Ready for a New Website? Read This Before You Buy a Template

You found a website template that looks gorgeous in the preview. You bought it, opened it up, and immediately felt stuck trying to make it fit your business.

If that sounds familiar, it’s not you. It’s how most website templates are built.

I’m Kate, founder of Dear Kate Brand Strategy. I’ve been running my own businesses for 14 years and designing my own websites the whole time, and since 2020 I’ve helped other small business owners build theirs. Before you buy your next template, here’s what I want you to know.

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Why So Many Website Templates Look Great but Don’t Work

Around the time I started helping other business owners, I noticed a wave of online courses promising things like “start a template shop this weekend” or “make $10K selling Showit templates.” When I peeked inside, it made total sense why so many templates look beautiful but don’t bring in clients.

Most of those courses teach how to design something pretty. They don’t teach sales psychology or how to build a site that converts.

The result is a flood of templates that photograph beautifully for Pinterest but don’t follow a single sales or messaging principle. That’s why DIYers open them up and immediately wonder:

• Where am I supposed to put my pricing?
• Why doesn’t this layout make sense for my offer?
• Why is the call to action buried halfway down the page?

You end up with what I call a pretty paperweight: a gorgeous layout that never brings in a single lead.

A Good Website Works Like a Grocery Store

Grocery stores put candy at the checkout and the pricier items at eye level. That’s not an accident. They know how people move through a space and what nudges their decisions.

Your website should work the same way. The flow, the words, and the buttons should guide someone from curious, to confident, to ready to book. Most templates aren’t built with that in mind.

The Problem With Writing to Fit the Boxes

When you start with a template, you write to fill its spaces. You see a little box labeled “About Me” and write just enough to fit. The designer left filler text where pricing goes, so you assume that’s where your pricing belongs. Then you move on to the next section.

What you end up with is a patchwork of sections that look nice but don’t talk to each other. There’s no conversation happening between you and your visitor.

When you start with your message instead, each section naturally leads to the next, like a real conversation that builds connection and confidence. That’s when your website starts doing the selling for you.

What to Do Before You Buy a Website Template

1. Get clear on your strategy

Before you even start browsing, answer these questions:

• What do you want people to do on your website?
• What do they need to know before they’re ready to buy?
• How do they need to feel, and what do they need to believe about you?

2. Write your copy first

Put your answers into proven copywriting frameworks that follow the way people actually make buying decisions. Write it in a doc, not in a template. If you need a starting point, here’s the homepage framework I use.

3. Then shop by sections, not vibe

Once your copy is written, template shopping gets so much easier. You’re no longer choosing based on the aesthetic alone. You’re scanning for the sections you know you need. A few things to look for:

• A clear hero section with room for a headline that says what you do and a button
• Space for your offers that fits how many you actually have
• Room for testimonials and proof throughout, not just one section
• An about section with space for what actually matters to your client
• A clear call to action at the end of the page
• A mobile version that looks as good as the desktop one

You’re making a strategic decision, not just an emotional one. And the template becomes a tool instead of a trap.

Visuals Matter, but Clarity Matters More

When clients make this shift, it’s like everything clicks. They stop second-guessing every layout decision, and their website finally starts sounding and selling like them.

A good website is about 20% visuals and 80% clarity. If your site has felt hard to work with, it’s not you. It’s the template, and the order you’ve been doing things in.

Ready to Plan Your Website the Right Way?

The DIY Website Planner walks you through the whole process in the right order: your strategy, your words, your flow, and then your design. It’s free, and it’s the roadmap I wish I’d had when I built my first site. It’s also the process I guide students through inside Brand Base Camp.

Get Your Free Planner

And when you’re ready to shop, the templates in my shop are built around strategy first, with sections that follow how clients actually make decisions.