One of the first things you’ll do as a new business owner is create a website or blog. Choosing a template is one of the first steps in this process. This task can be quite frustrating because of the vast number of templates available. These tips will help you avoid common newbie mistakes when choosing your first website template.

Know your website’s purpose – When deciding on a template it helps to know how you plan to use your your site. Will it be used to manage frequent article posts or will it be used less often to notify your business customers of updates? Will it be a simple “about me” page where you will list links to all of your ventures? The purpose of your website will help determine and prioritize your template requirements.

More than aesthetics – Many new business owners tend to choose their website template based entirely on the template’s color or the included picture. Even though you may find something you like, there is more to a great website than a pretty color or picture. In most templates, it is fairly easy to change the colors and graphics so keep these template requirements low on the priority list.

Features are important – Knowing the kinds of content you will be adding will help you decide what features you will need. Do you plan on including video or audio? Consider choosing a template or theme which has these built-in features. Will you be adding many navigation links and graphic ads in the sidebar? Get a template with a wide sidebar or even two sidebars. Place the feature requirements at the top of your list.

Browser compatibility – Check your template in several browsers. Your website may not be centered in one browser but is centered in another. Don’t take it for granted that it will look the same in each of them. You may also want to check your site on different computers. If you don’t have an additional computer, ask a friend to take a look at it for you.

Just because you use a specific browser, it doesn’t mean that your customers will use the same one. Personally, I use the Firefox browser. The people who visit my mom/family sites tend to use IE while the people who visit my virtual assistant site tend to use Firefox. You never know what browser your customers will be using. This is why you need your website template to view correctly in a variety of browsers. Browser compatibility should be one of the top two priorities on your list.

These are only a few of the things to consider as you look at the available templates. Finding just the right one may not be an easy thing to do. Some will suit your needs better than others depending on your requirements. The key to finding the right template is to know what you are looking for and how to prioritize your needs. Use these tips when choosing your first website template to get your new business started in the right direction.