: a summary

Here’s a summary of the key differences between bespoke web design and template web design:

Bespoke website FAQs

What is bespoke web development?

Bespoke web development means building both the front-end (what users see) and the back-end (the behind-the-scenes stuff) specifically for your business. It’s how we make your website do exactly what you want it to do — whether that’s a booking system, a calculator tool, a portal or seamless integrations.

Do you design bespoke WordPress websites?

Absolutely. Bespoke WordPress websites are a Radical speciality. WordPress is a great platform for bespoke builds because it’s flexible and user-friendly. And while templates are available on WordPress, we design custom WordPress themes from scratch.

How much does a bespoke website cost?

The cost of a customised website depends on its complexity. The more pages and functionality you need, the longer the build takes and the higher the cost. This is why e-commerce websites tend to cost more than brochure websites.

To get a quote for a bespoke website, get in touch with the Radical team.

5 examples of bespoke web design

Here are five bespoke websites, designed and built by Radical. They all feature branding and functionality that you wouldn’t get from an off-the-shelf site.

Stockport Village Nursery

This bespoke website, for a nursery just up the road from us here in Manchester, has a distinctive brand identity. Everything, from the font to the website colour scheme to the playful illustrations, reflects the nursery’s warm and nurturing ethos.

Money Advice

The Money Advice website has lots of great features you’re unlikely to find on a template site. This bespoke website has an animated explainer video, a customer quiz and a calculator tool that give website visitors a next-level experience.

Bydand Recruitment Group

Bydand Recruitment Group wanted a custom website that worked for both candidates and clients. The finished site features a jobs page, with filters and a search bar, and up-to-date job openings. Candidates can also upload their CVs by clicking on the CTA in the website header.

Aurora Nights

This example of travel web design features a dynamic hero section video, designed to inspire the wanderlust of website visitors. Elsewhere on the site, you can find custom holiday filters and engaging micro-animations.

English Disabled Fly Fishers

This charity lobbies for better disabled facilities at fisheries and the website is built around the needs of the organisation and its members. Website visitors can fill in a digital application to become a member. There’s a useful explainer video. There are also little custom details that bring the brand to life, including a hook and line animation and a wavy footer section.

Want a bespoke website for your business?

There are plenty of templates available if you want to create your own DIY website. But if you’d prefer to go down the custom route, Radical — a bespoke web design agency in Manchester — can help.

With our bespoke web design, development, branding and e-commerce services, you can have a company website that does it all.

How do we work? We start by sitting down with a coffee and getting to know absolutely everything about you and your business.

Want to schedule a chat with one of our friendly web design pros? Then get in touch today!