You’ve decided to build your website on Showit — great choice. With its drag-and-drop freedom and stunning design flexibility, it’s a favorite among photographers, coaches, creatives, and service-based businesses. But open up the template marketplace and suddenly there are hundreds of options staring back at you.

How do you choose? Here’s a practical guide to finding the Showit template that actually fits your business — not just one that looks pretty in a preview. As a Showit designer who customizes templates for clients every week, and a photographer for 15 years before that, I’ve seen what makes a template work in real life, and what makes it a headache after you buy it.

Some links below are affiliate links – I earn a small commission at no cost to you. I only recommend templates I’d use on a client site.

Would rather hand it off? I’m a Showit website designer and former brand photographer, and I build sites from the photos out. See my Showit web design packages.

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1. Picture It With Your Photos, Not the Demo’s

Template demos are styled with professional stock photography chosen to make every layout shine. Your version will only look as good as the images you put in it. After 15 years as a photographer, this is the mistake I see most often.

Before you buy, ask yourself:

• Do I have enough photos to fill this layout, or does it rely on dozens of images?
• Are my photos mostly horizontal or vertical, and does the layout suit that?
• Is my photography light and airy or dark and moody, and does the template’s palette work with it?
• Do I have professional brand photos, or will I be relying on phone photos and stock images?

A simpler template filled with your real, strong images will always look better than a complex one with gaps you can’t fill.

2. Start With Your Brand, Not the Template’s Aesthetic

It’s tempting to fall in love with a template based on its demo photos and color palette. But those visuals aren’t yours — they’re the designer’s styling choices. What you need to evaluate is the structure and layout, not the surface-level look.

You can’t easily restructure a template’s core layout without essentially rebuilding it from scratch.

3. Know Your Page Needs Before You Browse

Showit templates vary widely in what’s included. Some come with 5 pages; others include 15+. Before you start browsing, write down every page your business actually needs:

• Home
• About
• Services or portfolio
• Blog (if you use WordPress integration)
• Contact
• Testimonials or case studies
• FAQ
• Freebie or opt-in landing page

Match your list against what each template offers. Buying a minimal 4-page template when you need 10 pages means building out the extras yourself — which takes time (and sometimes a developer).

4. Consider Your Content Type

Not all Showit templates are designed equally for different types of content. There’s a big difference between:

Image-heavy businesses (photographers, designers, florists): Look for gallery-forward layouts with full-bleed images, masonry grids, or portfolio showcases built into the design.

Text and story-driven businesses (coaches, consultants, writers): Prioritize templates with strong typographic hierarchy, generous white space, and long-form page structures that guide readers through your story.

Service-based businesses (agencies, studios, freelancers): Look for templates with clear service breakdown sections, pricing layouts, and strong calls to action on multiple pages.

Product-based or shop businesses: Check whether the template integrates cleanly with WooCommerce or has shop-ready layouts, since Showit relies on WordPress for e-commerce functionality.

5. Check the Blog Layout (Even If You’re Not a Blogger Yet)

Showit’s blog functionality runs on WordPress, which means the blog design is technically a WordPress theme — separate from your main Showit canvas. Most quality templates include a matching WordPress blog theme, but not all do.

Even if blogging isn’t a priority right now, having a well-designed blog can support your SEO down the road. Make sure the template includes:

• A matching WordPress theme
• A blog index page that fits your style
• Individual post layouts that are readable and professional

If the template doesn’t include a WordPress theme, you’ll need to buy or build one separately — factor that into your decision.

6. Look at the Mobile Design Carefully

Showit allows designers to build desktop and mobile layouts independently, which is both a strength and a potential landmine. A template might look incredible on desktop and mediocre on mobile — or vice versa.

When evaluating a template, always preview the mobile version. Look for:

• Clean stacking of elements (nothing overlapping awkwardly)
• Readable font sizes without excessive zooming
• Tap-friendly buttons and navigation
• Images that crop well in portrait orientation

Since more than half of web traffic comes from mobile devices, a template with a weak mobile layout is a poor investment regardless of how stunning the desktop version looks.

7. Factor in Your Tech Comfort Level

Showit templates range from plug-and-play simple to highly customizable but complex. If you’re not a tech-savvy designer, look for:

• Clean, organized canvas layers (this is something template designers mention in their descriptions)
• Templates from designers who offer support or tutorials
• Simpler layouts with fewer custom elements that might break during editing

If you’re comfortable in Showit and plan to heavily customize, a more complex, design-forward template gives you more to work with creatively.

And if you’d rather not do the customizing yourself, that’s exactly what my Website in a Week is for. Already started but it’s just not coming together? Instead of stressing over it, let my 1 Day Refresh get it finished in a single day.

8. Vet the Template Designer

The Showit template marketplace features work from many independent designers, and quality varies. Before purchasing, do a little digging:

• Check their portfolio. Do they have a consistent, professional body of work?
• Read reviews. Look for comments on ease of editing, support quality, and file organization.
• Look at their support offerings. Do they offer documentation, tutorials, or a customer support email?
• Check for updates. A designer who updates their templates as Showit evolves is a better long-term investment.

A $200 template from a well-supported designer is often worth more than a $60 template left to rot without updates or documentation.

9. Don’t Over-Optimize for “Trendy”

Design trends move fast. A template that looks cutting-edge today might feel dated in 18 months. Instead of chasing what’s hot right now, look for templates with:

• Timeless typography choices — clean, readable, and versatile
• Neutral or flexible color foundations — easy to adapt as your brand evolves
• Classic layout logic — even if the styling is modern

The goal is a website that feels fresh at launch and still looks intentional three years from now.

10. Treat the Price as an Investment, Not a Cost

Quality Showit templates typically range from $200–$800. That might feel steep compared to a $20 WordPress theme, but remember: Showit’s design freedom means a great template gives you a near-custom look without the $3,000–$10,000+ price tag of hiring a web designer from scratch.

There’s also a middle ground: buy a template and hire a designer to customize it. You get a site built around your brand, without the full custom price tag.

Think of your template purchase as the foundation of your brand’s online presence. Invest in one that genuinely fits your business, and it’ll pay for itself in the professional impression it makes.

10. Test Before You Commit

Many Showit template designers offer free demo versions or let you explore the Showit canvas before purchasing. If that’s available, take full advantage of it. Actually clicking through the canvas gives you a much better sense of how it’s organized — and whether editing it is going to feel intuitive or maddening.

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The Bottom Line

The right template won’t just make your website look great. It’ll make building and maintaining it feel effortless, so you can focus on the work that actually grows your business. If you’ve already bought a template and feel stuck, my 1 Day Refresh can finish it in a single day. And if you want something more tailored, explore my Showit website design services.

FAQ’s

Can I change my Showit template later?	Yes. You can buy a new template and switch, but you’ll need to move your content into the new design. That’s why it’s worth choosing carefully the first time.
Do Showit templates work on mobile?	Every Showit template includes a mobile version, but the quality varies. Showit designs mobile separately, so always preview the mobile layout before buying.
What’s the best Showit template for photographers?	Look for gallery-forward layouts with full-width images and a strong portfolio page. Check my Showit Template Guide for my favorites.
Can I customize a Showit template without knowing code?	Yes. Showit is drag-and-drop, so you can move, resize, and restyle anything without code. It’s more like Canva than a traditional website builder.