The Hidden Risks Of Using Templates For Competition Websites

As the popularity of competition businesses continues to soar online, so in turn has the number of services offering ready-made website templates designed specifically with the contest niche in mind. While there’s no doubt that these easy-to-use templates can be ideal for those concerned with getting their business up & running quickly and without great expense, they are not a solution we honestly recommend if you’re looking for long-term success.

These templates may seem like a convenient and cost-effective solution on the surface, but they come with hidden costs that can negatively impact the success of your business in the long run. In this post, we’ll explore four reasons why you should avoid using templates for your competition website.

Table of Contents:

1. No Unique Selling Point
2. Poor Quality
3. Limited Functionality
4. Difficult to Customise
   

1. No Unique Selling Point (USP)

Lately we’ve noticed more and more competition websites springing up practically overnight… followed by almost as many shutting up shop not long after. The competition industry may be becoming more saturated, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible for your business to succeed. The most common denominator we’ve seen in these cases is the use of pre-made templates.

The main problem with these templates is that they almost completely rid your brand of its USP, or Unique Selling Point, right off the bat. As a website is an extension of your brand, it is important that the website reflects the same visual identity and messaging as the rest of the promotional & creative materials. Pre-made templates may not allow for the customisation needed to achieve this consistency, which can result in a disjointed brand experience for the audience.

What’s more, the competition industry legally comes under the remit of gambling; this means you need to do everything in your power to assure customers of your business’ trustworthiness & legitimacy and unfortunately, a cookie-cutter template will struggle to cut it in this regard.  In a crowded marketplace where you’re already having to fight for attention, these generic sites do nothing to help consumers differentiate your brand from the growing number of other businesses with a similar presentation.

2. Poor Quality

Another reason to avoid these templates is that they are often not the best quality.

As a one-size-fits-all solution, they simply aren’t equipped with the level of functionality needed to address the various pain points that each individual business experiences. Plus they’re often not well-optimised for speed and performance, which can lead to slow loading times and frustration for users.

Additionally, the template may not be particularly responsive, meaning it doesn’t adapt well to different screen sizes and devices. This can make the site difficult to navigate and use on mobile devices – an increasingly important factor in today’s mobile-first world.

A poor User Experience is one of the worst blows to your reputation if you are just starting out, as it puts off potential long-term customers from wanting to interact with your business before it’s even gotten a real chance to get off the ground.

3. Limited Functionality

Another downside is that templates offer limited functionality and room to grow. These sites are often designed to be simple and easy to use, which means they lack the advanced features and capabilities that businesses need to run a successful competition website. For example, the template may not include features such as complete social media integration or custom forms, which can limit the ability of a business to interact with its audience.

The cost of initial investment with a template may be lower than it will be with a bespoke design, but these pre-made sites require more long term maintenance just to stay functional. This can prove particularly expensive, especially if you plan on trying to take a basic site to anything more complex in the future.

4. Difficult to Customise

A non-bespoke website will struggle to be personalised to the needs of your individual business, restricting your opportunities for growth in the future. Pre-made templates can be difficult to customise, which means that you may not be able to get the features you want when you need them. For example, when instant wins became the newest trend, it took a long time for them to come to template sites, limiting the growth potential of businesses using them.

In conclusion, pre-made templates for competition websites may seem like an easy and cost-effective solution, but they can have a negative impact on the success of the business. By limiting customisation, offering limited functionality, providing a poor user experience and failing to maintain brand consistency, these templates can ultimately harm the business’s reputation and hinder its ability to engage with its audience effectively.

Instead, businesses should invest in custom-designed competition websites that are tailored to their specific needs and requirements, and that provide a seamless and engaging user experience for their audience.

Are you looking to create a competition website that stands out and drives results?

Here at Visionary Hub Space, our team of web & marketing experts have helped numerous leading competition websites achieve success and we would love to do the same for you.

Check out our portfolio and get in touch today to start building your dream competition website!