What works best - Renting a Website or Buying a Website? The online world is changing dramatically, with website rentals now available at as little as a $1 a day, and buying a website now below $500 (current 2011)!
Many people want to have their own online business today, and people with brick and mortar businesses need to increase their sales by getting an online presence. When planning any business venture you must take into consideration what type of business you want, and how much money you have to get there. Your finances will probably determine whether you go for a website rental or buying a website outright. A third option, of course, is a DIY website.
With today's technology it is easier than ever to get started. There are options available today that make owning a website easy for anyone. Most people start out buying websites, but renting websites is becoming a popular alternative. Depending on your expertise, there are affordable websites that can be obtained either way.
Buying a website, or a website rental, could be a better option than a DIY website if you are not computer smart. While there are many DIY website editors available that do not require HTML programming, there is usually a learning curve that bites into your valuable time. However, getting the site built is only the beginning. Next you must consider how to market your site, and if you have the time to keep up the maintenance on the site.
Regardless of whether you are thinking about buying websites or renting websites, you can save heaps of time, and get a better result, by letting web designers build your site, while you concentrate on your business. Just choosing the correct domain name can make a big difference in how people find your website. Again, this is an area where good web design companies have specialist tools and expertise that the DIY website builder just does not have.
If you feel buying websites may be a little over your head financially, then consider website rentals. Website rentals are extremely affordable websites and leave most of the headaches to the webmaster.
People say if you rent a website it is very similar to renting a car. It spreads out the payments, and the risk. When you rent a website be sure that the company handles the web hosting, search engine optimization, domain registration, and maintenance. And remember that by using website rentals, you do have some great tax advantages at year-end.
When buying a website you will not have any ongoing fees to consider other than the annual renewal of your domain name, and the fee for your hosting company. But, unless you are using the help of a good web design company, you may be on your own publishing and marketing your site. Check exactly what is included in the price - even the most affordable web design company should offer good Google rankings; make sure yours does.
One of the sad facts of life is that any website not in Google's top 30 results is a waste of time and money. Whether you decide to buy a website or go for a website rental, make sure Google results are guaranteed. Even better, with YouTube now such a major player, ask for a Page 1 YouTube video too.
Website rentals are a little different to an outright purchase. Some companies may make you sign a contract, but most let you just work on a month to month basis, and you can dissolve your website and relationship with no cost to you whatsoever - this is an important point to check on before you sign!
Going into business for yourself is a wonderful experience and something that should make you feel excited about the future. Whether you use website rentals or just buy a website, remember that affordable websites are available in every niche possible, so start your business today, and reach the world! If you are a bricks and mortar business, good exposure on Google and YouTube can triple the number of people seeing your business. For some bricks and mortar businesses, buying a website - or simply renting a website - can open up national or even global sales, massively expanding the scale of your business. A good example is jewelry, which can easily be shipped worldwide and totally transform a local business.