Giving Away 5 Free Websites

I dont have a website because

  • No Value

    Votes: 1 7.1%
  • No Money

    Votes: 4 28.6%
  • No Time

    Votes: 10 71.4%
  • Legal scares me

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Captive & cant

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    14
  • Poll closed .
No you didn't... Btw, you never answered my question from the other thread. Have you ever owned a business?

Why does it matter if I own a business or not? Did I offend you because you probably spent $1000+ on a WP site that doesn't rank? The only reason I say paying for a wordpress set up is a waste is because for the same price people are charging you can either get a real website with a CMS and quote engine or you can set it up yourself fairly easily and put that money towards SEO. A lot of people have this idea that once they get a website the leads start rolling in. So they buy a cheesy website and think that if they blog frequently Google will magically like them and send them to the top of the serps.

If you are investing in internet marketing, there are better ways to spend your money. This is just my opinion. Who really cares don't be so mad. Because you already have a WP site up, great for you. I didn't say they are bad websites. I'm saying that paying someone to install WP and change the layout of a premium theme just seems like a waste.
 
Why does it matter if I own a business or not? Did I offend you because you probably spent $1000+ on a WP site that doesn't rank? The only reason I say paying for a wordpress set up is a waste is because for the same price people are charging you can either get a real website with a CMS and quote engine or you can set it up yourself fairly easily and put that money towards SEO. A lot of people have this idea that once they get a website the leads start rolling in. So they buy a cheesy website and think that if they blog frequently Google will magically like them and send them to the top of the serps.

If you are investing in internet marketing, there are better ways to spend your money. This is just my opinion. Who really cares don't be so mad. Because you already have a WP site up, great for you. I didn't say they are bad websites. I'm saying that paying someone to install WP and change the layout of a premium theme just seems like a waste.

Why do you think that is Raph, I mean why do you think people spend money on the site without a particular end in mind?
 
Why does it matter if I own a business or not? Did I offend you because you probably spent $1000+ on a WP site that doesn't rank? The only reason I say paying for a wordpress set up is a waste is because for the same price people are charging you can either get a real website with a CMS and quote engine or you can set it up yourself fairly easily and put that money towards SEO. A lot of people have this idea that once they get a website the leads start rolling in. So they buy a cheesy website and think that if they blog frequently Google will magically like them and send them to the top of the serps.
.

It matters because you obviously have no comprehension of what it costs to do business. This was explained to you further in the other thread. Of that $499 being charged for a website, less than half is probably profit. Have you ever studied a P+L statement?

I posted about a web design biz focusing on the attorney niche that charges over $2,500 for wordpress install and design. If $499 is a "joke", then what would you consider that? You never answered that question either. The thing is people pay that $2,500 because they either don't know how to use WP, or really don't care to learn. It's just like any other trade.

To your little quip about paying $1,000+ for my website, again, you are clueless. I paid Josh (from this site) $100 for the domain name and for him to spend an hour or so teaching me to use wordpress over the phone. Oh, and he's been hosting it since February which I've been meaning to ask him about. Money well spent it my opinion. I've now been able to help out some friends and family that needed basic sites built and didn't know where to look.

If you could go ahead and link to the companies charging $499 for the great websites that you describe, that would be great. We could then compare. Hell, maybe you could even link to some of your site(s) to show us how great they are?

Long story short, creating a WP site for an agent is going to take 4-5 hours of work, if the agent isn't particular about the look and layout of the site. Not every client will be the same. It could easily spiral into 10-15 with a picky agent asking for countless revisions. Considering the costs involved, I just don't understand how you can accuse somebody charging $499 a "joke"? To degrade somebody's business like that tells me you have never been in business for yourself.
 
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It matters because you obviously have no comprehension of what it costs to do business. This was explained to you further in the other thread. Of that $499 being charged for a website, less than half is probably profit. Have you ever studied a P+L statement?

I posted about a web design biz focusing on the attorney niche that charges over $2,500 for wordpress install and design. If $499 is a "joke", then what would you consider that? You never answered that question either. The thing is people pay that $2,500 because they either don't know how to use WP, or really don't care to learn. It's just like any other trade.

To your little quip about paying $1,000+ for my website, again, you are clueless. I paid Josh (from this site) $100 for the domain name and for him to spend an hour or so teaching me to use wordpress over the phone. Oh, and he's been hosting it since February which I've been meaning to ask him about. Money well spent it my opinion. I've now been able to help out some friends and family that needed basic sites built and didn't know where to look.

If you could go ahead and link to the companies charging $499 for the great websites that you describe, that would be great. We could then compare. Hell, maybe you could even link to some of your site(s) to show us how great they are?

