Posted by LisaWI on 4/5/11 7:39am
Msg #378692

Office Live Websites

No more freebies I guess. I was looking at my website this morning to see if I could spruce it up a bit and maybe do some blogging when I noticed my blog is missing. The page itself isnt, but the words are.

So the next step is to log in and see whats going on. I am taken to a new login page for Office 365 Small Business to sign up for their Beta. (Can I say Arggghhhh!! I hate changes that I dont initiate with something I consider to be mine). I try to login in on this page and no go.

So off to google I go to see where the heck my website went. Apparently, they are changing the whole Office website to this Office 365 and heres the kicker, it will cost $6 a month. Here is the link to the FAQ's on this to those of you who have Office Live: http://smallbusiness.officelive.com/en-us/faq

If anyone knows any different, please share your wonderful knowledge. If there is going to be a cost now to have these websites, I will have to think about doing my own website from scratch.

I did do a search on here to see if anyone else has come across this and I couldnt find anything. I apologize if this has already been discussed.

Reply by LisaWI on 4/5/11 7:54am
Msg #378695

Here is the link to sign in with the old Office Live website: http://smallbusiness.officelive.com/en-us/

From what I was reading the changes wont take effect until late this year or the beginning of next year.

Reply by CopperheadVA on 4/5/11 8:17am
Msg #378697

Thanks for the info! I was unaware of this (I just renewed my custom domain with Office Live) and I am disappointed with the new $6 monthly fee (I understand that it will not take effect until later this year). I use Office Live for my local notary website and it is such an economical way for me to have a website. I get almost all of my local private notary work from it. I don't get rich doing private notary work, but it's occasional pocket money. I guess at $72 per year plus the $14.95 domain fee, that is still somewhat cheap for a website, but this just goes along with the earlier discussion of how our costs are continually increasing yet we are expected to accept lower and lower fees.

Reply by Frenchie/TN on 4/5/11 8:29am
Msg #378699

Copperhead, could you get your domain from another provider and still use Office live? If so, Godaddy charges under $10. for a domain registration and should you want to change from where you are, you can get a website for $4.99 a month. I don't know if you'd get the same exposure because I don't know enough about how these websites are found by the public.

Reply by LisaWI on 4/5/11 8:40am
Msg #378702

Re: Office Live Websites-If......

microsoft office live has your domain, it might be a bear to switch it over. I am actually using Melbourne for my domain which Im thankful for at this point.

I personally dont want anyones name in my domain so thats why I went with Melbourne a long time ago.

Reply by Julie/IL on 4/5/11 8:30am
Msg #378700

Try weebly.com. To me, it was so much better, looked more professional and had way more options! I absolutely love it! Oh, and it's free!

Reply by LisaWI on 4/5/11 8:35am
Msg #378701

Re: This Just Keeps Getting Better!

I went into the Support Forum to see what others are saying about this. There is a thread started for those who are opposing this and a link to vote on whether you agree with the conversion or not. Im reading thru the posts, and all of the sudden, I get an error message stating this page cannot be found. Hmmmmm?? Coincidence or not?

They are suggesting to Microsoft to have an email and hosting solution only. From what Im reading a lot of folks have helped to create or created these free websites for non-profit organizations. I did a website for our VFW thru them.

Maybe Microsoft can be persuaded into offering the free version. If anyone is interested in voting on this, I will post how to get to the support forum so you can voice your opinion. I know you have to be logged in first and that itself has already changed.

Reply by Virginia/PA on 4/5/11 8:42am
Msg #378703

Re: This Just Keeps Getting Better!

I just logged into my page and had no problem. Mine is posted on the Microsoft Live portion, but I see that there is already (and probably has been) a "small business" section. Perhaps it's only the "small business" section that is being rerouted. When I logged in I just saw the link to the 365 announcement, but my web page was still there.

Reply by LisaWI on 4/5/11 8:51am
Msg #378705

Re: This Just Keeps Getting Better!

Yes, you can still get to your website. I just read if you dont switch over to the Office 365, they will be deleting websites. So if you are switching over to something else, you need to get all your pictures and other stuff saved onto your computer if you dont want to lose them.

I also found this for another option for websites. www.yola.com I havent had a chance to check it out but will be. Im also going to look into Weebly.

Reply by CopperheadVA on 4/5/11 8:58am
Msg #378706

Re: This Just Keeps Getting Better!

In addition to my local notary website, I also have an Office Live site with a custom domain for a small non-profit group that I am involved with locally. At $14.95 per year it is worth it for the non-profit to pay the website fee. But I know that they will not be interested in paying $6 per month and will give up the website once that is instituted.