What is the point of having a Site Rubix today?
Before the new hubs came into effect a starter member is given the opportunity to learn how to build a foundation for a website.
Previously they could continue to create content activate any plugins given and keep moving forward with the site rubix which was available for a starter for six months then it would get delete.
They could also go to the backoffice of their website and as I said activate any plugins given and be able to edit any content they have created along with adding images.
During this time as a starter, they have use of the siterubix for six months iwhiche is more than ample time to decide if this is something they wish to do.
if so they can then upgrade to one of the paid memberships.
That is all good and fair enough.
Going forward or is it going backwards?
Now we have the hubs which is great to use for all members along with having the lessons handy and many more areas.
A starter member can still create a site rubix website and build the basic areas like about me, disclosure etc which can go to their site rubix site and there is the options to view the website live.
Ok that's good and dandy now come the part I am not impressed and neither are many starters from what I have in some comments.
Now they have sent their pages to the siterubix website but if they want or need to edit or add any images or even go to the website itself and create content manually outside the hubs they have no access to their site unless they upgrade.
They are restricted to the free site now and forced to upgrade this doesn't sound nice of seem fair to do this to a starter especially when one wants them to upgrade and move forward.
This is a backward step in my opinion not a going forward move.
This contradicts what they are told in the training and also by many members in keep creating content and when you are ready to upgrade you can then transfer your site rubix to you own domain once you upgrade.
Where is the fairness in this I am not happy with this move.
Why can't they go to their backoffice and create or add images to the content as they used to do before the hubs started.
When promoting WA what is the point to let them know they can start with a free site rubix and build upon that when they can't get into the back office all they can do is view it within the hubs but can't do anymore.
i am starting to see many comments in some training by starters talking about this very same problems.
This is not being helpful but more creating an issue where they will most likely be angry and give up not only trying to learn how to build a business but also give them a bad taste in the mouth about WA.
I have no issue with the hubs, I have no issue with a starter not being in love chat which was changed and also a good move on that.
I have no issue giving them the site rubix to try and build for up to six months that is fair.
What is not fair and disturbing it they can't go to their backoffice like they used to.
That to me is wrong to do this or am I missing something along with the starter with what they are saying now.
Give the starter the ability to get into their backoffice as before and keep that six months or even make it 3 months which is still heaps of time to think about.
That is all extras just my thoughts and sharing on behalf of starter members.
You can read some comments from starter on this below if it hasn't been taken down
As when they get unhappy with this it also means we as their mentions or them as our referral will be lost along with any possible commission down the track.
Think about this
For those not getting referrals or are not promoting WA this doesn't matter to you as you won't care.
But for those who are promoting WA getting the starter membership will be a waste of time promoting as many won't upgrade when they can't even get into the backoffice which for a newbie can be exciting and give them more enthusiasm to want to continue rather than being locked out of a free site.
So what is the point of getting a free site rubix when they can't do that.
This is about starter members only of course those who upgrade have access to the back office of a site rubix but not a starter member.
I wouldn't be surprised this post will be deleted or reserved to my private post section as two have been done in the past.
This is not going forward but backwards.
My take and gripe
Recent Comments
72
I appreciate this post as it reveals I have missed this detail about the starter experience. I'm still working on the re-write of my WA review landing page. I feel it's urgent, but I am taking time in sorting out the details. I confess I'm getting tired of "starting over" ad infinitum, although that's not WA's fault. Just the nature of the beast so to speak.
Most welcome as you a a plus member you have all you need and more
Have a fantastic week ahead
Andre
Hello, Andre
I rejoined WA to promote this platform because of how great of an opportunity it is. Another reason was how it allowed people to test it out before upgrading.
This is going to hurt people who are promoting WA I am sure. Hopefully, Kyle and Carson will think this over and make the right decision.
Jeff
I am disappointed to hear about this change. I am afraid this is going to hurt members promoting WA. I do hope that I am wrong
Jeff
Yep just have to wait and see how it all pans out hopefully for the best for all both starters and their referrers
Andre
Hello Andre,
I hope you're doing well.
You make an interesting point here. I think even if you are a free member, you definitely need to be able to edit your new content, especially in the early days as mistakes are going to be made. I can see both sides of the story, but it's also good to be fair with people.
I'm sure the hubs and all the features that go with it were a massive update, so maybe this part of the functionality will be changed, hopefully.
Have a great day.
