best free website design sites
How small businesses can use free website builders, plus step‑by‑step SEO and marketing tactics to get found and turn visitors into customers.
Free website builders are powerful if used the right way. This guide gives clear, actionable steps to launch a professional site, optimise it for search, and start driving customers — without paying a designer up front.
Start with free plans
To launch a basic site
Design for phones first
Why use free website builders?
Free website builders let you get online quickly with minimal cost and no technical skills. They’re ideal for testing ideas, creating a professional brochure site, or getting a simple appointment/quote funnel live while you validate demand.
Fast & low risk
Launch a working website in under 2 hours. No upfront design cost. If it doesn't work, you can pivot without losing money.
Easy to maintain
Visual editors, prebuilt sections and built-in hosting remove technical overhead. Great for owners who need simple, fast updates.
Best free website design sites — which to choose
Below are commonly used free builders, what they’re best suited for, and key limitations to be aware of.
| Platform | Best for | Free plan limits | Quick tip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wix (free) | Small shops, portfolios, menus | Wix branding, limited storage, no custom domain | Use a premium template and remove clutter from the homepage. |
| WordPress.com (free) | Blogs, content-focused businesses | Limited plugins, WordPress.com ads and branding | Start with content and upgrade only if you need plugins. |
| Google Sites | Internal pages, simple contact/info pages | Very basic design, not SEO‑rich by default | Best for simple landing pages and calendar integrations. |
| Carrd | One‑page lead pages, simple funnels | Limited forms and integrations on free plan | Use it to create a focused lead capture page fast. |
| Weebly (free) | Small e‑commerce test stores | Weebly branding, transaction fees on some plans | Good for simple product catalogs and local pickup options. |
| Webflow (free workspace) | Design control & prototypes | Free staging sites only; custom domain requires paid plan | Build visually and then export or upgrade for going live with a domain. |
| GitHub Pages | Developers and static sites | Requires basic Git/site knowledge | Ideal if you can maintain a static site or use a simple theme. |
Best for solopreneurs
Carrd, Wix, or Weebly give the fastest route to a professional front page and contact capture.
Best for content
WordPress.com remains the strongest free option for long-form content and blogging.
Best for custom design
Webflow lets designers build high-quality layouts and prototypes on a free workspace.
Step‑by‑step: Launch a business site in under 2 hours
- Choose one clear goal — lead capture, bookings, or product showcase. Keep the homepage focused on that single action.
- Pick the platform from the list above based on your goal (Carrd/Wix for one‑page, WordPress.com for blog content, Webflow for design control).
- Use a template — select a template closest to your industry and replace images and text. Templates speed up layout decisions and keep design consistent.
- Set up contact and trust signals: phone number, address (or service area), opening hours, at least one customer testimonial, and a clear CTA button above the fold.
- Create 3 essential pages: Home, Services (or Products), Contact. Each page should have one H1, clear subheadings (H2/H3), and a CTA.
- Add basic analytics — connect Google Analytics (GA4) or the platform analytics and set up conversion tracking (form submit, phone click).
- Publish and test on mobile devices. Click every link, submit forms, and make sure phone numbers open the dialer on mobile.
Pro tip: If you plan to grow beyond the limits of the free plan, choose a platform where upgrading is straightforward so you retain SEO and content continuity.
SEO essentials for free website design sites
Free sites can rank well—Google cares about useful content, page speed, mobile experience and clear markup more than the platform. Here's a practical checklist to get SEO right.
Keyword & page planning
- Pick 1 primary keyword per page (service + location if local, e.g. "emergency plumber Sydney").
- Use keyword in: page title, H1, first 100 words, URL slug, and meta description.
- Keep URLs short and readable (no long query strings).
On‑page structure
- One H1 per page, then H2/H3 for sections. Use bullets and short paragraphs.
- Meta title: 50–60 characters. Meta description: 120–160 chars.
- Alt text for images: short descriptive phrases including the keyword if relevant.
Performance & mobile
- Use compressed images (WebP or compressed JPG). Many builders auto‑compress—check settings.
- Limit heavy scripts (embedded widgets slow pages). Remove unused widgets.
- Test with PageSpeed Insights and fix major issues (large images, render-blocking scripts).
Local SEO
- Create and verify your Google Business Profile and keep NAP (name, address, phone) consistent across web.
- Add structured data (LocalBusiness schema) if your builder supports custom code or rich snippets.
- Get 5+ genuine reviews and respond to them — reviews influence local rankings and clicks.
Link building basics (realistic for small businesses)
- Swap links with local partners (chambers, suppliers).
- Create one valuable local resource (a short guide) and ask local sites to reference it.
- List your business in relevant local directories and industry-specific listings.
Low-cost marketing tactics to get traffic and enquiries
Local listings & GMB
Verify your Google Business Profile, add service areas, photos, posts and offers. Use the same primary category and keep opening hours accurate.
Low-budget paid ads
Start with $5–10/day on Google Local Service Ads or search ads targeted to high-intent keywords (e.g. "emergency electrician near me"). Track calls as conversions.
Email & SMS
Capture leads with a simple form and send a welcome SMS/email with a coupon. Use Mailchimp or an SMS provider—automation increases conversions.
Social & referrals
Post real project photos, before/after shots, and short clips. Encourage customers to refer friends with a small discount.
Measure and iterate
Focus on two metrics: leads per month and cost per lead. If paid ads are expensive, double down on organic tactics like local citations and content that answers common customer questions.
30/60/90 day plan for growth
- Finalize site: Home, Services, Contact live
- Connect GA4 and set up form/phone tracking
- Claim Google Business Profile & collect first 5 reviews
- Publish one local FAQ blog post
- Run a small search ad test ($5–10/day)
- List business in 5 local directories
- Gather 10 customer photos and testimonials
- Improve page speed and mobile UX
- Scale the best-performing ad or organic channel
- Publish a second blog/resource and reach out for backlinks
- Automate welcome emails and booking confirmations
- Review analytics and set goals for next quarter
Stick to the plan: consistent, small improvements compound into better visibility and more enquiries.
Quick setup checklist
- One clear business goal on homepage
- H1 + meta title + meta description for each page
- Phone click-to-call and a working contact form
- GA4 tracking + conversion events
- Google Business Profile verified
- Submit sitemap (if supported) to Google Search Console
Frequently asked questions
Can a free site rank on Google?
When should I upgrade from a free plan?
Do free sites let me keep my content if I move?
What’s the biggest downside?
Ready to test a free website that actually works?
Follow the steps above, pick the right builder, and use the SEO and marketing checklist to start generating enquiries this month.
Need more help later? Consider a managed subscription to handle SEO, analytics and unlimited updates.
