If you’re a good enough web designer to charge for your work, then why would you run ads to give away websites for free?
You wouldn’t.
Are free websites really free?
Unlikely. Any web designer or marketing agency that’s paying for ads to give away free websites is probably working some sort of angle that’s not in your best interest.
Here are the top three schemes that come to mind:
1. Bait and switch
Building the website might be free, but you’ll pay “minimal” hosting and management fees for at least 12–24 months, sometimes longer. Always read the fine print. If you can’t find out what “minimal” means, it’s a big red flag.
2. Building a portfolio
They need design work to show off what they can do — and they need to do it ASAP. This sounds harmless, but if a designer is going to use your website to promote their business they should be honest about it. There are a lot easier (and cheaper) ways to build a design portfolio than running ads for free websites.
3. Testimonials and reviews
They’re trading websites for positive reviews or testimonials. The problem with this tactic is that most review platforms like Google — not to mention a recent FTC ruling — frown on businesses that exchange anything of value for reviews.
Our thoughts
A lot of web designers and agencies offer websites as a service (WAAS). The reputable ones are totally transparent about upfront costs, recurring fees, benefits, and contract length. That said, in no universe does “minimal” equal “free.”
