25 Questions to Ask a Web Template Designer Before You Buy

This article is the third in a series where we will discuss common myths about shopping for a web site template. We felt that consumers should be aware of what to look for in a quality design that encompasses everything from metas right down to copyright footers. Naturally, we would love for our visitors to purchase our templates, but the long-term goal of this series is to educate consumers about what templates are, what they should provide the end-user, and what to be wary of when shopping.

If you have not read our first article, "How to Spot a Good Web Template Design", you may want to read it first. Then take a natural progression onto our second article, "Multi-Page Template Packages: Do you Really Need Them?"

So let's get right to the top 25 questions you should ask your web template designer *before* you make your purchase. Ready for an eye opener?

1. Do they have more than five years of web design experience?
2. Do they have more than five years of "web" graphic design experience?
3. Have they personally designed more than 1000 templates utilizing *external* CSS and not redundant HTML, inline or internal CSS code?
4. Have they personally designed more than 100 fully functional web sites for clients?
5. Have they been personally designing "web site templates" for more than five years?
6. Is web template design their core competency and commodity?
7. Do they have Fortune 500 customers or members?
8. Are they the actual designers (not a third party reseller)?
9. Can they offer timely service after the sale?
10. Do they have in-depth web design industry knowledge (beyond HTML)?
11. Do they keep up with all the latest technologies in web design (not just graphic design)?
12. Do they offer *free* customer support?
13. Do they keep all customers, members and other personal data private?
14. Do they offer user friendly navigation of all their templates for visitors, customers and members?
15. Do they publicly publish their prices upfront (instead of hiding them at the bottom of the page or is it not visible until after you hit the buy button)?
16. Are their designs diversified for a wide audience range?
17. Are their web template designs fast loading, effective and functional for the majority of web site requirements?
18. Are their prices affordable, realistic and fair for all parties involved (for a non-tangible product)?
19. Are their web templates designed to be compatible with most HTML editors?
20. Are their web templates strategically designed to easily aid the end user?
21. Do they include original PSD files or offer them for sale as an add-on at a discount price?
22. Are they open to helping their customers and members further develop their own design skills by offering tutorials, how-to's and other helpful resources.
23. Do they offer *affordable* customization services?
24. Do they provide their customers and members multiple ways to supplement their income through affiliate, partners or other type programs?
25. If they say yes to these questions, can they prove it?

If you ask BasicTemplates.com, the answers are all YES and we can prove it!

My guess would be that you never realized there was so much involved in selecting a web template from a qualified designer. For some site owners, it may not be that important. It really depends on your site objective or your target audience. However, the majority of sites online today who are serious about their online ventures, do require a level of professionalism to be successful. Competition is tough out there and if you use a poorly designed web template, it could seriously effect your traffic, sales and reputation. But that certainly does not mean you have to shell out large amounts of cash for an overpriced product either. Since May 2002, there has been another option: BasicTemplates.com, Web Site Templates with External CSS via a Membership or only $5.00 USD per Template

If BasicTemplates.com does not have what you are looking for in their 600+ design layout selection, let us know. We will put you in touch with experienced web template designers who can provide you with quality website templates so you can design your site properly the first time, affordably and effectively.