When it comes to building your website, there’s one big question to answer: Custom Showit Website vs. Showit Website Templates. Having experienced both, I’m here to share my honest thoughts on each option, why I personally switched from a custom site to a template, and my love for Elizabeth McCravy’s Showit templates.
Spoiler: There’s no “one-size-fits-all” answer. A Showit website template can be a good idea EVEN IF you can “afford” a custom website. And if you’re on the fence, I hope this post gives you the clarity you need to make the best choice for your business.
This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you purchase through my link (at no extra cost to you!). I only recommend products I genuinely love and believe in—thank you for supporting my business!
Table of Contents
Pros and Cons of Having a Custom Showit Website vs. Showit Website Templates
Like I alluded to above, when I originally invested in a custom Showit website, my primary reason was because I thought “if I could afford it, I should, because it’s obviously the better option.” I think a lot of us feel that way (and just between us, I was super proud of myself for making the investment in my business). It wasn’t until I HAD a custom website, that I realized that there are actually some cons, and reasons why for some business owners, a template is actually a better choice (regardless of budget).
Custom Showit Websites
The Pros:
- Unique design that stands out (assuming you hire a skilled designer).
- Tailored to your business’s specific needs.
- Perfect for established brands with clear direction.
The Cons:
- Expensive and time-consuming to build (seriously, I have a wedding client right now getting quotes for $19K with a turnaround time of 5 months).
- Harder to edit as your business evolves.
- Usually requires professional help for updates.
Showit Website Templates
Before I share the pros and cons of templates, I need to say that NOT all templates are created equally. When I originally launched my Website in a Weekend service, I thought that all templates were as easy to edit as Elizabeth McCravy website templates lol. I was WRONG. So if you want to get the most out of a website template, make sure to do your research (and hey, that’s why you’re reading this, right?).
The Pros:
- Budget-friendly and quick to launch (one of my clients redid her GIANT website in just three days with a Tonic website template recently).
- Fully customizable (even if you’re not a techy!).
- Flexible enough to grow with your business.
The Cons:
- Not completely unique (unless customized… but do a quick look at your competitors to make sure none of them are rocking the same template regardless).
- Might not meet ultra-specific needs out of the box.
- You need to vet the template shop you buy from (seriously, believe me on this lol).
Why I Switched to a Showit Website Template (and Loved It)
I think we all need permission to spend a little less sometimes, right? We don’t need to spend thousands of dollars to prove we are “all in” in our businesses. After running my business on a custom website, I realized it just wasn’t working for me anymore. I’ve launched a blogging mini course AND a podcast since then! Plus, I’m comfortable making website edits. I needed something easier to manage and flexible enough to grow with me. That’s when I made the switch to a Showit template by Elizabeth McCravy, and honestly, I haven’t looked back.
1️⃣ SEO-Friendly Design
I didn’t just want a pretty site—I wanted one that performed. And as someone who is veryyyyy familiar with SEO, I knew Elizabeth’s templates are designed with SEO in mind, which means more visibility and traffic for my business. And yes, my traffic HAS increased significantly since making the switch (on both websites… this one I’ve blogged significantly more, but Love at First Travel has gotten no new blogs but we’ve still seen a huge increase in traffic/inquiries).
BTW- if SEO is a priority for you this year, use code BLACKFRIDAY to get 30% off my Blogging for Bingeable Brands course.
2️⃣ Extra Canvases for Creativity
As a copywriter, I’m always creating new pages (think sales pages, freebies, or client resources). Having a library of cohesive, on-brand designs is a lifesaver. If you’re shopping for a template, choose one that includes “extras”
3️⃣ Uniqueness Matters
Before buying, I did some research to ensure none of my competitors were using the same template. This step is so underrated but made a huge difference for me.
4️⃣ User-Friendly Backend
I’ve customized Elizabeth’s templates for clients, so I already knew how easy they were to edit. This peace of mind was an added perk—something you don’t always know before buying a template. Plus, she does include a Showit blueprint course showing you how to customize it, although I didn’t personally watch it if I’m being honest because I was already pretty familiar with Showit!
