I saw an article recently listing 10 free web site building tools.

Most of them take a while to figure out.

They won’t all let you do what you want to do.

None were expandable to your own site if you ever wanted to take the next step, from “free” to “owning your own”.

The biggest cost is time.

The biggest cost is time.

How long does it take you to learn how to work it and make it do what you want it to do?

How much is it going to frustrate you and make you figure out how to do something simple?

In my experience with WordPress, and I’m coming at this from a developer point of view, it’s much easier and intuitive to learn to use WordPress than with any other platform out there.

When I build a site for a client using WordPress, it’s much easier to train them and get them up to speed on WordPress than other systems that I’ve tried.

The Real, Hard Costs

Let’s look at the cost it would take to put a WordPress site on your own server and run it for a year.

Domain name is $10. Don’t pay more than that for a domain name.

Hosting packages can be had for less than $80 a year.

Call the whole thing $100 for a year of hosting your own site.

If you use a good host, they would have an auto install version of WordPress. Click, click, bang. It’s set up.

Play with a theme. Spend too much time looking on line for a theme. Download, install.

Play with plug ins. Download, install.

Write a few posts. Create a few pages. Change the layout a bit.

Call it 8 hours total, from start to having your own blog on line, working, with your own theme and content.

You have added the plug-ins that you wanted, the theme that you wanted, the layout, the content, the menu.

All of it is exactly what you want.

The Price Of Choice

The cost in time is really because you have TOO MANY options.

If you can be satisfied with what comes out of the box, then a WordPress site can be set up in 20 minutes.

Other Free Hosting Options

Compare that to another free host.

Set up is quick and easy. Pick a theme. There are only 20.

Write a post. Change the layout? No. Can’t do that.

Put the menu on the other side? No. Can’t do that.

You want to post video? No. Can’t do that either.

Podcast? Special functionality? Nope. None of that.

The Cost Of Free

You’ve spent the same 8 hours trying to do stuff and not being able to that you would have on WordPress.

The other free host is $100 cheaper and maybe that’s the difference for you.

It doesn’t look quite like you want it to and it doesn’t have quite the right functionality.

It’s harder to use and takes longer to post than WordPress.

If it takes 3 minutes longer and you make 20 posts, that’s an hour.

How many posts in a year?

Time Is Money

This reminds me of the difference between Windows and a Mac.

The Mac costs a bit more to start, but lasts twice a long, lets you work twice as fast, and makes it easier to do anything you want.

Which is a better deal?

How much is your time worth?

How much money do you have?

It’s all up to you, but if you have $100 to spend on a web site for a year, spend it on building a WordPress site.

You’ll thank me at the end of the year.

Special Offer

This page has gotten so much traffic that I’ve just added this offer.

Want Me To Set Up WordPress For You?

FOR FREE?

Doing the WordPress installation and set up can be a bit tricky, especially for people who are not technically inclined.

I get an affiliate fee from my web hosting company for every person I refer to them.

If you use the special link I provide below, which contains my affiliate code so they can pay me, I’m willing to do the complete WordPress installation for you, for free.

Get Web Hosting

They are charging $3.88 a month for hosting as I write this.

(That price could change, so check it out yourself.)

They have a 30 day money back guarantee.

I’ll Set It Up For You

I’ll install whatever theme and plugins that you want.

I have a list of plugins that I always install for my clients.

I’ll walk you through any configuration settings that you want and show you how to make it do what you want it to do.

I’ve done so many WordPress installations, it’s fast and easy for me.

I make a few bucks from PowWeb and I make another WordPress fan.

You get good, cheap web hosting for your own web site, with none of the technical hassle.

How cool is that?

NO OBLIGATION NOW

CLICK THIS LINK FOR MORE INFO:
http://www.powweb.com/?AffID=577083

After you click on that link and set up your hosting account, send me an email using my normal “contact us” page, and tell me that you want me to install WordPress for you.

As long as you use that link, you can buy the web hosting any time within the next 6 months and I’ll get the commission.

If you have any questions, please drop me an email and ask.

Looking forward to helping you get your web site set up.

If you are involved with a church that does not have a web site, I can show you how to get one for free, using WordPress.com. All it takes is a little initiative on your part and you can have a web site. You don’t need a $300 site. You don’t need a $500 site. You can have a free web site for your church. Go to www.worpdress.com and follow the instructions.

Do it now. For the children.

Quoting from The Church In 2009 – KYPost.com

Close to half of the churches offer Web pages.

For example, local churches have caught up with the secular society in their use of computers and technology. In 1998, fewer than one in five U.S. congregations hosted Web sites; today, close to half of the churches offer Web pages to their members and local community. A friend of mine who ministers to a large Washington, D.C. Baptist congregation has a frequently updated interactive Web site whose volunteer editor works from India.

Read the entire article at:
http://www.kypost.com/content/middleblue3/story/The-Church-In-2009/o3oMerab5E2upfPeBvDqdg.cspx

They haven’t quite released WordPress 2.7 yet, so I’m still rocking the RC1 version of it. They say they will release the final version tomorrow. A few more screenshots today and it should be good to go.

Web Site Starter Kit should be released by the end of the week.