How To Determine The Costs of “Free” WordPress

Whenever I speak to a prospective client, one of the questions I am usually asked is “Isn’t WordPress free?”

Yes, you can install WordPress on your server many cases with the click of a button in your hosting cPanel.

And for most bloggers who are blogging about their hobbies or keeping an online journal, that would be enough. As a professional in your field though, blogging isn’t a hobby. A blog is a digital marketing tool used to drive traffic, engage customers and increase revenues.

When you think of WordPress as a tool in your digital marketing strategy, it suddenly becomes clear that “free” isn’t going to be the best representation of your business.

So let’s look at the costs associated with having a WordPress based website.

Here are the elements that need to be priced when considering a WordPress development. Some of the fees, like domain registration and hosting, are offered at a fixed price. Some things like developer fees vary from designer to designer based on their experience and the total size of your website project. And finally there are intangible elements like your time and your sanity that need to be considered in the cost-analysis.

Let’s break it down:

The list is far from exhaustive but it will give you a basic idea of hidden costs associated with Free WordPress for serious business owners. What you should do next is figure out the costs as they relate to your specific business.

Because working with a professional website developer or technical virtual assistant will save you a lot of time and sanity, especially when something goes wrong with your site.

I know it can be tempting to cut corners and I’m all for investing funds wisely. Before you decide to jump into a WordPress development or consider building something on your own, do a quick little cost analysis before you leap.