Sometimes, a single moment defines your entire future…Over the past 23 years, I’ve witnessed countless website and marketing trends come and go. But there’s one idea that initially seemed too silly to work, yet it’s turned out to be one of the most pivotal concepts in the industry: renting a website.
Storytime…
Many Many years ago, I had a new client who I was guiding through the idea of hosting fees, SSL fees, and maintenance fees associated with owning a website. He wasn’t thrilled at the proposition of spending thousands of dollars upfront and then having to pay monthly fees as well. “I remember him saying, ‘So I own a site, but I never really own the motherf***er.’ in that moment, something clicked.” That statement held a lot of truth. Of course, the site would still exist in a file, but it gave me an idea. What if the large initial fee wasn’t a variable? What if we rolled initial cost into a long-term plan? How many months would it take to collect the initial fee and even surpass it?
After doing some maths, I figured that by creating a solid website that ranks well on Google, I could offer enough value that clients would never think of leaving. This way, they’d continuously get new business and not have to stress over website upkeep. I’ve never liked the idea of binding people with contracts. To me, it’s always seemed simpler and more effective to make people happy enough with your work that they naturally don’t want to leave. This approach has always served me well. So, with this concept, I was convinced I could keep them forever, increasing the long-term value and profitability from each website. This was the start of the of the website “rental” comcept was born.
A decade later, it’s clear the idea was a success. It revolutionized not just my business but many others as well. Now, searching for “rent a website” or “lease a website” brings up countless options. I view the widespread adoption of this concept more as a compliment than something to be upset about. After all, there’s enough business out there for everyone.
That being said, I still monitor newcomers in the field. This weekend, curiosity got the better of me, and I ended up creating a Python script. Its job was to sift through a list of URLs and pinpoint the earliest occurrences of each on the “Wayback Machine.” after running the scan it appears we were the first by years. As I say that, it feels a bit like I’m giving myself a pat on the back, but I think it’s pretty amazing how a casual remark from a grumpy mechanic could reshape an entire industry. It leaves me pondering—what would my path have been if he had never made that comment? That single statement changed the course of everything.
