Why We Don’t Use Templates (And Why You’ll Thank Us Later)

Website templates are everywhere. They’re cheap. They’re fast. They’re easy. And they’re the digital equivalent of using stock photos in your dating profile: they might look good at first glance, but they don’t tell your real story. And they definitely don’t stand out.

At Mapletree Studio, we build every site from scratch. No off-the-shelf templates, no cookie-cutter layouts, and no bloated drag-and-drop tools.

Here’s why that matters for your business (and your bottom line).

Templates Save Time, But Kill Performance

Templates are designed to be everything to everyone. The result? A bloated mess of code, features you don’t need, and load times that make Google roll its eyes.

Custom websites are lean, focused, and fast. We build only what you need, so your site loads quickly and ranks higher, especially on mobile.

Fast websites convert better. It’s not just about user experience. It’s about your business goals.

SEO Isn’t Just Content. It’s Code.

Most templates weren’t built with SEO in mind. They lack semantic structure, use outdated practices, and often rely on third-party plugins that compete with each other.

We build with SEO baked into the foundation:

Semantic HTML
Clean, accessible markup
Performance-optimised images
Structured data (JSON-LD)

No retrofitting. No hacks. Just technical SEO done right from day one.

👉 Read our full post on SEO-friendly design

Your Business Deserves Better Than “Off the Rack”

Your business is unique. Your website should be too.

Templates box you into layouts, colour schemes, and generic content blocks. You end up bending your message to fit a grid instead of letting your site tell your story the right way.

With us, the design starts with you: Your brand. Your goals. Your users. Your voice.

Templates Are a False Economy

Sure, a £20 theme sounds like a bargain. Until you spend 30 hours tweaking it or hire someone to “fix” it later.

A custom site might cost more upfront, but it saves you headaches (and money) in the long run. It performs better, converts more, and grows with your business instead of working against it.

So Why Don’t We Use Templates?

Because your website isn’t just a box-ticking exercise. It’s your digital storefront, your sales team, your first impression, and sometimes your last.

And because we’d rather spend our time crafting something remarkable, not wrestling with someone else’s layout.

Ready for a Site That’s Built Properly?

We craft custom websites for small businesses that want to stand out, not blend in.

Explore our full site package or get in touch to see what we can do.

TL;DR

Templates are bloated and slow. Custom sites are lean and fast
You get better SEO with clean, bespoke code
Your brand deserves more than a one-size-fits-all design
Custom sites cost more, but convert more
We don’t do templates. We do it right

Why We Don’t Use Templates (And Why You’ll Thank Us Later)