If you take the time to seriously review web.com™’s website you will find a lot of misdirection and most of their ‘up-front’ pricing is obscured… well for the most part… So after digging I found an pieced together this puzzle way before I received that very nice call from one of their sales associates…

First you have 3 choices… in reality there are actually 4, but I will get into that in a little bit…..

In the first Category… under ‘Do it yourself’ has a few layers of services that are currently under promotion…..

Sounds simple right? Well be warned… that introductory price sounds wonderful… but in order to get the full jist of your ‘Do-It-Yourself’ can be a bit pricey on a monthly basis…

If you they type of person who has time or wishes to transfer the time to ‘Do-It-Yourself’… this would be the best plan available to you to get your website up and running…… However, web.com™ states, in their advertisement, “We will build it for you“, which is pretty much what every business owner surely wants, since, in reality… Who has time to build their own website? Most business owners we have encountered have no clue on the first thing to do for placing their business online. Not to mention the First Category comes with ZERO design support or assistance. Basically you are on your own with their claimed 9500+ Templates (noting we found an area on their website that claimed over 25,000 Design Layouts is listed in the image above). Hmmm… which is it? 9500+ Design Layouts or is it 25,000?

Confusing to say the least and the term ‘Design Layouts’ is a fancy word for simple generic templates (which most hosting companies provides with their server hosting solutions and that would only cost you as low as $2.95 a month). All you have to do is purchase your own domain name – unless you have one already and build it yourself…. That is far less expensive that what web.com™ is offering. [Minimally $275.40/year with web.com™ versus minimally $35.40/year]. That’s a tough decision)

So let’s explore their next two categories, which is what web.com™ is advertising…….. and see what that is actually going to cost you, the small business owner…. and what you actually get for that “one low monthly fee“.

So is free… really free? Well sadly know. We discovered that first hand when we received that phone call from web.com™’s sales department. We had already searched their site for pricing information and found in these two sections some simple pricing, but it took the sales pitch to bring it all into reality.

We came to realize there is a “catch”, especially if you don’t want to ‘Do-It-Yourself’, but still even in this section (‘Our Do-It-All-Solution)…there are many confusing and price variable options tied to this Category 2. Let me explain further….

For marketing we submit you to 100 search engines, 6 dozen directories and do social network and background linking. Really based on what you want for a site it is perfect not too big and not too small for what you need right now with the perfect room to grow!

For the complete online package, which will include a shopping cart to this package. That would be $55 more a month. So you pay only $169.95/month with no contract. No one else offers such a complete package, risk free, at such an affordable price.”

Well the $114.95/mo did sound like the commercial, but If I wanted to sell anything online that would be only $55 more a month…. So I asked about the ‘Social network and Background Linking’ that was mentioned and what that entailed….

The Up-Sale on this Tier 1 package……

The web.com™ representative stated, “now we also have a facebook boost program that is an additional $189.95 a month…. but let me tell you why it is important.:

• The design team will create the Facebook Business Profile. The Social Media Analyst will monitor your profile and encourage posters through engaging content. The SMA will know your business. Through this knowledge they will create advertisement(s) to ensure that we are driving NEW customers to your profile on a regular basis. They will manage your advertising effectiveness. They will post sponsored links and stories to your profile to ensure you remain relevant to your client base. Our goal is to drive new clients to your profile each month.
• A Fan following is important, it is more important is that your fans are actually engaging with you. We focus on a mix of business-related and socially relevant posts so your fans will like, comment, and share the posts we create on your behalf creating visibility on Facebook for your business amongst everyone’s friend network. This builds a strong connection between your business, your fans, and your fans entire network!
• You will receive access to a valuable scorecard so you can track your results. See who is following you, how many people saw your page, what your fans like on your page, and how your fan count grows! Not only do you receive effective marketing on Facebook every month, but you’re assured month after month we manage your page to build the best results for your business and target audience.”

So I asked if there were any set-up fees with all this magic and I was told: “there are no set up fee’s with these products. But with the ecommerence we charge a 1.5% transaction fee (per transaction) on the $169.95 package.”

Let’s do the Math on this Tier 1 package…

So with this Tier 1 Package if you opt-in for the Social Network Aspect (Facebook), which is optional, but highly recommended and since there are no set-up fees (at this time) you can pay a potential month/yearly:

So what is advertised on the web.com™ Television/Radio commercials is the $114.95/mo – $1379.40/yr package. Everything else is discretionary and a choice based on what you, the potential customer may actually need to have your website professionally designed and to get you started.

So now you are in deep at this point and possibly confused, like i was, and proceeded to allow this sales rep to explain what “Tier 2” was. He explained that this was their ‘A-La-Cart‘ package and probably would suit my business model the best.

So with this Tier 2 Package if you, again, opt-in for the Social Network Aspect (Facebook), which is optional, but highly recommended and since there are no set-up fees (at this time) you can pay a potential month/yearly:

So if you want more than the basic 5 Pages… Tier 2 is going to be your only route. Actually 5 pages normally won’t cut it for most business websites if you want to be descriptive to your potential client. This doesn’t mean it is impossible, but the basics are:

1. Home page (Introduction Page)
2. Services page (Tells Potential Clients What Services you Offer)
3. About Us page (Tells Potential Clients why they should do business with your company)
4. FAQs page (Answers Common Questions asked by Previous Clients – generally questions Potential Clients may have).
5. Testimonial page (Let’s Potential Clients see what other existing clients have to say – A reinforcement element to purchase).
6. Portfolio Page (To show off who are your current customers – Gives Potential Clients an opportunity to contact them about you).
7. Blog page (This is optional, but a way to keep clients and Potential Clients informed – relating to your products and services).
8. Support page (Let’s Potential Clients know your business cares about its products and services).
9. Contact page (Gives Potential Clients opportunity to get a hold of your business anytime – other than your Phone Number).
10. Shop page (Links to shopping cart – if you have one)

