There are many issues to take into consideration when buying a website template.
Obviously you will want a website template that you like the look of, and that has a certain feel or contains certain features. You can read more about choosing a website template here.
However, this article focuses on choosing the provider (store), or designer, that you will purchase the template from. This is a critical element of choosing a template, as there are unseen requirements of the website template over and above what it looks like!
You need to take issues such as the designer's experience, willingness to provide support and adherence to web standards into consideration too in order to have the best possible experience creating your new website.
In the next part of the article I will discuss what to look for in a website template provider, and which additional services you may require from the designer. I will then also explain what an exclusive template is, and when you might want to purchase a template for exclusive use.
Generally a non-exclusive template (as long as you avoid template dumping by membership sites) is a great choice, and I discuss that too.