When is paying for software better than getting it free?
There are lots of awesome free tools on the Internet. And since I feel like I'm always recommending that people use free tools whenever possible, I thought I would lay out the case for paying money for certain tools. In my opinion, you should pay for an online tool whenever:
- The tool you need is unique and you have no other options;
or - You're also buying the resources and expertise of the company supplying the software.
If you feel the same way that I do about this, you can do a lot with free software, and then you can save your money for the tools that really make a difference. Just yesterday I saw this blog post about how Google will provide free email hosting to institutions with 50 or fewer employees. (That means you can have a gmail interface, but it could come from you@yourname.com. That's a cool free tool.
Will Marlow co-founded AlumniFidelity to help his clients reposition their fundraising to benefit from Web 2.0 technology and marketing techniques. He’s working with clients such as UVA, the College of William & Mary, the University of Oklahoma, Bowling Green State University, Randolph Macon College, and he loves nothing better than a thorny marketing challenge. Read more about Will Marlow here, or email him at will@alumnifidelity.com.
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