Thread: Ready Template VS selfmade

I found out that here quit some Webdesigners here in our forum. So i want to ask around, did you people more like ready made Templates for your clients or better self made once from scratch?

I don't do web design for others, but for my own sites I use a basic theme and modify it to suit the site. Mostly I make cosmetic changes via the css file.

Same here. Designing is not my strong point. I would be modifying a basic theme till it fit to my needs.

@WinkOr, How do you find these css rules in WP themes to modify ? Is there any application which help the process ?

I have not used any tools but there is a Web Developer plugin for FF and probably for Chrome that can display the css associated with features on a site. You can make local modifications of the css file to watch the changes realtime to the theme. If you like the result you can copy the new css rules and add them to your style sheet. (I have the plug and really should use it more. It is particularly good for troubleshooting problems on web sites.)

I got started building sites more or less as a hobby. Initially I wanted a site for my offline business. I found a freeware web editor and made an attempt or two. Then I found a user group forum for the web editor and learned a lot more about web design. I put up several sites on subjects that were of interest to me. Then I decided that I needed to defray the expenses so I began to look into ways to monetize the sites.

What's the Plugin you use for Firefox ? Is is FireBug ?

The one I have is here: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/fir...eloper/?src=ss I see it is now donationware. I don't recall the donate button when I picked it up.

Thanks WinK0r. This one looks like a great plugin. Installing it now.

I have Easyphp installed in my PC so I usually do all stuff locally before change anything.

Myself mostly made Templates from scratch. Only in Case clients wish to use a Template than i took that. The negative point of ready Templates are that sometimes it is hard to modify in a way which need. So Own Templates from Scratch gives you 100% free hand.

Originally Posted by timoinfiji

Myself mostly made Templates from scratch. Only in Case clients wish to use a Template than i took that. The negative point of ready Templates are that sometimes it is hard to modify in a way which need. So Own Templates from Scratch gives you 100% free hand.

Do you make Wordpress templates from scratch too ? For me it takes too much time and more than it should take. So always modify a free theme usually the default theme.

Yes, Wordpress, Joomla.... i made it from scratch. Actually it is not that much hard and time consuming as you maight think. My clients always payed for the work. For me i didnt like much ready made Templates. It is stopping my creativity....

Hm different paths. that's the reason. I don't do those stuff for clients. and it's for my own projects. So time matters to me. Also rather than trying some from scratch its better for me using something worked before seo and affiliate wise.

Yeah, everyone have have another target. As i saw, i think you are a developer right? About programming part i know not much, in past always my employee worked on it. On which Languanges you worked on ?

For my money sites I mostly hire designer to make unique template if it is script or if it is custom coded sites then we do design from the scratch.

Designing is not my thing, I'm a complete blank in it. For my sites that I asked to be made, I gave the developer some sample links and explained how would I like to be mine. I guess he used the same template and modified it a bit to look different. But it doesn't bother me if my designer is using a template or building from scratch as long as he gets the job done right.

For me, it all depends on the client. If they want their website to be built from scratch, I will do it (if they have the time and money for it). If not (especially with those clients who want quick result), I just pick a ready made template (free templates, especially for low budget clients) and tailored it to fit their request. There are some clients who want their website to look like a specific template, for this case, it depends on the negotiation or re-negotiation.

yes mdstudio, it realy depends on the clients. We can smell cleints allready which have not much budget, that will be great to deliver a ready template. But if a company want to built a good site, it need to be selfmade. My cleints which was company, they allways was liking and needing self make one

Originally Posted by timoinfiji

yes mdstudio, it realy depends on the clients. We can smell cleints allready which have not much budget, that will be great to deliver a ready template. But if a company want to built a good site, it need to be selfmade. My cleints which was company, they allways was liking and needing self make one

How many hours does it usually take in total to build from scratch?

we built a website template with around 20 Pages in Photohop in around 7 Days. PSD and PSD to html already. REview of cleint as well included

Originally Posted by timoinfiji

we built a website template with around 20 Pages in Photohop in around 7 Days. PSD and PSD to html already. REview of cleint as well included

Very good, you offer a great service