An Honest Review of Elizabeth McCravy’s Showit Website Templates
I think I’ve already gushed a lot over Elizabeth McCravy’s templates (my site personally is the Carrie!), bt here’s what I want you to know. I had my new website up and running in just one week—and honestly, most of that time was spent writing my copy. The actual design and customization process? So quick and easy. Templates save you SO much time. Like, if you buy a template on Black Friday, I have no doubt you can enter 2025 with a brand new website you love.
All I had to do was tweak the colors to fit my brand, plug in my copy and photos (I have brand photos, but I also recently subscribed to Elevae and have been loving using stock photos again). No headaches, no second-guessing if things were working, and no endless revisions.
Now, I have to share this because I want you to know I’m not just hyping her up for the sake of it: I truly love Elizabeth as a person. I’ve had the privilege of working with her on her podcast for the last TWO years (though, fun fact, nothing related to templates). And just like you, I waited for her sale and bought my template as a customer. No special treatment here—I shopped the sale, just like I’d been planning for months.
What makes her templates extra special to me is how much value she packs into everything she creates. Her free content alone has taught me so much about websites and branding, and this template was no exception. I’m just so grateful for how she approaches her work—with care, intention, and a clear understanding of what businesses like ours actually need.
PS: I loved customizing mine so much, I even bought one for my wedding business too (if you don’t know, I started as a destination wedding planner but have now pivoted to just doing the marketing and have an incredible travel agent working with all of our amazing clients now). I chose the Taylor template for it because I loved how many images there were (laid out in a more unique way).
And because I think we need to bring receipts in 2024, here’s a little screenshot of how my SEO improved despite not posting a single new blog post! (for my wedding business, despite all the “AI content flooding the market” and all the algorithm updates that made it harder to rank last year.
Frequently Asked Questions About Showit Website Templates
1. What’s the difference between a custom website and a template?
A custom website is built entirely from scratch by a designer to meet your specific needs and preferences. A template, on the other hand, is a pre-designed website you can customize to fit your brand. You can STILL hire a professional designer to design your template! While custom sites offer total uniqueness, templates are a quicker, more affordable option that still allows for plenty of flexibility.
2. Are templates hard to customize if I’m not tech-savvy?
Not at all! There’s a small learning curve but honestly, it’s drag-and-drop just like Canva. There’s also a ton of incredible Youtube tutorials out there (and Showit’s help desk is pretty great too!).
3. How can I make sure my site doesn’t look like everyone else’s if I use a template?
Before choosing a template, do a quick search to see if any competitors are using the same one. Once you’ve found a template you love, you can tweak the colors, fonts, and layouts to make it unique to your brand. Adding custom photography, paid stock photos (sorry, but the free ones are overused lol) and on-brand copy also goes a long way in making your site stand out!
Don’t Forget The Website Copy!
Here’s the truth: you don’t need to spend thousands of dollars or months of your time to have a website you’re proud of. Whether you’re just starting out, pivoting your business, or simply want something flexible that can grow with you, a Showit template can be a great investment (and when I say investment, I mean YES, you should make your money back and more).
If you’re still on the fence, take it from someone who’s been in your shoes: templates are worth it. I honestly don’t know if I’ll ever go custom again. They’re fast, affordable, and endlessly customizable. And with Black Friday sales happening now, there’s no better time to invest in a site you love.
I hope you do take advantage of all the incredible sales on Showit website templates right now, and once you do, if you want help with the copy, I have a couple of spots open in December (and one of them has YOUR name on it!). Get all the details here.
Did you scroll to the bottom? Here’s a quick summary: I love Elizabeth McCravy’s showit website templates much more than the custom website I had before, my blogging course is 30% off right now with code BLACKFRIDAY, and you can hire me for a website copy VIP day or website in a weekend if you want your new website up by January!
