I've noticed a trend in the web design towards predesigned templates. Many sites are offering ready to go out of the box designs, especially for sites needing an ecommerce solution. All the end user needs to do is put in their product info and logo and they're set to go. One such site is The osCommerce cafe. The business was set-up by Myles O'Reilly, the author of the popular book The Programmers' Guide to osCommerce. While they claim they are a resource for web designers, they are also an econimical solution for anyone needing to create an ecommerce web presence.
They offer three separte membership options to gain unlimited download access to the current selection of 70 templates: $89.00 for three months, $158.00 for six months or $299. 00 for a year. Definitely a more economical solution for a business to get on the web instead of hiring a web designer that would have to charge much more. As a designer, these are means to get a working site to a client with a limited budget. There are currently nineteen categories of templates—Art, Hobbies, Sports, Food & Drink, and many more. A lot of sites offer boxy, boring templates, but those offered by The osCommerce Cafe look pretty classy. They don't all look the same, make excellent use of color and spacing and look very professional and clean.
While you can use them as they are, they can be customized by anyone with graphic and html knowledge. They have a Button Generator as a service to create customized navigation buttons for your template. They offer tutorials on how to integrate the templates into your site. There is even an affiliate program, if you wish to join.
As a graphic designer, I was originally wary of such template sites. The fact is, they are a great resouce and can be a starting point to fulfill a client's need. From a small business person's standpoint, though, I can see the appeal of this low-cost alternative to get their businesses on the web. As long as the site sells their product, the cheaper to create it the better.
They offer three separte membership options to gain unlimited download access to the current selection of 70 templates: $89.00 for three months, $158.00 for six months or $299. 00 for a year. Definitely a more economical solution for a business to get on the web instead of hiring a web designer that would have to charge much more. As a designer, these are means to get a working site to a client with a limited budget. There are currently nineteen categories of templates—Art, Hobbies, Sports, Food & Drink, and many more. A lot of sites offer boxy, boring templates, but those offered by The osCommerce Cafe look pretty classy. They don't all look the same, make excellent use of color and spacing and look very professional and clean.
While you can use them as they are, they can be customized by anyone with graphic and html knowledge. They have a Button Generator as a service to create customized navigation buttons for your template. They offer tutorials on how to integrate the templates into your site. There is even an affiliate program, if you wish to join.
As a graphic designer, I was originally wary of such template sites. The fact is, they are a great resouce and can be a starting point to fulfill a client's need. From a small business person's standpoint, though, I can see the appeal of this low-cost alternative to get their businesses on the web. As long as the site sells their product, the cheaper to create it the better.
Name: LaDonna
