Thousands of individuals across the country have built their websites using a free business website builder. Some tools are very popular; such as Wix, Weebly, or Squarespace. Small businesses that provide services such as roofing, plumbing, hair styling, electrical, and even restaurants have utilized free website builders. Many businesses don’t realize that free website builders cost more than you think.
Easy to Start, Hard to Maintain
Many small businesses love to use website builders. They’re easy, have pre-made templates that make you feel unique, and also have a click, drag, and drop appearance to their user interface. If that doesn’t make you feel like you’ve got a great deal, they even tell you that your site is free. How crazy is that? What a wonderful way to save money… or so you may think.
Using a free website builder may be easy to begin with, however it will be much harder to maintain if the right people aren’t in position to manage it. Having a website is wonderful, but the responsibility of having a website entails having individuals in place to maintain its features and capabilities. If you are a growing company, you will need to update your website with fresh and relevant information on a regular basis. Creating your own website can be affordable, but if it is not properly maintained, it will cause problems for your company’s image and bottom line.
Your Website Is No Longer Free
When using free website builders, many people love the fact that they can “create” their own website. Utilizing already created templates, users can choose from a variety of designs that they believe represent their brand. It’s “easy” and provides small business owners with a website, which is what they need to be successful. Right?
Actually, many free website builders do only that. They provide small businesses with a website. Outside of that fact, unfortunately, they rarely do much else. Many free website builders allow you to install “apps” or plugins that provide you with added features for your website. The problem with these features is that they’re not really custom. Many of them are basic and provide you with little originality and the specific features that you may require.
As an example, any lead generation form or tool on a free website builder may only accommodate certain entry fields instead of a customized entry field specific to your business. Also, many of these apps or plugins aren’t free. Some range from $4.99 to $19.99 per month. After creating your free website, it suddenly becomes not so free – one app at a time. Your free website may have just turned into a $100-$200 monthly bill or more, and you had to do all of the work.
Free Website Builders Cost More Than You Think
Any company that prides itself on creating custom websites knows that the proof of the quality of any website is in how it’s coded, if it’s expandable, and also the ease of user interactivity. Many free website builders do not allow you to change the design code to their templates and lock you into a specific, cookie-cutter format. This creates future problems for your company and does not allow your website to expand with your organization.
At the end of the day, utilizing a free website builder will give your company a website, but it will also fail to provide you with the following:
- Your company’s domain name
- Integrated email and user accounts
- Payment gateways
- Lead generation tools
- Scalability
- Customized, coded entry fields
- Original design
- Custom Security & Protection
- Data Integration Availability
Once you’ve completed your website, you also may not have a dedicated website expert to assist you with future growth. Many free website builders offer customer support, but many are in other countries and aren’t available when you need them.
Why not work with an expert and genuine company that provides you with a custom website to help meet your business’s needs? Elevare designs and implements custom websites and wants to help your business. Let us create the perfect representation of your company’s brand with a custom built website, today. Contact us now, and mention that you read this blog to receive a discount on the customized quote for your new website. Just fill out the form below and we will get back to you quickly.
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