Building it yourself.
WHAT THEY GIVE YOU
A working site without writing code, which for many small businesses is the difference between having a site and not.
WHAT TO WATCH
Templates load substantial code for features you do not use. Check the speed of what you build. Demo content looks impressive because of professional photography, not the template. Your version will look different. Changing template later is difficult once content is built.
PRACTICAL ADVICE
Choose a light, well-maintained template rather than one bundled with dozens of demos Do not import demo content and edit it; start clean and build what you need Use fewer features rather than every one available Check your pages on a phone constantly, not at the end
WHAT TEMPLATES DO NOT SOLVE
Content. A good template with poor content produces a poor site.
The design is perhaps a quarter of what makes a site work.
SPEED
Test what you have built. Templates frequently produce slow pages through sheer weight.
WHEN TO GET HELP
If you are fighting it, or if the site matters commercially and you are not getting it right.
