Sometimes, when we talk to small business owners in Brevard County they ask about the free website options on the internet. Since Geo-cities in the early days of the internet there have been places to create your own “free” website. Now there are a variety of free blog and website options and most hosting companies offer a website builder tool. Free websites offer the ability to get your message out quickly and cheaply. Unfortunately, customers will see exactly that, a cheap website.
Reliability
With a free website, there really isn’t an obligation on the host to actually back up your website or even to consider you when they get sold to another company or just close up shop. If you’re planning to build a website and put a lot of work into it, wouldn’t you like to know that it won’t just disappear overnight?
Domain Names
Choosing the perfect domain name is crucial to the survival of your website. A lot of times people get so caught up in the design process that they forget that their domain name will usually be the first thing people see and remember. A good domain name that’s descriptive and easy to remember boosts SEO and marketing efforts. When a business card lists a website domain like Yoursite.weebly.com or Yoursite.Wix.com, potential clients view you as unprofessional.
Using your site to promote your business not someone else’s business.
Free websites always cover your site in ads. Some promote their free website design tools and others sell your website as contextual ad space to the highest bidder. Either way you have little or no control over what those ads are. At best your website will have a badge telling the world how free and unprofessional your website is. At worse, competitors’ ads might appear right along your content.
Search Engine Optimization
Most of the free sites offer little to no search engine optimization and leave it up to you to make what few tweaks are available in their admin interface. They are often designed to bring traffic back to their site and not to help the user.
Additionally, most free website providers offer only basic site traffic statistics and no access to tools like Google Analytics.
If you’re just looking to create a website for a personal interest and you don’t care about making it look professional or having is show up in the search engines, a free website might be fine. But for a small business, a properly set up LinkedIn or Facebook page would do far more for your business then a free website.
Small business owners are usually looking for a free website because you’re a budget-minded individual. Unfortunately, what’s saved in website design always cost’s more in the long run. Almost 90% or consumers check a business’s website before doing business with them. Do you want the first thing people to see to be a free website covered with ads?
A quality website, created by marketing and design professionals, will be developed to work for your business and your customers. It will pay for itself many times over by putting your best face forward, engaging visitors and converting them to customers. Can you free website offer expertise and results like that?
If you’re interested in finding out more about website design, search engine optimization or marketing services for your small business. Call Us at 321-652-5851 or visit us on the web at www.effexegency.com