Roy
Thank Roy and all is good. Agree people even paid members will make mistakes with their content and to be able to go to the back office and be able to edit or adjust should be fair to do so. They already have restrictions on how long one can keep a site rubix plus restrictions on plugins and yes I can see the want to get them to upgrade that has always been the point of testing out the starter but this I feel is too much.
I'm pleased to hear that all is good, Andre.
You are right actually, Andre, although I don't use site content to publish, I almost always have to go back and edit something. So I would have thought it's important that new members can edit the content and have a play around.
I appreciate the starter membership is a way of really testing the system to see if it's for each individual etc. But not being able to edit certainly sounds a bit harsh. Let's hope that changes.
I guess with any major update, there may be things that they need to test and trial, etc. Let's wait and see.
I really think the free starter membership is an excellent idea as it builds trust, but it needs to be there and not frustrating.
Enjoy the rest of your Sunday.
Roy
Agree Roy a bit harsh there was nothing wrong with the way they had it before. and I agree it should not become frustrating to at least be able to get into the back office and edit or adjust what is created there.
That can't add plugins, they can't change themes and much more until they upgrade plus the six-month limit to have the free domain.
I understand the want to upgrade and that is fair enough but it seems a bit too pushy to go this far.
Sure it is a practice site to understand the basics and you are not going to make money with that then again they still have the commission structure showing what a starter would get yet both Kyle, Carson and many other still say the is a practice site and you won't make money so that commission structure is also misleading if that is the case.
I can understand that the idea is to get people to upgrade, Andre. However, it's also good to do it in a fair way; let's hope that a change will come quickly.
I guess on the other end of the scale, when I see people who want to carry on with the free version and make money, I know that they never will. Most of us know that we have to invest some money to get something back.
I sometimes wish there was a way of turning our paid membership into a starter membership. The reason I say this is so that we could actually see clearly what a starter member actually gets. In fact, I guess that is something that may be doable, where we could revert to starter mode or premium mode and show nonmembers what they are actually getting.
It's an interesting subject, Andre; thank you for bringing it up.
Have a great day.
Roy
No probs Roy and agree guess we will have to wait and see and also what further plans they have after the Las Vegas conference as I know there is much more to come.
Hi Andre...I can see your point. But maybe for those promoting WA, more emphasis will need to be put on the test drive element. Nothing in life is really free. This may be being done to discourage the tire kickers and those who really aren't interested in buying into the platform for the long term. As you know, there's most likely a good reason for it. :-)
Susan
True and thank you Susan just have to wait and see but doubt it will change.
Enjoy your weekend.
Andre
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Hi Andre,
I hope you're doing well. So, I've been thinking a lot about this new way we're bringing in starter members at WA since its inception.
At first, I was right there with you, kind of skeptical and almost against it.
But now, I've started to see some real upsides to it.
This new approach is a smart move in my own humble opinion.
By getting the starters to upgrade if they want to go further with their websites, we're getting people who are really into what WA offers and not just those trying to make a quick buck or trying to use their Siterubix website to make money in order to pay for their membership.
We all know that if someone really wants to build a viable online business, there is a monetary investment involved, so this new approach is better (to me, anyway).
I can't count how many starter referrals have joined in the past, asking me if they can create and use their siterubix website and pay for their membership with it.
Let's be honest here. We all know it's practically impossible for the average person anyway! I've been here eight years, and I never saw anybody do it. I might be wrong, but if there is, it would be only a very small number.
To me, this "new method" is a win in my book because it means we're building a community of folks who are seriously into what we do here. When they upgrade, they will have the will to stay (Most probably not all of them, but a bigger percentage should!)
Again, how many members have I referred in the past that paid $19 only to disappear right away? Even since the $19 was taken away, I still saw a lot of folks paying their first month and disappearing the next.
I would love to get your take on this. Do you think it'll work out as well as I'm hoping? Let's brainstorm on this. 🙂
Catch you later,
Denis
Hi Denis I can understand your point and what they are doing with the main aim of getting them to upgrade sooner. That is fine as before they still can remain a starter indefinitely as before that hasn't changed along with having limitations along the way again that hasn't changed either.
The only main changes outside the hubs part is they can't go to live chat which I believe is a great move and now they can't log into the back office which I feel is not the way to go.
Even when they could go to the back office they can't add plugins apart from what they are given and the theme unless they upgrade. I am not talking about paid members they do what they want but this is only about starters.
