Building an online presence is easy and free.NOT!
Over the years I've tried to build websites using free options from companies who offer you a quick and easy way to get you visible online. Easy drag and drop editors, simple Wordpress installation for example, all promise to build you a beautiful website, your shop window to the world! I've also used pre-written websites where all you do is substitute the page content for your own.
The result for me has been countless hours (and ££££'s) wasted on websites that never got any traffic. So although these companies offer a cheap way to get your website online, because they weren't optimised properly, or at all, they were never discovered. When one free one didn't work I started another free one....guess what....same result!
Someone said to me that having a website that isn't optimised properly is like opening your business in your garage, keeping the doors closed and not telling anyone about it, the garage is situated at the bottom of a very long blind alley, miles from a main road with no signposts telling people where your business is. He said how on earth are people going to find you, because that's what will happen. There are tens of millions of websites out there competing for traffic, so how on earth are you going to be found unless you let people know you are there!
So, realising that maybe you should've done it right in the first place, you set about making your free site more visible. Now you have to pay for your domain name, hosting, a single dedicated email address, you can pay for different levels of optimisation, security, do you need to install a store?
So this free website has now become very expensive, or it will be next year when the renewals come around. First year offers are always very low; a .com first year is only £0.99 but next year it will be £12! It is the same with all the other payments as well, they'll have risen to their normal price. Not a problem if your site brings the business in, but if it doesn't?
And that but is a big but! The reason you started with a free site was because it was an 'easy', free way to get your business online. That's true, it is easy, but it's online in your garage down the blind alley with no passing traffic. So who do you get help to get your business out of that blind alley? In my experience these website companies offer very little in the way of support! There are no tutorials, no community to help, but they do offer the help of their experienced designers who will build you a beautiful, optimised website....more money!! You certainly get no direct help from the CEO's of these companies like you get here at WA.
Imagine buying a car from a Ford dealership for example; you drive your car off the forecourt, and in 5 mins you get a message from the company CEO saying, "Hi Rob, welcome to the Ford community. We really believe you've made the right choice in buying our car. If you ever need our help or advice, let us know as we are always here to support you"!
That doesn't happen does it? Well it does here at Wealthy Affiliate! As soon as you join WA you get a message from Kyle and Carson, welcoming you and pledging your their support, as do the members of the vast WA community.
There is top quality training and support here to help you build a proper presence online. All the tools and knowledge you need is here to make it work. It just needs patience and determination to keep going, and like any business, it will need time to grow, gain trust and become the place where people will go to.
I know people may question paying a monthly subscription, especially if they're not getting any fast returns on their investment early on. Setting up any kind business is difficult and it will take time for it to get established. Even when you're out there and making money, it's good to know you're in a place where you'll always get help and support to push you on.
If you truly want to achieve your goals online this is best place to do it. You will have to invest time and money, either doing it yourself or paying a web designer to do it for you. Or you can invest your time and money here amongst people who genuinely want you to succeed.
Be lucky everyone!
Recent Comments
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Been there. Done that. I compete agree with your assessment.
The free websites end up looking very pretty. But what good is that if nobody sees it?
Wealthy Affiliate teaches us to do it right. It is a lot of hard work. And some financial cost. Plus, it is easy to make mistakes.
At the end of the day we're taught how to learn by our mistakes and do it right.
I just fund out today that I have two Blog posts ranked #1 in the search engines. These are from my new website where nothing was happening to it. Then Wham! I was indexed and #1 almost at the same time.
There is no way the free website would have had that happen. I am still waiting lol.
Edwin
The silly thing was is that I kept repeating the mistake. All those hours wasted on free, look-alike websites....madness. Here at WA I actually feel my website will get some kind of ranking early on. How high it will rank depends on the quality of it's content. That's where the hard work is making sure it's somewhere people want to come.
As you say Edwin, there is a financial cost in doing all this. But, just imagine if you wanted to set up a physical business, how much would that cost? Then you still have the same issues with a physical business as with an online one...getting traffic to it! Lots more to lose in the long run if it doesn't pan out!
So for me using WA to create income is a no-brainer. It's going to be sunny again today, I'll be sitting behind my laptop in the garden working on building a business. So $49 a month for all this support and education with the potential to earn unlimited income makes it too good an opportunity to let pass!
Well done on your blog posts Edwin, how good does that feel?
I wish you continued success 🙏