How to Build a Website – Part 2: Do I need a website of my own? Can I use a free one?

Table of Contents

Frequently Asked Questions – Do I need my own website to do business online? Can I use a free one? These are big questions. When I first started in this business, I asked the exact same questions. I had absolutely no idea how to make a Webseite erstellen lassen and figured that learning how to make a website would take many months of struggle. Since there are so many “free sites” out there, I figured it would be easier to use a site I got for free and already set up.

When running an internet business, YOUR website is an integral part of the success of your business. Yes, YOUR website, not a template used by countless people unsuccessfully running an internet business.

You need to invest relatively little time and effort to learn the basics of creating a website and build on that effort to master website development and web loading. But the time and effort is manageable and less difficult than you might imagine. Don’t think you can’t complete this task, it’s doable.

Your website is the lifeblood of your business. The ability to create and manage updates and changes gives you flexibility and confidence in your online business.

It is true that you can get free websites. Many will be operational with products already ready for sale. This begs the question: why bother building your own website when you can get a professional looking website for free?

The problem is that the only “free” website you’ll ever be offered is a “free” affiliate website. What exactly is an affiliate website?

Now there is nothing wrong with being an affiliate. Affiliate marketing can be a very promising internet business avenue, but it tends to take more effort than most are willing to give.

As you may know, an affiliate is simply someone promoting an existing product developed by someone else. An affiliate enrolls in a particular affiliate program and promotes (sells) the product(s) from that program. As an affiliate, you receive a commission for every sale you generate through your affiliate link.

A number of affiliate programs have realized that people don’t have the knowledge or desire to learn how to make a website themselves, so some affiliate programs are now giving away a free website if you sign up as an affiliate. On the surface, this sounds great and can be beneficial, but it’s not the solution. Imagine your own website is already set up, fully functional and filled with products. No need to build a website yourself, source your own products, etc. Sounds great.

There are pros and cons of an affiliate website:

Advantages –

The online affiliate marketing is HUGE. In 2012, the affiliate industry will make TEN billion dollars worldwide.
- Tens of thousands of affiliates make money every day, and many people have left their jobs to become successful full-time affiliate marketers. It’s a good business to get into because you don’t need any experience to get started and you can make good money selling other people’s products.
- It is very easy to get a free affiliate website up and running. For the absolute beginner, an affiliate website gives you “web presence” right away. This gives the partner a certain level of confidence that this business activity is possible.

Disadvantages –

It’s not your site. You essentially use it, but are not authorized to customize it to best represent your marketing campaign or personal preferences.
- The biggest problem with affiliate marketing is marketing. Yes marketing. Most people do not forget or fully understand this. You sign up for an affiliate program and now you have an awesome looking website full of products. What now? What are you doing now? Most affiliate programs don’t help you market their products. You get a commission for this. Because of this, the majority of people are not making any money as an affiliate. Some people make great money as an affiliate, but these people work hard, spend a lot of time and money marketing their website, and take their business very seriously.
- The problem is that most people believe that simply having a website full of products is enough. It is not. And that’s why most people fail as partners. It’s the marketing of your website that matters and takes hard work. It’s all very well to have a beautiful website that looks great, but you must master the skills to market your website.
Some of the benefits of knowing how to create your own website are as follows:
-You own your own domain and website. The domain name and website are unique to you and should be related to your internet activity. The website is your baby to work with,
-Your website IS YOUR brand. It is your brand that you own and control. Your domain and website is your brand and you have full control over it. You decide how you are presented. You will never be more important to them than their own brand. They will always take precedence over your brand and your desire to promote your brand. Don’t let anyone control what you can do with your brand. Don’t put your future, your brand, your money in the hands of another website.
- Your website can be customized to best represent your marketing campaign. With your own website, you can experiment with all new internet technologies and tools as they are released. You’re not at the mercy of a corporate giant deciding when and if to adopt a new technology. When you create a WordPress-based website, you can play around with thousands of plugins that add new functionality to your website. One click and you’re streaming audio, one click and you’ve got a podcast delivered through Apple iTunes. With one click you have an events calendar.
- Take control of your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) efforts. Having your own website puts you in complete control of your SEO, how the search engines see you and what your marketing keywords are for your brand.
- You control the terms of use. You want to define them, not the attorney from another site. Don’t settle on a site that clearly states in its terms of service that it doesn’t endorse content you may want to post.