Hi folks, this month we’re providing a series of videos and blog posts covering Church Web Hosting FAQs. In this video, I address the question, “Can I get a free website?”
While I address the question in more depth in the video, the bottom line is that, yes, you can get a free church website on some sites, including OurChurch.com.
***Note: I mentioned in the video free sites at OCC have ads, but that is no longer the case. Our free websites are now ad-free.
However, there are always trade-offs:
- Some sites that offer free sites show ads on them.
- Others show ads in the admin area or hit you with lots of email ads.
- There’s no domain name included.
- There are significant restrictions on the number of pages, amount of disk space, etc.
My perspective on free sites…
…is that having your own domain name and having a site free of distracting ads is absolutely critical to the success of your online efforts. If you aren’t willing to pay $5-$10/mo for those things, what does that tell your website visitors about your commitment to the cause?
The only exception to that is if you and your organization are based in a developing country where you’re living on just a few dollars a day. If that’s you, you are why we continue to offer free websites.
Bottom line…
We believe that every organization should be able to have a website, regardless of their financial situation.
Comment and Discuss…
- Do you have a free website? If so, what’s keeping you to upgrading to an inexpensive website with your own domain name?
3 Comments
I have 2 free blogs, and it works fine for me. It depends of what you expect from site. My casual blogs about life, problems doesn't need investing money.
Hi Portal, you're right, it does depend on what you expect from the site. Certainly there are occasions where a free site might be the best option.
Generally speaking though, the ads, lack of a domain name, and other factors will limit the effectiveness of your site. My thinking is, if a person is willing to invest lots of time creating content for a site, why undermine all that effort to try to save a few bucks a month?
My Pastor initially wanted to have a free website. I told him that it is possible but I showed him this blog and he might change his mind and he also owns an electronic shop.