Template vs Custom Website Design: Which Site Design Is Right for Me?

A great property management website does more than look good. It attracts new owner leads, supports your tenants, and communicates your company’s value at a glance. But when it’s time to build or upgrade your site, the question often comes up: should you go with a template design or invest in something fully custom?

At Property Manager Websites (PMW), both options are designed to help you grow, but they serve different needs depending on your budget, timeline, and long-term goals. Let’s look at how each approach works and how to decide which one best fits your business.

Key Takeaways

• Choosing a template package (like the PMW Smartsite) is faster, more cost-effective, and ideal when you need a professional site with structure already in place.
  
  

• Choosing a custom design (the PMW Custom site) gives you complete brand differentiation, more pages, deeper customization, and is geared for high-growth or brand-driven firms.
  
  

• Your decision should be guided by your budget, timeline, level of brand uniqueness, and how quickly you need to start generating leads.
  
  

• Even the template version is built for SEO, conversion, mobile responsiveness, and integrates core property-management features (so you’re not sacrificing essential performance).
  
  

• If you foresee major changes, want unique user experiences, or plan to scale significantly, custom may be the better investment if your budget and timeline allow.
  
  

What the Template Package (Smartsite) Delivers

The Smartsite offer from PMW is designed to give property-management companies access to a well-structured, conversion-oriented website at an attractive entry price. With a Smartsite, you’ll get:

• Set up starting at $1,795.
  
  

• A responsive, mobile-friendly, ADA / WCAG and W3C standards-compliant template.
  
  

• Pre-set layout with standard pages such as Home, Services, Available Rentals, Owner Resources, FAQs (owner & tenant), etc.
  
  

• Logo and branding colour matching included at no extra cost.
  
  

• Option to add custom pages or extra landing pages for SEO at additional cost.
  
  

• Build time typically 7 to 10 business days once content is approved.
  
  

So, in practice, the template option gives you a high-quality website built with best practices, at a lower investment, and with a faster turnaround. The pre-built nature means many decisions are already made; you customize branding and content rather than starting from scratch.

Ideal for you if:

• You are a small-to-mid-sized property-management firm looking to upgrade your website without a large budget.
  
  

• You want to launch quickly and start generating owner leads soon.
  
  

• You’re comfortable working within a set template and layout, with some flexibility but without reinventing the wheel.
  
  

• Your brand identity is solid, but you don’t need a highly unique visual design or massive page count out of the gate.
  
  

Trade-offs to know

• You may have less uniqueness in layout, visuals, and user flow compared with a fully custom site.
  
  

• If you wish to go far beyond the standard page count or want totally bespoke interactions, cost can rise.
  
  

• While you can add pages, there are limits (for Smartsite, pages above standard 15 cost more).
  
  

What the Custom Design Package Delivers

The Custom site is PMW’s fully bespoke solution for firms that want full control over design, brand experience, and content structure. With a Custom site, you’ll get:

• Set up starting at $3,895.
  
  

• Custom home page and services page built from the ground up with your input; up to 30 total site pages included (versus fewer in the template) as part of the base.
  
  

• Content clustering (an SEO strategy) included.
  
  

• Full compliance (SSL, ADA/WCAG, W3C) just as with the template.
  
  

• Build time is generally longer: around 60 to 90 days post content/design approval.
  
  

• More flexibility in adding pages, deeper customization, and more design freedom.
  
  

Ideal for you if:

• You are delivering a strong brand presence, maybe your firm is larger, or you want to stand out visually and functionally.
  
  

• You have the budget and are willing to invest more up-front and potentially wait longer for the build.
  
  

• You anticipate needing many pages (owner resources, tenant portals, many service definitions, different markets), or you want unique interactions or design elements.
  
  

• Your website is a significant strategic asset for owner lead generation, brand positioning, or if you operate in a competitive market where differentiation matters.
  
  

Trade-offs to know

• Higher cost and longer timeline than the template option.
  
  

• More decisions to make (design direction, layouts, content), which means more work up front.
  
  

• If you launch late or delay content approval, the build may extend beyond the average timeframe.
  
  

Side-by-Side Comparison

Questions to Ask Yourself to Pick the Right Path

Here are some reflective questions you can use to decide which path is best for your property-management business:

1. What is my budget for my website build right now?
   If the budget is tight and you need to get going quickly, the template makes sense. If you have more budget and can invest, custom may offer a higher return over time.
   
   

2. How quickly do I need the website live?
   If you need a site up imminently to start generating leads, templated is faster. If you can wait and want to invest in brand and differentiation, custom works.
   
   

3. How important is brand uniqueness to me?
   If your market is competitive and your visual brand is a key differentiator, custom helps you stand apart. If your brand is established but you’re okay working within a proven framework, a template is fine.
   
   

4. How many pages and markets do I serve?
   If you have many service lines, owner/tenant resources, multiple markets, and landing pages, custom gives you more capacity. If you’re focused on fewer markets and standard services, a template covers you well.
   
   

5. What is my growth plan?
   If you plan to scale significantly, add many features, or view your website as a long-term growth engine, custom may serve you better. If you’re in a steady state or just upgrading your current site, a template is efficient.
   
   

6. Do I have content ready (text, images, service descriptions)?
   If you have good content and are ready to roll, build time is shorter. A template helps simplify decision-making. If you need more content planning and deeper design, custom may fit.
   
   

How to Make the Decision (Practical Steps)

1. Schedule a website review. PMW offers a free website review here.
   
   

2. Review the Smartsite design examples. Check the Smartsite page to preview template design options.
   
   

3. Consider your timing and business priorities. If you’re chasing new owner contracts quickly, lean template. If your website is central to a larger rebrand or scaling push, lean custom.
   
   

4. Map out your page needs. Write down how many pages you’ll need now and in the next 12–24 months, how many markets you serve, etc. If you’re already above ~15 pages or expect to expand, custom may make more sense.
   
   

5. Estimate cost vs return. A lower-cost template still gives you a fully optimized website built for owner conversion and SEO. A higher-cost custom design needs to justify itself through increased lead volume, differentiation, or branding value.
   
   

6. Make sure your content is ready. Whether template or custom, the faster you can provide logo, branding colours, page copy, and images, the faster the site goes live.
   
   

7. Plan for the longer term. Even if you go with a template now, select a provider whose template includes mobile responsiveness, SEO structure, and scalability so you’re not locked into a limited design.
   
   

Final Thoughts

To pick the right website design option with PMW, think through your business goals, budget, timeline, and brand strategy. If you want a strong, conversion-optimized site built quickly and efficiently, the Smartsite template is a solid choice. If you’re looking for a unique brand experience, have the budget and time, and expect to grow rapidly or differentiate aggressively, the Custom site may pay off.

Whatever you choose, what matters most is that your website is built to attract owner leads, performs well on Google, and simplifies your business processes. That’s at the heart of PMW’s promise: every site is built to convert leads, grow your business, perform on Google, and simplify your processes.

Hunter Powell

SEO Content Lead