Long story short, creating a WP site for an agent is going to take 4-5 hours of work, if the agent isn't particular about the look and layout of the site. Not every client will be the same. It could easily spiral into 10-15 with a picky agent asking for countless revisions. Considering the costs involved, I just don't understand how you can accuse somebody charging $499 a "joke"? To degrade somebody's business like that tells me you have never been in business for yourself.


Excuse me for trying to help other users of the form, by telling them that there are better ways to spend their money than a WP set up. I respect that we are all entitled to our own opinions (initially why I chose not to respond to your direct attack). But I'm not to good to stoop my friend :nah:

Now I ignored you intentionally because I don't want to be that guy..... But since you keep asking, I'll humor you. Here are some websites that actually cost $350-$750 set up (I know because we all use the same platform):

Houston Home Insurance | Auto | Business | Life | Katy | TX - Suzanne Brown Agency LLC
Auto - Home - Renters Insurance - Atlanta, Georgia - Peachstate Insurance
Life, Health & Business Insurance, Insurance Quotes, 401K - Account Services Group

When you put your website (which actually does look like you spent an entire hour working on) next to any of the sites I just listed, which do you think will convert better? Which looks like an actual agency website vs an agent with a website?

Now I'm sure your website does just fine when your SERP competition for "phoenix life quotes" are these guys:

Phoenix Life Insurance Company. Quick and Easy Online Quotes
Phoenix Life Insurance Quotes - Get Competitive Life Insurance Quotes in Phoenix

and my personal favorite

Joaquin Phoenix Quotes - BrainyQuote

HAHAHAH joaquin phoenix.......

But if you want to move up to the big boy search terms, you're gonna need a website that doesn't look like it was created with the average internet knowledge of a Facebook user.

Coming from a guy that paid money for an EMD and the search terms you target, I can see where you get your logic but where does this feeling of superiority when it comes to making business decisions come from?

Now I think we can both agree that $500-$1000 is not a lot of money. What we don't agree upon is the value. I guess some people just uphold their standards of quality to a higher level.

Unfortunately, it appears someone has TOLD you what the cost of doing business will be. And I'm the one who "obviously has no comprehension of what it costs to do business". Insurance is a sales based game. You should play sometime ;)

I guess I'll just take this P all the way to the bank :D
 
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Raph -

So you're trying to play the victim card while attacking my website, all in the same post? And at the same time you won't show everybody your site, or inform us what this amazing platform is that will build superior sites for $350. Interesting...

I'll give you credit, if somebody could build a site like the ones you linked for $350 w/ normal hosting costs ($5-10/month), I would jump at that in a second. Why can't you tell us how we can all get a site like that at such an amazing price? Apparently they even convert for "big boy" search terms. It would be a no brainer for most all agents.

As for my site, I'm sorry you think it's terrible and that anybody that has a facebook account could build it in an hour. While I think you're completely off base with that assessment, I'll let you be the judge. To your point about paying for a "EMD", I'm not sure what that means. As I mentioned, I paid $100 for the domain name, an hour or so of coaching, and almost a year now of hosting. Not a bad deal in my opinion. Is that price a "joke" too?

I'm not going to debate the SEO, EMD's, and "big boy search terms" with you because I really don't care. I'll concede that you apparently have a lock on SEO for insurance agents.

Having a website is a cost of doing business. Most agents want a site so that they have a unique email address and something for their clients to reference if they need it. They don't care about EMD, SEO, or anything else. There are only so many first page spots on Google and if an agent spent their whole day worrying about how to get there, then they would be out of businesses really quick.

As I mentioned in other posts, the cost of web design services varies greatly depending on where you look. I referenced that site that focuses on attorneys. You didn't respond to my question about that. Is that business owner a "joke" to you too? What about Go Daddy? They charge over $600/year for basic sites. Another joke? What about Agent Methods http://www.agentmethods.com/pricing-and-signup.html They are $600/year. All these jokes out there. Better yet, maybe you can just develop a pricing chart on what is acceptable for an agent to pay for a site.

I don't have a problem with you favoring your platform over the $499 site that was referenced. Everybody has their own tastes/preferences. I'll give you an example. My family and I go out to eat a lot. There is a certain restaurant that we frequent which has an amazing staff. They always remember our name, ask how we're doing, etc. Now, it doesn't have the best food in the world. There are probably 100 other restaurants that have better food in the city for the same price, but we keep going back. We always have a great experience. Do you think I would ever say to the owner of this restaurant that his business is a "joke"? Of course not.

To your point about about the cost of doing business, nobody "told" me what it is. I know what it is because I've owned two businesses (3 if you consider indy insurance sales a business). I've also learned that it takes a lot of determination, passion, and courage to start a business. You may or may not know that most fail. Do you understand that calling somebody's business a joke is really insulting? This is why I assumed you had never started your own business. Because if you had, you would know how tough it is and might be a little more hesitant to call somebody efforts a joke.

I'm just about over this thread and have really said all I have to say, so I'll let you have the last word.
 
