subject: The Truth About Free Websites [print this page] The Truth About Free Websites The Truth About Free Websites
There is nothing wrong with using the many available free options available for building websites. However, that statement is only true if the sites are used only for personal use or are small "sister sites" related to an already existing "real" website.Free websites should never be considered as an option for one's main business website. Whether it is a free blog site or a free site that many hosting companies offer, it is never a good idea to invest effort into these shortcut type sites.Only those who really aren't serious or dedicated enough in their online business efforts resort to using free sites. A real site is very inexpensive. A domain only costs about ten dollars per year and great hosting for one site can be purchased for under five dollars per month. If someone is not willing to invest this small amount into their business, they most surely are not prepared to build a real business.The problems with using free sites are several. Below I have listed some of the most common issues found when using the no cost sites:- Oftentimes, there are ads on the site which you have no control or benefit from.- The number of pages allowed is often limited. - Many scripts are not allowed. This can be a real problem if one wishes to use Adsense or affiliate type promotions.- Many times, it's not possible to include simple opt-in boxes for list building purposes. Since building a list is the most profitable aspect of online marketing, this is a major handicap for using these types of websites.- There is usually no access to analytics. If access is available, it's often very limited.- Free websites that use subdomains look very unprofessional. They create a tremendous credibility issue with visitors.- Investing time in many of these sites is like putting work into a rent house; you really do not own the site!- Additionally, it is possible that all your marketing efforts could go up in smoke if the site goes out of business. Remember Geocities?Many beginners are lured to these kinds of free website methods because they have been told (by scammers) that all they have to do is get the no-cost site, buy the scam product, and begin making loads of cash.I'll repeat this again. Virtually no legitimate web entrepreneurs utilize the free online sites for their main businesses. Do not try shortcuts for the Internet business. There are many ways to succeed online, but there are also basic building blocks that all Internet marketers use. Creating a website on their own host with their own domain is one of the simple steps that all successful marketers take.
