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How can a build be free?
A website takes real work: design, writing, setup, testing. Nobody does that for nothing. When a provider says the build is free, the cost has moved somewhere else. Usually it moves into a monthly fee that you pay for as long as you keep the site.
That is not a trick. It is a way of spreading a large cost over many months so you do not pay it all on day one. It works well when you know what the monthly fee is, what it covers, and what happens if you stop paying.
What do you pay each month?
Ask for one number, with GST. Then ask what is inside it. The monthly fee should cover, at the least:
- Hosting and a valid security certificate
- Backups and security updates
- A set number of changes each month
- Support from a real person
Ours is ₹2,999 a month for the Managed Website plan, GST included, with the build at ₹0 for up to 10 pages. It includes 2 small edits a month of about 15 minutes each. Anything bigger is quoted first, at ₹500 an hour.
Who owns the site and domain?
These are two different questions, and many people mix them up.
The domain is your web address. It should always be registered in your name. With our plans you register and pay for your own domain, so it stays yours, whatever happens.
The design and the content we write are a different matter. With us, they stay with Brandbasket and are provided to you as a hosted service while you are subscribed. That means we do not hand over the finished site files if you leave. If that matters to you, say so before you start, and read the terms. Every provider with a free build has a rule like this, and the honest ones tell you.
Can you leave with your content?
Ask this in plain words: "If I stop paying, what do I walk away with?"
With us, your domain remains yours. Your business name, logo and any text or photos you give us stay yours too. The design and the pages we built stay with us as a hosted service. You can cancel anytime with no notice period. Your plan keeps running until the end of the month you have already paid for.
If a payment fails, the plan pauses as soon as it is due. A website we host goes offline with its content kept safe, and everything comes back as soon as the payment goes through.
What should you ask before you sign?
Take this list to any provider, not just us.
- Is there a minimum term, or a fee for leaving early?
- What is the total monthly cost, and does it include GST?
- Who registers the domain, and in whose name?
- What do I keep if I leave, and what do you keep?
- How many changes are included each month, and what does an extra one cost?
- What happens if a payment fails?
- Are there any costs you have not mentioned, such as ad spend, content writing or e-commerce?
- Will you put all of this in writing?
If an answer is vague, treat it as a no.
What do we promise in writing?
- The build is ₹0 for up to 10 pages.
- The plan is ₹2,999 a month, GST included.
- You can cancel anytime, with no notice period.
- Your domain is registered in your name.
- We remind you before every renewal, so you are never charged by surprise.
- What is not included is listed on the pricing page: domain registration, extra pages or a redesign, content writing, search optimisation or ads, and e-commerce or new features.
Read the terms as well as this post. If a promise here and a promise there ever differ, the terms are the ones that count.
Questions people ask
Is there a lock-in?
No. You can cancel anytime with no notice period. Your plan keeps running until the end of the month you have already paid for, and that month is the last one charged. There is no minimum term to wait out and no early exit fee for the monthly plans.
Can I take my website away if I leave?
Your domain is yours. The design and the content we write stay with Brandbasket and are provided as a hosted service while you are subscribed, so we do not hand over the finished site. You keep your own text, photos and business details. Read the ownership section of our terms before you start.
What happens if I stop paying?
Your plan pauses as soon as a payment is due and unpaid, and there is no grace period. A website we host goes offline, but its content is kept safe. Everything comes back as soon as the payment goes through. If you cancel instead, the plan runs to the end of the paid month.
Are edits included in the monthly fee?
Yes, a small number. You get 2 edits a month, each about 15 minutes of work, such as new opening hours, a changed price or a swapped photo. Bigger changes, new pages or a redesign are quoted first, at ₹500 an hour, so there is no surprise on your bill.
Who pays for the domain?
You do. You register and pay for your own domain, so it is always in your name and you can take it anywhere. If you do not have one yet, we set your website up on a temporary address for free until you do. Domain renewal is not part of the monthly plan.
