What’s the true cost of free or cheap? It depends. That’s a very short answer, but I have some more details for you. Even though these sound the same, what I’m mainly talking about here is your website.
I talk a lot about blogging software and WordPress on here at Marketing for Owners. There are a lot of free versions on how to develop your website. I do not recommend it. The answer is kind of convoluted, but let me explain what can happen. I’ll give you examples.
[player]
So, Google owns Blogger.com. You can hop on Blogger and create a website in minutes. In fact, I think in seconds. You can even buy a domain name, bring in the domain name and have it run on Blogger.com.
It doesn’t cost you a single penny. They do all the heavy lifting for you and most of your viewers would be none the wiser.
Now WordPress, our preferred option has the same capabilities. They have WordPress.com, their free version, where it’s hosted by WordPress. You don’t have to do anything and you can just load your blog and talk to your customers or to anyone. It doesn’t cost you a single penny.
However, WordPress also has the downloadable version and they host the WordPress.org. You should be using the WordPress.org version but if you do, be sure to use a good hosting solution such as the one we recommend, HostGator.
Millions of people use HostGator. They have WordPress.org, the download version in built -in to the hosting panel.
In our Owner’s Club (which is free to join by the way), we have tutorials on how to set up your own WordPress site in minnutes and more. We have videos and explanations as to how to set up with HostGator, how to set up WordPress step by step. But it’s just a few clicks because built-in to the hosting.
Now, Hostgator is paid hosting. If this podcast is about free and cheap then why would you pay? Let me explain. When you build something for free, it is free. There is a limit to what it can do. People don’t add as much development.
They give you the free products to bring you in and then at a later date, they will start adding restrictions, wanting you to purchase the premium products. That’s how much of the world works.
Supermarkets have buy one, get one free products. They advertise in the paper. Now we all know that once you get in that supermarket, you are going to buy all kinds of stuff and not just what was advertised.
Why? They are not going to come just for that. That’s to get you in. And it’s the same with blogs and with other things.
Now, social media is slightly different but they have different advertising models. Google will try to encourage you to download apps in an effort to get you to pay money for some of the other apps. They make money from the free apps. That’s how they are going to do it.
Let’s talk about the blog
Here is what can happen to you one day. . .
You have spent years and years turning out daily posts on your blog. You have recently posted about a trip you took and added in images and everything. Your blog is gorgeous — and then one day, you do something that is against your terms of service, and before you know it, your site disappears.
You have a message from Google saying, “Your site has been taken down because of you breaking our terms of service.” You may have no idea what you did. You may have done nothing wrong. You may be accidentally caught up. You have more reasons to say, “I have no idea what I did wrong.”
Google does not answer.
Google has millions of customers. They don’t have time to talk to you about your one free site. They think you broke the rules. It would all be gone exactly the same with WordPress.com. This is happening to so many people. If you want to know how many, just Google “blogger killed my site” or “WordPress cancelled my site”.
You will find story after story, everyone pleading in a sense. Who knows, there’s no come back, it’s done. Now, if you cannot afford to put your business on a website that costs you around $5 a month to host, then just don’t bother. Please stop trying to add a blog for your business. Go back to your home, watching the TV and eating potato chips.
If you’re taking a business seriously, you can afford these things. Do it properly. If you have to shop, would you consider a shop with windows and brick walls? Or would you consider just setting up some market stores, somewhere that you pack up and take home night. Exactly, it’s the same with your website. Take it seriously.
Now, of course, there are examples where free isn’t good thing. A lot of the tools that we recommend that are free to use, such as Trello, Insightly, Facebook and more. They all have a free level, but they all also have a premium level as well.
They’re hoping that you are going to love it so much that you pay for their premium one. Like Facebook — it appears to be free, but once you get a Facebook page for your business, they bombard you with buying ad space and boosting posts. Don’t do it. Stick with the free version, don’t do any ads, you’re not going to get much attraction.
Your efforts are going to be wasted. Do not do it. It’s not worth it. There are other quotes of analogies people say, “Do not build your property on rented land. Own it.”
Another great tool we love is Canva and it is free to use. It’s wonderful. Maybe one day don’t charge a membership but make the most of it while it’s free, while they offer it to you. That’s different. That’s a tool to do extra.
When it’s crucial like your website, your hosting do not use free and even with your web host advertises himself as cheap hosting, you are going to get cheap service. It costs a lot of money to provide the infrastructure, to provide telephone, or ticket service 24/7 and on Christmas day, holidays, etc. Just consider, okay?
Toolbox Tip
Now, as we’ve mentioned WordPress, Toolbox tip is WordPress.org.
Click here to instantly download our FREE Book
“The 71 Ultimate Marketing Tools”
We strongly recommend you, get it, buy your hosting company because it’s a new built-in and integrated but if you have to do it, you can always download it and get someone to find it, to install it for you.
You should be using quality hosting that has a built-in WordPress.org not WordPress.com, just this to say and with that’s it for today. I’ll see you tomorrow.
Subscribe
What are you going to do about your business website?
