As a small business owner in Tennessee, you're constantly balancing cost and value. So when a "free" tool comes along—a social sharing button, a contact form, or an analytics widget—installing it seems like a no-brainer. It solves a problem at no cost. But is it truly free?

The hard truth is that in the digital world, "free" is almost never free. If you aren't paying for the product, it's very likely that you—or worse, your customers—are the product.

A "free" tool might not cost you dollars, but it can cost you in website performance, security, and, most alarmingly, your customers' private data. This isn't a hypothetical risk; it's happening on millions of websites right now.

A Real-World Example: The "Free" Sharing Button

I recently analyzed a website for a client who was using the popular "free" social sharing tool, ShareThis. On the surface, it worked fine. But when I looked at the code and network requests, I was alarmed at what I found.

The "free" script didn't just load a sharing button. It also loaded other scripts in the background, without the business owner's knowledge or consent. These additional scripts were quietly collecting data on every single person who visited the website and sending that consumer data to third-party data brokers, including platforms like Verizon and LiveRamp.

This business owner was, in effect, letting these companies siphon data from their hard-won customers, all in exchange for a "free" button. This is a massive breach of customer trust, and it's all buried in the fine print.

The Hidden Costs of "Free" Software

This example highlights the serious downsides of using tools just because they are free or cheap. Before you install that next free plugin, consider these real costs:

• Data Harvesting: As seen in the example, many free tools fund their business by collecting and selling your website traffic data. This can damage your brand's reputation and may even have legal implications depending on privacy laws.
• Poor Website Performance: All those extra scripts and trackers loading in the background dramatically slow down your website. A slow website leads to a poor user experience, higher bounce rates, and lower rankings on Google.
• Security Vulnerabilities: Every third-party script you add to your site is a potential backdoor for hackers. You aren't just trusting the company that made the tool; you're trusting every other company they've partnered with.
• Lack of Control: When you use a "free" tool, you are bound by their terms. They can change their service, inject their own ads onto your site, or shut down entirely, leaving you scrambling for a replacement.

The Solution: Own and Control Your Data

This is why it is so critical for business owners to invest in their technology stack. When you use a robust platform like WordPress and purchase premium, supported plugins, you are paying to be the customer, not the product. A paid tool has a clear business model: your subscription fee. They have no incentive to sell your data or slow down your site with trackers.

Owning your data means being in complete control of your website. It means you can confidently tell your customers that you respect their privacy and that their information is safe with you. That trust is worth far more than the small cost of a "free" tool.

Before you install any free tool, ask yourself one critical question: "How does this company make money?" If the answer isn't obvious, the price is likely your data.

Want to know what's really running on your website? Contact the experts at SMB Tech Partners today for a technology and security audit.