⚠ DRAFT OUTLINE — NOT PUBLISHED
Skeleton for Andrew to finish. Direct attack on the pay-monthly website model (Pixelish, Hazcott, HungryWolf etc.). Use real contract clauses as evidence.
Why your £49/mo website is a trap.
TL;DR to write
Suggested frame: "£49/month sounds cheap until you multiply by 24 months and realise you'll never own the site. Here's the maths and the escape plan."
The hook — why this post exists
- Open with a real quote from a pay-monthly contract ("Pixelish: 24-month minimum term, website remains our property")
- Position: "It's not £49/mo. It's £49 × 24 = £1,176 for a template site you don't own."
The maths they don't show you
Comparison table:
| Option | Headline | Real 24-mo cost | You own it? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pay-monthly (Pixelish) | £145/mo | £3,480 | No |
| Pay-monthly (Hazcott) | £49/mo | £1,176 | No |
| Web Wise North Standard | £997 | £997 + optional £49/mo | Yes, from day 1 |
Why the pay-monthly model is structured this way
- Recurring revenue smooths agency cashflow — great for them
- Lock-in prevents churn — great for them
- Hosting bundled = you can't shop around for hosting — great for them
- All of this is great for the agency, not you
When pay-monthly actually makes sense
Honest section — acknowledge the cases where it works:
- You literally cannot find £1k upfront and need a site today
- You want zero responsibility — someone else handles everything forever
- Your business is seasonal/uncertain and you want to cancel quickly
Counter: even in those cases, read the contract terms carefully. Many "cancel anytime" deals have 12-month minimum terms in the small print.
The escape plan if you're already locked in
- Check your contract for minimum term
- Export your content (screenshots + copy into a Google Doc at minimum)
- Buy your own domain from Namecheap/Porkbun (~£10/yr)
- Sign up for a replacement — pay-once, not pay-monthly
- Time the switch for the day your minimum term ends
The ownership rule
One-paragraph close: "A website you don't own isn't an asset. It's a subscription. Treat it like one — same way you'd treat Netflix. Worth paying for some months, not forever."