The idea of building your jewelry website from scratch can be extremely daunting. In these cases, many will envision hours of researching code and manually coding and styling a website. Fortunately, this isn’t the case anymore. Many sites will come with templates, many which are free, that you can download to get started.
But just because there are a variety of options doesn’t mean that your work is done. It’s critical that you choose the right template from the beginning. Why? It’s likely that you will still put in hours of work getting everything perfectly set up to your specifications.
Here are 5 tips to help you pick the right website template for your jewelry business website:
#1: Know What You Want
There are hundreds of different template options available out there. That being said, not all of them will work for you. For this reason, it’s critical to know what you want to help you cut through the clutter.
Begin by doing some research on your competitors or others in your field. Take note of what elements you like, what you might change, and what you definitely do not like. Do this research before you even begin looking at themes; it will help you from becoming overwhelmed when you do begin looking. Identifying exactly what you want will help you narrow down the options.
I would also recommend ranking the elements you do like. No template will have everything that you want initially, so doing this can help you decide what is actually necessary to your website vs. something you’d like to have.
#2: Test the Templates
I can’t stress how important it is to test the templates that you are thinking of using. Simply looking at screen grabs won’t give you a full picture of what something will look like when someone actually browses the page. Try to go through to the developer’s website and take a live tour.
Don’t skip this step or rush it! You’ve spent hours crafting a brand for yourself with the aesthetic of jewelry you design and your overall display. Your website is just as much a part of your overall brand. I’ve been known to rule out a website because I can’t test is as much as others. Find your requirements, keep a list of likes and dislikes of each template, and trust your gut. You’ll know when you’ve found the right one.
#3: Have a Plan (a Content Plan That Is)
Are you planning to post content? If that’s the case you’re going to want to check the blog templates just as much as your regular website. If you don’t think you need to have content on your website consider this: adding regularly posted blogs is one great way to add SEO optimized pages to your website. This increases the likelihood that your website will rank significantly.
So, when you test the templates, be sure you’re looking just as critically at the blog. Worse case scenario is you don’t blog at all. But if you do, you’ll know that this is on point with what you want as well.
#4: View the Documentation
You’ve picked your template and you’re officially ready tobegin building your jewelry website. Once you download the template you want, you’ll notice it doesn’t quite look like what you saw in the demo. In fact, it is going to look completely different.
Do not panic. You can easily get things set up to look like the demo by finding the documentation online. In most cases, those who complete the templates will include step-by-step directions or videos so you can do just that. If you are still unhappy with how things look, you may need to jump into the code to get the elements the way you want them.
#5: Consider going Pro
While the free template may be all you need, sometimes paying the price to get the full version is the smartest option and one that will save you the most time in the long run. So while you’re looking at templates consider the cost to go pro and the added benefits there. It may just make sense to pay the price for the upgraded template.
What other tips for building your jewelry website do you have for those who are just starting to look at website templates? Are there specific questions you may have after looking at potential website templates? Share them below and let’s get this conversation going!