What is a website template? (And other questions you’re nervous to ask)
So, you know you need a website – but where do you even start? What platform should you pick? Do you have to hire a designer? And if no, what is a website template?
Website templates give you a pre-designed website to customise and make your own, so you don’t have to worry about things like:
Where to put images
Where headings and other important content go
What each page needs to look like
How many pages you need etc
You know that feeling when you're staring at a blank website builder, wondering where to even begin? Templates solve that problem by giving you a professionally designed foundation that you can make completely your own.
Think of a template as your starting point, not your ending point. Every element can be customised to reflect your brand, from layout and colours to pages, fonts, and images. You have complete control over how your site looks, feels, and functions.
The result is a website that captures who you are and serves your business without the unnecessary time and cost of building from scratch.
Templates aren't about limiting your creativity or forcing you into someone else's vision. They're about giving you a thoughtfully crafted framework that handles the technical complexities whilst leaving you free to focus on what matters most: communicating your values, showcasing your work, and connecting with the people you're here to serve.
Okay, so with “What is a website template” handled… can we talk about the “Won’t my site look like everyone else’s?”
This concern comes up constantly, and I understand why. The fear of blending in when your work is about standing out or taking up space to create meaningful change feels counterintuitive.
The reality is that templates provide structure, not sameness. Two founders can start with the same template and create completely different websites because they bring their own brand personality, authentic voice, brand colours, and unique offerings to the design.
Your story, your mission, your way of working, your visual style, your content—these elements transform any template into something distinctly yours.
The template becomes the canvas, but you’re the artist, and you're not locked into rigid design constraints. You're working with a professionally designed framework that you can adapt, rearrange, and customise to reflect exactly who you are and how you want to show up in the world.
Will a free website template work for me?
Not all templates are created equal. Many free options out there focus purely on appearance without considering how things actually function for real businesses and real people.
They might look appealing in the preview, but they often lack the strategic thinking about user experience, accessibility, and conversion that your work deserves. My Squarespace website templates combine visual appeal with practical functionality, because a beautiful website that doesn't work properly won't serve your mission or your visitors effectively.
What happens after I pick and launch a website template?
Templates offer specific advantages that align perfectly with how impact-driven founders need to work: efficiently, strategically, and with their resources directed toward maximum mission impact.
You get your time back
Instead of spending weeks or months figuring out design principles, user experience best practices, and technical functionality, you can focus on making the template reflect your brand and vision. This saves countless hours of trial and error, research, and frustration that would otherwise keep you from the work that truly matters to you.
Time is your most precious resource as a founder. Templates give you back weeks that you can invest in developing your programmes, connecting with your community, refining your services, or simply maintaining the work-life balance that sustains your long-term impact. You're not cutting corners on quality, you're being strategic about where to invest your time and energy.
The professional structure is already there, tested and proven to work. You can skip the learning curve of understanding what makes websites function well and move straight to the creative, meaningful work of making it yours.
You keep more of your budget
Templates cost a fraction of custom design work whilst still giving you access to strategic design thinking and user experience expertise. You're essentially getting years of knowledge about what works in website design—from user psychology to accessibility best practices—without the premium price tag that comes with custom development.
This cost-effectiveness is particularly valuable for social impact founders who need to be thoughtful about resource allocation. Templates let you maintain a professional, effective online presence whilst keeping more of your budget available for the programs, services, and impact work that's at the heart of what you do.
The money you save by choosing a template over fully custom design can be invested directly back into your mission, helping you create greater impact without compromising on having a website that truly represents your work and converts visitors into engaged community members or clients.
You’ll avoid tech headaches
My Squarespace website templates come with layouts and features that have been thoroughly tested across different devices and browsers from day one.
This means your website will work smoothly regardless of how people access it; whether they're browsing on their phone during their commute, using a tablet at home, or accessing your site from their office computer.
Quality templates are built with performance in mind, and are optimised for fast loading times, intuitive navigation, and seamless user experiences. This technical foundation ensures visitors can easily find what they're looking for without frustration, confusion, or the kind of technical glitches that make people leave websites immediately.
When people have a positive experience on your website—when they can quickly understand what you do, easily navigate to the information they need, and complete actions like signing up or booking without hassle—they're significantly more likely to engage with your content, join your mailing list, and ultimately work with you.
Good website functionality isn't just about technical performance, but about removing barriers between you and the people you're meant to serve.
You get a head start on SEO
My Squarespace templates are built with search engine optimisation woven into their structure, giving you a head start in getting found online by the people who need your work most. This foundation includes proper heading hierarchies, mobile responsiveness, and space for you to write the copy you need - all factors that search engines like Google consider when ranking websites.
For social impact founders, visibility is crucial to spreading your message and reaching those who can benefit from or support your work. A template with strong SEO fundamentals helps ensure your website appears in relevant searches, connecting you with your audience without requiring you to become a technical expert overnight.
You can focus on creating meaningful, valuable content that serves your community, whilst your template takes care of the technical elements that help search engines understand and properly index your site. This means more of the right people finding your work when they're searching for solutions you provide.
You can expand without starting over
As your work expands and your business grows, your website should easily adapt and evolve alongside these changes. Quality website templates are designed with scalability in mind. My Ember website template, for example, includes bonus pages ready for you to use as needs arise, whether that's adding case studies, expanding your resource library, launching a podcast, or creating membership areas.
Whether you're transitioning from one-on-one work to group programmes, adding online courses to your offerings, or expanding into new service areas, a well-designed template can grow with you. This balance of flexibility and consistency ensures your website remains cohesive and impactful, even as it evolves to reflect your expanding impact.
You deliver a consistent brand experience
Website templates help you maintain a cohesive look and feel throughout your entire site, creating the kind of intuitive, trust-building presence that helps visitors feel confident in your expertise and approach. This consistency is vital for establishing credibility, particularly for social impact founders who need to build trust quickly with potential supporters, clients, or funders.
When elements like navigation, button styles, spacing, colour usage, and visual hierarchy remain consistent across all pages, visitors can focus entirely on your message rather than getting distracted by disjointed design elements or confused by inconsistent functionality. This cohesiveness creates a more immersive, professional experience that reinforces your brand identity and strengthens your connection with visitors.
Consistency also extends to the user experience. When people know what to expect as they move through your site, they can engage more naturally with your content and feel more comfortable taking the actions you want them to take.
Building a Website That Lasts
Templates give you a strong foundation whilst saving time and resources you can redirect toward growing your business. From flexible design options to room for growth, templates support you in building a professional presence that amplifies your impact.
My Squarespace website templates are crafted specifically for impact-driven founders like you. Whether you're a coach, community organiser, or social enterprise leader, they provide the foundation you need to create a digital home that reflects your vision for change.