Raph -

So you're trying to play the victim card while attacking my website, all in the same post? And at the same time you won't show everybody your site, or inform us what this amazing platform is that will build superior sites for $350. Interesting...

I'll give you credit, if somebody could build a site like the ones you linked for $350 w/ normal hosting costs ($5-10/month), I would jump at that in a second. Why can't you tell us how we can all get a site like that at such an amazing price? Apparently they even convert for "big boy" search terms. It would be a no brainer for most all agents.

As for my site, I'm sorry you think it's terrible and that anybody that has a facebook account could build it in an hour. While I think you're completely off base with that assessment, I'll let you be the judge. To your point about paying for a "EMD", I'm not sure what that means. As I mentioned, I paid $100 for the domain name, an hour or so of coaching, and almost a year now of hosting. Not a bad deal in my opinion. Is that price a "joke" too?

I'm not going to debate the SEO, EMD's, and "big boy search terms" with you because I really don't care. I'll concede that you apparently have a lock on SEO for insurance agents.

Having a website is a cost of doing business. Most agents want a site so that they have a unique email address and something for their clients to reference if they need it. They don't care about EMD, SEO, or anything else. There are only so many first page spots on Google and if an agent spent their whole day worrying about how to get there, then they would be out of businesses really quick.

As I mentioned in other posts, the cost of web design services varies greatly depending on where you look. I referenced that site that focuses on attorneys. You didn't respond to my question about that. Is that business owner a "joke" to you too? What about Go Daddy? They charge over $600/year for basic sites. Another joke? What about Agent Methods Insurance Website Pricing & Signup | AgentMethods They are $600/year. All these jokes out there. Better yet, maybe you can just develop a pricing chart on what is acceptable for an agent to pay for a site.

I don't have a problem with you favoring your platform over the $499 site that was referenced. Everybody has their own tastes/preferences. I'll give you an example. My family and I go out to eat a lot. There is a certain restaurant that we frequent which has an amazing staff. They always remember our name, ask how we're doing, etc. Now, it doesn't have the best food in the world. There are probably 100 other restaurants that have better food in the city for the same price, but we keep going back. We always have a great experience. Do you think I would ever say to the owner of this restaurant that his business is a "joke"? Of course not.

To your point about about the cost of doing business, nobody "told" me what it is. I know what it is because I've owned two businesses (3 if you consider indy insurance sales a business). I've also learned that it takes a lot of determination, passion, and courage to start a business. You may or may not know that most fail. Do you understand that calling somebody's business a joke is really insulting? This is why I assumed you had never started your own business. Because if you had, you would know how tough it is and might be a little more hesitant to call somebody efforts a joke.

I'm just about over this thread and have really said all I have to say, so I'll let you have the last word.


Bens,

what would you pay per month with no upfront costs for the three websites raph features?
 
I don't address your concern with me owning a business because you've been or are a struggling business owner. I can respect that. And to be honest I've never been there (struggling that is). **knock on wood**

Believe me if I gave you background details on me and my business, it would just sound like a giant brag topic and nobody would really care anyway. So, lets call it luck and leave it at that.

If I see something that I think is a terrible investment, I'll say something about it and I'll back up why. This forum helped me a lot when I was new so I don't mind trying to keep shitty deals off the table. When I was first starting out and low budget, I hated it when I didn't make the best choice or investment for my business. In an attempt to help out, I just call em as I see em and have fun as I go.

To address you're restaurant review service my answer is simple. If every review in the world was nice, why would we need popular websites like Yelp or Google places? Social media is huge because people value other consumers positive and negative opinions. I don't know about you but when I look up a place to eat on Yelp the first thing I do is look through all the bad reviews first. As a consumer, I would much rather someone bring light to the negatives of a business and help me save my money over continuously be disappointed because people were too "nice" in their reviews.

The reality is with the evolution of social media in the business world if you can't compete, because of price, product, service, or a combination, people WILL find out and that's just tough luck. I'm sure you know this. But if you can't embrace it you better get ready for business #4.

I have no problem releasing or endorsing the company who put up my site and the others I listed. But I'm trying not to throw around any easy endorsements. I don't want to be hypocritical. How does it look when I've bashed on all these cheesy deals and then come out with my own super deal? I'd be no different than Insurancetechhead.

If you really want to know, I'll post up my endorsement of the company I use with a review of why I think they're worth the price.......

But because of how mean you are to me :D I will only release details if you use this specific phrase:

"Raph3988 I need your help. I have a basic WP website that has served me well. However, I am serious about my business and would like to take my internet marketing to the next level. Do you have any recommendations?"

I will also do it by popular demand if enough people show interest. The last thing I want to do is give out unsolicited recommendations.
 
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Did you tell us this other platform yet or is that just a mystery of the kingdom of Raph?
 
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