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Spoiler: Nothing is free.

We are not going to lie, those “Free Website” ads sound really enticing.

“Call now and we will set you up with your very own CUSTOM website!”

“Use this promo code for a FREE consultation! YAY!”

Unfortunately, this isn’t the case. Everything comes with a price, and the commercials that promise the world for a penny aren’t being entirely truthful. You do get a website, it’s just not actually YOURS. Although it may seem like an insignificant distinction, it can cost big bucks in the long run. Lets break it down…

There are two ways to build a website if you don’t want to do it on your own. Pay an upfront cost for a professional to do it, or “lease” your website from a big box dealer. There are advantages to both.

Lets start with the Big Box. If you don’t have the startup capital, this is a way for you to get a site up with minimal fuss and no upfront expenses. Not a bad idea if you only want the site for 6 months, and don’t mind it looking suspiciously similar to the guy down the street. Truth is, many of those sites use the exact same template for everyone that calls in. They also fail to mention that keeping your “free” website is going to cost you a monthly fee and that doesn’t even take into account updating. Have you every called a huge company to get something done? Going through a 37 minute phone menu frantically pushing “0” and trying to find a human isn’t exactly convenient. Imagine that every time you need to update your daily specials. That doesn’t even take into account the fact that if you leave them, your website is gone. POOF. All that time and money and “free stuff” is gone….

The other alternative is to pay a fee upfront. While that it can seem expensive and daunting, hear us out. We will help you design fun and engaging content. We design websites that fit your customer base by GOING to your restaurant and tasting your food. We find that this personal touch is invaluable. It creates a very unique experience that both clients and customers love. Once we design it, you pay one fee and the site is YOURS. We give you the log in info, all the content, and a guide to updating it yourself. We do this because we believe that you should have control of your content. We are more than happy to manage it for you, but we think it should be your call. If we aren’t meeting your expectations, you shouldn’t be punished. You should be able to find someone you respect without losing all of your content, SEO, and a good design. Why do we operate like this? Mostly, we believe it is the right thing to do. You payed for a site, you should own the content. Secondly, we are confident that we are going to work so hard for you that leaving isn’t an option. We are different from the normal company, our biggest goal is to make everyone in Michigan succeed, our interest is as vested as yours.

Is the decision tough? Absolutely. We know what restaurants go through, because we work with over 50 Michigan restaurants. We don’t “sell” you. We only really want to help. Give us a call and set up a meeting to see for yourself.