So with the basics for a well structured business website… the above count is 10 pages right out of the gate. For consideration, a general rule of thumb, There are variables, which can add more pages, which generally fall under the Services page. Reasoning? Well, if you choose to explain each of the services individually it might be in your company’s favor these Potential Clients. Because most, Potential Clients, want to know more about ‘EXACTLY’ what each service entails then just a brief statement. Also you do not want to flood one page with numerous service brief descriptions because this may cause the Potential Client(s) to scroll down, needlessly, forever. This long-list structure (Splash-Page Approach), which a lot of designers employ in their designs, generally causes the Potential Client to get distracted and potentially leave your site (something No Business owner wants whatsoever). Noting that this does not happen all the time, but, again, overall, it is a general rule of thumb in the industry not to do this long-list structure to save pages.

So 10 pages can easily turn into 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 or even more pages (depending on how big your company may be or what you want to sell to your Potential clients – the website visitor)…..

In this case (Tier 2 Package), the 15 pages is a safe bet to focus your design aspect.

But again…. what is advertised on the web.com™ Television/Radio commercials is the “One Low Monthly Fee”. This is hardly the case…. Since everything else is discretionary and a choice based on what you, the potential customer may actually need to have your website professionally designed and to get you started.

Taking everything into account, web.com™ falls short on the ‘as-advertised’ element on the aspect of affordability and design quality, since their ‘custom designed’ websites all look pretty much like a cookie-cutter template. And yes even the ones that are given at the Tier 2 & Tier 3 Level (view web.com™ custom Tier 1 and Tier 2 designs).

It all boils down to your budget and what you are willing to spend on your business and what you get out from your expenditure. You get what you pay for is a coined phrase, but oh so very true.

Noting, throughout this web.com™ process breakdown, there are some key elements to further consider: (which is not disclosed up-front, but is written in their terms of agreement):

• (Section 6): You are solely responsible for your site (unless expressly stated) this covers: “you will be solely responsible for the development, maintenance and operation of the Website” and further…”You will be solely responsible for creating, managing, editing, reviewing, deleting and otherwise controlling the Content on the Website, regardless of whether Web.com provides any design or customization Services to you under this Agreement, including all descriptions of the products and services you offer to customers of your Website and user-generated content on and related to your Website.”, ,Basically you are paying a lot of money every month for your site.
• (Section 7): You, the unknowing potential client, NEVER own any rights to your design.
  That’s right…. You don’t own your website. You are just renting it on a month-to-month basis. Web.com™ is a service provider and nothing more than that. None of the images, graphics and logos that they provide are yours and you are explicitly forbidden to use any such materials as your own. You do own your Customer Content – the stuff you put into your website (section 6 Paragraph 4).
• (Section 8): Is another element, that is not discussed upfront, but is allocated in web.com™’s terms of service agreement, is a fact that your website collects ‘Visitor Data’ whether it is to view your website or use your shop. You, the client, are the sole owner of the data, but that data can be collectively viewed by web.com™ and falls under their Privacy Policy terms. So what does that mean? For their described purposes of Monitoring and Improving Performance they can collectively use such data for internal purposes per their privacy policy since you, the client, must post that your website is hosted by and product property of web.com™.

The choice is always up to the consumer on what they feel is the correct course of action for their business and its welfare of operation. The purpose of this review was to take the hassle out of the sales pitch element and confusing terms that are generally know to those in the industry and converting it into a simple format of the whole perspective to educate the public.

All businesses that provide website development have various components that, much like buying a car, has its good points and bad. However, when you are basing your decision off of advertising that ends up being more than what is claimed… well if you want to spend more money and never own what you paid for… then, again, that is your right to do so with your hard-earned money. But their advertisement stated, “For one low monthly fee” and it is definitely not low when you have to have what is necessary to be successful…

So here are the Pro and Con of web.com™:

Pro:

1. National Company based out of Jacksonville, Florida
2. Very friendly sales team associates
3. If you want to build it yourself or have them do it – their services are comparable to most in the industry
4. Search Engine Submissions done monthly (another standard of the industry)

Con:

1. Websites are not utilizing Responsive Technology (Adaptive website to Smart Phones, Tablets). They have a separate mobile design (basically two site design instead of one) and is on upgrade option.
2. You never own the design (if you want to take your business elsewhere – you will have to potentially start over)
3. Most packages are do-it-yourself, but for a fee they can design it (design), but you have to maintain it (update content)
4. SEO (Organically) only 3-5 pages. (If you have more than 5(max) then there is a fee and they call this ‘Copyrighting a Page‘)
5. Numerous customer complaints – (Relating to billing practices and products and services) on some of a few Blogs, and other resources. You can Google™ or Bing™ it yourself.
6. They have no disclaimer about credit card needed in the commercial. (You will actually have to give them a Credit Card to try out their services and you are charged immediately)
7. When you have that many customers you are getting duplicate content and same thing thousands of other people have, so nothing web.com™ is going to set you apart or get you ranked on search engines.
8. Cookie cutter website designs
9. Extremely Costly (even on a monthly basis)

You be the judge… Do your homework before committing to any company and putting your business in their hands, so to speak… That just makes sense right?

Feel Free to comment below if you wish to do so…..