If you are planning to build your own website, it is a good idea to create a website template. Website templates are foundation of any website design. You cannot have a consistent look and feel on a website without having a good website template. Moreover, using a website template will speed your website building time and make your website easier to edit and maintain in the long run and increase an overall quality of the website.

Four important steps to creating a website template

1. Start with pen and paper
Rather than jumping straight to start a website template on your computer using a software, start a sketch of a design you have in mind on paper. Think about the overall structure when making a sketch, for example, where navigation items will be placed, how many columns you want to have, what common elements such as Login box, Poll, etc, you plan to have and so on.

2. Pick a color scheme
Colors can make or break a website design. Make sure you pick colors that go well together, for example, blue and orange (complementary colors) or green and yellow.

3. Transfer your idea onto computer
This step is pretty self-explanatory. Transfer your sketch onto a graphic software, color in elements, put a logo, add some text and see how it looks on a computer screen. The recommended tool of trade is Adobe Photoshop. It is the best and only software that professionals use to design websites and graphics.

4. Code
Once you are happy with the website template you just designed, you can start coding the website in HTML, CSS and Javascript. You will need a basic knowledge of HTML and CSS in order to perform this task. If you need help, check out webmaster tools and w3schools for coding tutorials.

If you want to know the right way to create a website template, don’t hesitate to spend some money on buying a professional website template. Try to purchase a template that is designed for your industry, or niche. For example, if you are creating a website template for a Cafe website, browse through Cafe & Restaurants website templates and pick one that looks similar to the ideal design you have in mind. Looking at how a professional website template is designed and using it on your website will help you learn how to create a website template yourself. After all, learning by an example is an effective way to learn and understand how something works.