So they already have limitations to entice them to want to move forward and upgrade anyway.
We all know not everyone will stay including those who paid for their membership as those who are not willing to put in the work and effort will quit.
Again that hasn't changed either.
The other part that has changed is that before starters were given and I guess to a small extent now feel that they can earn as a starter which Kyle and Carson have both mentioned along some super affiliate backing this that it is only meant to be a practice site to learn how to build a site and not expected to earn yet if you go to the commission page they still show starter can earn from their referral they get depending on the membership their referral go for.
So that is a contradiction itself on one side they state you are not going to earn as a starter as this is a test trail to dip your toes but the commission structure states otherwise.
I still believe they should have access to the back office as they still have the same limitations as before.
However rather than giving them six months before their site rubix is taken away perhaps they could reduce this to 3 months.
There are many paid members that are not away of this six month limit nor is it stated anywhere that I know of except for some members who have to repeately state this as an answer to the question.
So more needs to be done to finally round up all the inconsistencies in one go not spurts as it has been done many times.
I know that put a lot or work and effort which I truly appreciated and thankful for but perhaps a bigger picture needs to be made when planning such moves and look at the end picture what if this or what if that happens.
We need to be more transparent with what is or what isn't so that those who are after that quick buck can leave just as quickly those who really want to learn and advance can upgrade and give it more time to push through.
Thanks for your input really appreciated.
Andre
Hi Andre,
Thank you for your thoughtful response. I really appreciate your insights.
I see where you're coming from on some points, and I think we can agree to disagree on others. Like you, I recognize that not every change is perfect, and there's always room for improvement.
Reflecting on my own start in 2016, I remember being thrown into WordPress without much guidance. It was a very steep learning curve dealing with plugins, menus, etc. So, when I look at the new system, especially the Hubs, I see it as a significant step forward for the starters. They've simplified those first steps, which I think is really well thought out. It's not perfect, but it's BIG progress.
What I really like about the "new method" is that the starter member now can add articles to their website right away – with the 1800 credits for AI content creation – This is also a big deal compared to what we had before. People who have no clue how to start get a real boost by having their first article written by AI.
I do agree that having image-adding capabilities, at least in Site Content if not in the back office, would be a 'very nice to have'.
Overall, I believe these changes are moving us in the right direction. They're not the end-all solution, but they're a great step towards better supporting those who are serious about building their online business.
All the Best,
Denis
Thanks Denis not everything or platform is perfect but starters can see their site just can go to the back end if they need to edit or make some changes that way which is a shame but do agree they are heading in the right directions especialy now with the hubs.
Let's leave it at that! 🙂
Have a great evening Andre!
Yeah anyway it is just past midnight here so heading off to bed
so goodnight from me and good day to you
Andre
Actually, Andre, I did some testing on a "dummy" account, and from what I see, the starters Do have access to WordPress. See attached image
They can view the site but not go in that is the concern
I tried and went in WordPress with my starter account. Everything was there.
The reason why it is working is because you are a paid member try creating a starter account the you will see
The siterubix works fine when you are a paid member but not when you are starter
I will try in an incognito window and let you know.
You are right (of course) 😉. It must have been a cache thing because I tried this morning (with a starter account) on a different browser, and I cannot see what I was seeing yesterday. (The image I had attached).
So it is VERY basic. Only text, no images, and three plugins are installed on the Siterubix site by default - Kraken, Site Kit, and SEO Framework (which we can only see when going into the Websites menu)
It gives the starter a "taste" of what is possible with premium, with everything else blurred. That's it.
So yes, I agree that some starter members will quit because of the limited functions. But then again, I believe that the ones that upgrade will be pleasantly surprised and should stay for the run.
Have a great evening, Andre
Yep it can work both ways the question will it help WA and the referrers or work against them.
Only time will tell if it gets changed we know the answer
Absolutely agree.
Only time will tell.
I can tell you this: the last few months have been different for me. I have fewer sales (And I also blame Google's UNHELPFUL algorithm update of last fall for that, too, since a lot of my traffic is now diverted to platforms like Medium, Reddit, LinkedIn, etc.), but the percentage of recurring sales is much higher than when we had the $19 discount.
Agree lots of changes not always for the better.
All we can do is just keep pushing forward and do what we need to do.
Exactly. That's the secret sauce😉
Yep and preferably the right way too. LOL