10 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Buy a Free Website cont.

In the previous article, I talked about the background for having a good website and listed the first six reasons.  Quite simply, as a twitter friend of mine said, “You get what you pay for (@guynamedlucas).”

4.  Access to the code/directory–You need access to those things.  Try setting up a blog on one of those turn-key sites.  Do you have access to the directory; can you install WordPress.  There are times when a user needs access to his directory on the server via a ftp client, or a user needs access to the code on the web page.  With those turn-key sites, this is not always possible.

3.  Positioning your website for traffic–Simply putting up a website will not bring visitors to your site.  A skilled designer knows this.  They will do everything they can to position your website for traffic.  You still need someone who can be the webmaster, but when setting up your website, a poor functional design will have you swimming up stream from the beginning.

2.  Updating can be difficult–I worked with HTO and was amazed at how cumbersome it was.  I am a skilled webmaster, or so I tell myself.  The rest of the staff was at a loss for what to do.  It took me a week to begin to figure things out.  Other sites can be the same way.  I would rather see businesses use a free blog from blogger or WordPress because those tools are very user-friendly.  If it is harder to use than one of these two solutions, it is too hard.

1.  Would you get a house built for cheap or free? –This analogy might be wanting, but it has a point.  People ask me how much money it takes to build a website, and I wanna answer, “how much money does it take to build a house!”  Your website is your business home online.  The results might not be as catastrophic as if someone did a terrible job building a house, but it can be costly.  Do not take chances.

Hire a skilled designer who has had results.  He or she should have a good history of designing quality websites that function well, has good site architecture and does well in the search engines.  Even better would be someone who is skilled in search engine optimization (SEO), conversion techniques such as landing pages, and an understanding how to use social media to market your website.  Granted, if you find someone liked this, it will cost good money.  However, it will be worth it.

Now, this is the part where I am supposed to say that I am that person.  Not at all!  There are tons of people out there more talented than me, and I say, if you have the money, hire them.  I don’t have a problem saying that.  However, if you just don’t have a few thousand dollars to sink in to a website, then contact me and we can talk.

I have developed a page with some website packages.  These are for users to have an idea of price points, but a website can be more customized to fit your organization.

Photo Credit:  RachelC