A custom design sets yourself apart from just the average owner, it creates a brand for your directory.
Some people cannot afford to get a custom design, but they can afford to
customize their template.
A little change in css and images goes a long way.
I suggest it for a few reasons:
- I personally don't bother submitting to default or free template directories. Why? Because there's a good chance a regular directory won't be around long.
- Going along with the first reason, it makes the submitter feel more trust for your directory because they know time was put into customizing it, etc.
It may take a few hours or few weeks to get it down to what you want, but it's definitely worth the effort.