Most of the internet is free to access, there are plenty of free services online and information provided free of charge. It costs to keep it free, though, because every website has to pay for maintenance and invest in development. The larger the website the higher the bill. So most people turn to advertisement as a source of income to cover those costs. There are many other ways for websites to raise money like accept product placement or sponsorships but DAREBEE doesn't do any of this and we never will.
Here is why.
Why we don't have ads
Just like any other resource with high running costs we of course considered all of the options above but none of them sat right with us. Most fitness ads prey on our insecurities promising quick fixes that will never work or lead to products that may not even be safe. It’s not something we are comfortable promoting. Our aim has always been to offer tested and safe materials and do it in an environment free of judgement and guilt and make things as accessible as they can possibly be. Exercise is hard, it already takes tremendous effort to pull yourself together and take that first step towards your goals and then even more effort to keep going. It is already difficult without constantly being bombarded by ads all over the place, never ending pop-ups and affiliate links.
Advertisement is a legitimate way to raise funds to support one's work but it also often leads to having misguided priorities. In order to make the most money through ads a website has to generate pageviews and clicks, the more the better. Content and its quality eventually becomes secondary to driving traffic and increasing ad space. Instead we choose to focus on you and your needs. Since we rely solely on user donations delivering results and providing you with a good experience is what ensures this place continues to exist. In other words, we stay loyal to you and focus on what you need to reach your goals.
Why we don’t do product placement
We don't do product placement as we don't believe you need any products to get and stay fit. If you can afford to buy exercise gear it can help level up your game but where and who you buy it from should be your uninfluenced decision. We don’t feel right promoting one brand over another just because we have the platform to do so, much less being paid for it. Although those practices are largely accepted everywhere else on the web we don't feel it's right to recommend something you were paid to promote. When you choose an exercise aid whether it's equipment or a nutritional supplement you should make that choice based on untainted, unpaid reviews and/or your own experience and not someone's sponsored endorsement.
It’s a matter of trust. You trust us to have your best interests in mind and we trust you to respect and support our work when you can. It’s a two-way street and the foundation of this entire project. And that’s why we can never do something like this to you.
Why we don’t accept sponsorships
There are dire consequences in accepting large sums of money from sponsors even if initially they don't ask for anything in return. Because eventually, once you grow dependent on them and their help, they do and you find yourself unable to say no. It’s a risk we are not willing to take.
You and only you should have a say in how this place develops and if it should exist at all. We listen to you and we make decisions based on that feedback. Everything here is designed to help you and it addresses your needs first and foremost. Since we don't answer to advertisers and we don't have to get as many clicks and page views as possible we can focus on delivering information and on developing materials we believe will actually help you. Since we don't answer to anyone but you, your interests is what we champion. This is how it is and how it will always be for as long as we stay up.
Those were not easy decisions to make but we truly believe it matters that we stick to these principles. It matters because in the world we live in today standing firmly behind what you believe in is more important than ever. It’s incredibly difficult for a large resource like DAREBEE to rely solely on the goodwill of the people who access it and we often find ourselves struggling to pay the bills when they come due, but it is a small price to pay for the future we want to see and live in. The future in which the web is nothing but one big ad is unacceptable to us. Not when we can do something about it.
Today we are a 100% crowdfunded resource. You and only you decide whether we stay up or go. We are happy with that because we genuinely believe this is how it should be. You and only you should have that power.
