herekorenga
1. (noun) freedom, liberty.
— Māori Dictionary
A potential client once chose a company offering “free” websites. On the surface, it sounds like a good deal.
But it came at a cost.
The issue hit me at 4am, listening to a storm building outside: they wouldn’t own their website.
This wasn’t just a placeholder. It was their main sales tool, their brand presence, and the foundation of their online business. And it didn’t belong to them.
I pulled up the Terms & Conditions of the provider. Here’s what they said (emphasis mine):
From time to time {Removed} may create websites, CRM tools, and other online features (“Online Assets”).
Provider and Booking Agent acknowledge and agree that the Online Assets are the sole property of {Removed} and are not a “work made for hire” under the Copyright Act or any other law.
Further, Provider and Booking Agent agree to stop using and return the Online Assets at {Removed}’s request or upon termination of this Agreement.
In other words: the website stays with the provider. The client just rents access.
If they leave, they lose everything. No site. No leverage. No ownership.
Freedom > Free
There’s a saying: “If you’re not paying for the product, you are the product.”
It used to describe free TV. Now it describes entire businesses caught inside closed platforms.
Some providers offer to build you a free website. But what they’re really doing is building dependency. Once your business relies on it, you’re locked into ongoing costs and terms that aren’t yours to change.
If you don’t own your platform, your platform owns you.
Freedom & Business Online
“Freedom is widely accepted as a basic human right in our societies…
‘Freedom from‘ is a necessary condition for success in life, society, and business…
Enterprises that devote themselves to fostering ‘freedom to’ will be best suited to generate sustainable growth that is resilient over the long term.”
— Dov Seidman, CEO of LRN Corporation, World Economic Forum
That quote wasn’t written about websites, but it might as well have been.
When choosing a platform, the important question isn’t what it gives you, but what it lets you do.
Freedom from
- Platform rules you can’t change.
- Forced templates and integrations.
- Business risk tied to third-party decisions.
- Extra fees on your own payments.
- Regulation from outside your market.
Freedom to
- Modify or reuse your site and content.
- Set your own prices and use your preferred tools.
- Choose your own team.
- Use cost-effective payment gateways.
- Control the layout, logic, and user experience.
- Review and replace any software component.
- Decide how your content is licensed.
Ownership gives you room to grow on your terms.
My Freedom Stack
I build with WordPress because it’s open source, adaptable, and aligned with long-term thinking.
More importantly, it gives you control.
WordPress is licensed to let you run, modify, and export everything. You can move providers. You can switch themes. You can leave, and take your business with you.
Most of the tools I work with follow the same philosophy. Even if you pay for a license, you’re not locked in. If something doesn’t suit your business, you can change it or move on without losing control of your assets.
You don’t need a free website. You need a platform you own.
My sites aren’t free. They’re built to be yours.
That’s the difference that matters.
