Building a professional, polished online presence is vital for modern businesses, but it doesn’t have to involve a full-scale web design project. We've worked with many small businesses who simply do not have the time, need or budget for a fully custom web design and we always recommend one simple solution: pre-built website templates.

It's important to note that this a vast market and not all templates out there are professionally designed or designed to the same high-quality that a custom built website might be. Also, these templates just might not match the overall style and aesthetic of your brand. With that being said, many designers do offer website templates for purchase and with a little research and testing, you're sure to find a style that aligns with your needs.

In today's journal post, we're going to discuss why website templates can be a great investment for small businesses and the platform we use to develop our custom templates. We'll also share an inside look into our popular Kyoto template to show how easily it can be customised to suit your brand.

Why Choose a Website Template?

The answer is simple; website templates provide a ready-made framework for creating stunning websites quickly and affordably. They’re ideal for smaller businesses who need professional-grade design but want to avoid the higher costs and longer timelines of full-scale custom web design. As a point of reference, our studio typically charges anywhere from $2,000-$5,000 for a custom website, wheres our pre-built templates start from below $1,000.

Here are some reasons why templates are so compelling and why we always suggest this to our clients:

• Speed: Launch your website in days rather than months.

• Affordability: Achieve a polished look without the price tag of custom design.

• Flexibility: Tailor the template to reflect your unique brand with customizable layouts, colors, and typography.

• Professional Quality: High-end templates like Kyoto are created with best practices for functionality and user experience in mind.

Templates aren’t just for beginners—they’re powerful tools for any business wanting a scalable and stylish solution to create an impactful online presence.

Introducing Wix Studio

Any clients that have come to us for web design know that we are big advocates for Wix Studio and we use this for both custom projects and our pre-designed templates.

Why? In our opinion, Wix Studio takes website building to the next level. Unlike many drag-and-drop platforms such as Squarespace or Showit, Wix Studio offers advanced design tools and features that give you complete control while remaining user-friendly. The team over at Wix are also always adding new features and updates to make sure the platform is as dynamic and functional as it can be.

Some reasons we love Wix Studio:

• Robust Features: From custom animations to integrated e-commerce, Wix Studio equips you with tools to elevate user experience and increase engagement.

• Flexibility: Design exactly what you envision with customizable layouts and in-depth design settings.

• Ease of Use: You don’t need to be a coding expert to create a site that looks and functions beautifully.

• Back-end Features: As well as the robust design features, Wix Studio also provides great back-end tools such as CMS Integrations, Marketing, Analytics and Automations.

We're not affiliated with Wix Studio in any way, but do recommend trying out the platform if you are on the lookout for a website design platform:

Discover Kyoto: A Website Template Designed to Impress

Offering pre-designed templates is something that was in the works at our studio for some time. We really wanted to provide an affordable solution to our clients that upheld our aesthetic and commitment to thoughtful and functional design. After research and testing, our first website template, Kyoto, was born. Built with boutique brands in mind, the template offers an all-in-one ecommerce solution, helping small businesses get online and sell their products in days, rather than months.

The development of Kyoto involved many hours of designing and testing to make sure that the template felt like a custom-built site but had the ease of customisation so brands could easily edit the content and maintain their website without the need for on-going design services.

Kyoto’s Standout Features

• Dynamic Animations: Unique hover and scroll effects create an elevated and engaging user experience, perfect for making a memorable first impression.

• E-Commerce Integration: Easily showcase and sell products online with a sleek, intuitive design. Kyoto’s layout is optimized for seamless shopping experiences.

• Customizable Design: Whether you’re a fashion brand, lifestyle boutique, or wellness business, Kyoto adapts to fit your needs.

Customizations in Action

Kyoto’s flexibility allows for endless possibilities and can be easily customized to suit whatever industry your brand operates in. See our favourite customisations below:

Kyoto - Homeware & Lifestyle Boutique

A homewares store focusing on muted tones and organic shapes to complement Japandi-inspired products.

Oris - Clean Beauty Brand

A wellness brand utilizing soft palettes and white space to create a serene, inviting feel.

Elara Collective - Leather Goods

A fashion brand embracing clean lines and bold typography to highlight collections.

These examples highlight how Kyoto can transform to suit a range of industries while maintaining its polished aesthetic.

Invest in Your Brand’s Future

Whether you’re a new business or looking to refresh your online presence, templates like Kyoto offer a compelling solution. By pairing the creative power of Wix Studio with the thoughtful design of Kyoto, you can create a website that reflects your brand’s values and engages your audience—without the complexity of custom design.

Take the first step toward an elevated online presence. Explore how Kyoto can work for your brand today.