In this day and age technology is advancing at such a supersonic rate it’s often hard to keep up. One trend that seems to becoming more and more popular is ‘FREE’ website builders like Wix, Moonfruit and Vistaprint etc.
You’ll see me reference the term ‘FREE’ quite a lot throughout this article and that’s because, you really do have to question how much this ‘FREE’ website is costing you in terms of business.
Let’s just run over some of the ‘cons’ to this shall we?
Templates
A lot of ‘FREE’ website builders use a template. All well and good I hear you say? In short, no…
Although themes or templates can be an incredibly time-saving option when building a website for your business it’s not really the best way to showcase it. That theme could be being used by hundreds if not THOUSANDS of businesses across the globe.
Not very unique, is it?
Your brand and image is something that shouldn’t be overlooked when starting or updating a business. It’s hugely important and has a MASSIVE effect on how your customers or clients view your business as a whole.
There’s a reason they say first impressions are important!
A custom designed and coded website will ALWAYS outshine a free template or theme. FACT.
Don’t believe us? – Ask Google… (There’s around 67 million results to leaf through).
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
While we’re on the subject of Google and all things searchy (you know we love to talk SEO here at NINE2).
‘FREE’ website builders have a bad reputation when it comes to getting you on the top spot of Search Engines.
Back in 2015 there was an ‘incident’ with WIX which left thousands of users disgruntled at their dwindling search results when Google (albeit it mistakenly) penalised WIX and it’s users and dropped them from it’s search results almost over night!
Although some of these tools give you a lot of flexibility in terms of creating on-page SEO in terms of meta information, do you know how to use them?
Are you monitoring your website to ensure what you’re writing in those little white boxes in the back-end of your favourite ‘FREE’ website builder is correct?
I, personally, have yet to see a ‘FREE’ website do very well in Search Results even with everything ‘optimised’.
Poor Customer Service
Ok, ok, bare with me on this one…
Wix, GoDaddy, Vistaprint may all have hundreds of people sitting on the end of the phone to answer any question you can imagine BUT, do they really care?
These massive websites are profit-making-machines. The bottom line is to get as MANY websites as they can, as quickly as they can, they don’t care who you are or what you do.
At NINE2 we’re a local business, like yours. We’re not a national outfit with a huge sales team and strict monthly targets. We’ll always go out of our way to help our customers succeed online and actively take time to ensure you’re doing this not only online but through printed advertising, social media and even little things like email signatures! – Something you’d never get from a website giant!
If you’re looking for local web design in Norwich or Norfolk please give us a shout!
You Get What You Pay For
This saying is as old as the hills but it’s very true, even today.
‘FREE’ website builders may be a ridiculously cheap alternative to having a professional website built but hopefully I’ve managed to convince you in the points above, it’s not all it’s cracked up to be.
Starting and running your own business is a massive step. It’s something you invest a scary amount of time in.
It’s something you should want to see succeed and that’s a characteristic we share as well.
Finding a local web designer will always be the more expensive option. Most of us simply can’t compete with these investment giants like WIX, but, what we can beat them on is good service, excellent, unique design and a local, professional and an arguably more important genuine interest in who you are and what you do.
I was always told if something seems too good to be true it’s probably a ‘con’, I genuinely think the same can be said for using ‘FREE’ website builders for your business.
Don’t sell yourself short – Give yourself the BEST head start possible and reap the rewards of a unique and efficient selling platform that is, YOUR WEBSITE ♥.
