If it seems too good to be true it probably is, especially when it comes to websites.
Free things I’ve done as a website designer would be occasional SEO report, or a little fix here and there of someone else’s website, and perhaps some training too. But if you’re approached out of the blue with a free website, be cautious!
On Linkedin recently I got a message after I connected with someone saying
“Would you be interested in getting a website built for you for free? I’m a developer at a company that creates websites for entrepreneurs at no cost. We know that a certain percentage of those we build free sites for will come back to us later for paid work as their business grows — so the numbers end up working out. There is absolutely no obligation to hire us once we’ve created your free website, though. So far, we’ve built 10,000+ free websites for people, and we are the highest rated website-creation service on Trustpilot and Clutch. If you’re potentially interested, what I can do is to send you some more info about how our free-website program works—and some sample websites we’ve built. Let me know what you think. Thanks!”
Now, I build websites for a living and of course don’t take kindly to my income being undercut or given a bad name. So politely replied
“No thank you”
The reply was
“Not a problem,”
I then got
“Do you know anyone else who’d be interested in applying to our free-website program?
If you could let me know about this, that would be great. As you can see, I’m very proud about what we do for people! 🙂 “
I was reminded of the toaster in the Red Dwarf TV series but I digress…
I had to reply ‘you’re seriously asking this of a website designer?”
Unsurprisingly I didn’t get a reply, but it started some questions in my mind. This person’s profile was made to look like she was in the USA and it all looked legit.
So, you’re a small business based in the UK, maybe just started out and are thinking ‘yes please’ to a free website.
One of the red flags in the above message is ‘we’ve built 10,000+ free websites’
You almost certainly won’t be treated like an individual and your new free website will be far from individual.
Unless you have some experience, you won’t think to ask these questions:
Where is the website hosted?
Why is this important? GDPR. If your website is taking enquiries it may be storing those enquiries on the website.
A website is a group of giles living on a fancy computer called a server at a datacentre, it matters where in the world that is.
Personal data such as this and shopping order information for ecommerce sites will be stored on the database for that website. It’s imperative that your website is hosted in the country where you’re selling to and adheres to the country’s GDPR rules.
What platform is it in?
You need control of your website. If you lose control of your website, for example the text becomes out of date, you get a new logo, or you want to move to another hosting provider you’ll need access or at least a technical person who can do this who has access. However, if your website integrated into the website providers system as with Wix websites then you won;t be able to move the website. If it’s in WordPress, Drupal, or maybe Joomla then you can move your website but that brings us to the next question.
Who owns the content and how much input will you have with the design?
Again, how much control will you have? If the website provider is writing the content, will they stop you from moving the site by invoking their intellectual property rights?
Can you add your own content, and will you be able to edit it? As with the Which Platform above, you’ll need to know if you can edit the site yourself, will they show you how?
Worst case scenario is you get a wonderful site built for you that breaks GDPR regulations, you won’t be able to update it, and it won’t show your business in a good light, or at least be representative of your organisation.
SEO and Performance
Websites from unknown sources may not be optimised for search engines, leading to poor online visibility. Additionally, these sites might have slow loading times and not be mobile-friendly, negatively impacting user experience and search engine ranking.
Legal and Compliance Risks
Accepting a free website without proper due diligence can expose you to legal risks. The site may inadvertently use copyrighted materials, or not comply with laws like GDPR or ADA, potentially resulting in legal action against you.
Call to Action
If you’re in need of a website, consider consulting with professional web developers or using well-known website building platforms. Doing so ensures that your site is secure, compliant, and truly yours.
We build in WordPress as there’s never a discrepancy on ownership of your text, images and can move the site for more secure, faster or more economical hosting.
The website hosting we use is 100% eco-friendly, and comes with 1 hour’s one-to-one support each month, which means you always get to talk to a human if you need to. We think WordPress is a better option for organisations as it gives them more control, and we think that’s important
While the offer of a free website is enticing
It’s essential to consider the potential risks. Investing in a reputable web development service may cost more initially but will save you from numerous potential problems in the long run. Always prioritise security, ownership, and quality when establishing your online presence.
