build a free website
A practical, low-cost route to a professional online presence in 2025 — with SEO and marketing tips that actually move the needle.
You don't need to spend thousands to get online. This guide walks you through building a free, fast, and search-friendly website — plus the crucial marketing steps to attract visitors and turn them into customers.
Why build a free website in 2025?
A free website is the fastest way to get visibility, test ideas, and start collecting leads. It’s ideal for sole traders, new side-hustles, or local services that need an online presence without upfront cost. But "free" has trade-offs — this section helps you decide if it’s right for you.
When free makes sense
- Testing a new business idea quickly
- Simple brochure site with contact details and services
- Limited budget but need to appear in local searches
- Temporary landing page for promotions or events
Limitations to expect
- Platform branding or ads on free tiers
- Subdomain rather than your custom domain unless you pay
- Basic SEO and limited technical control
- No guaranteed uptime or priority support
Best free platforms for a quick website
Each platform has strengths — choose based on speed, design, SEO access, and whether you can later connect a custom domain.
Google Sites
Fast, simple, no ads. Great for basic info pages. Least SEO control.
Wix (free plan)
Drag-and-drop editors. Good templates. Free plan shows Wix branding and uses subdomain.
WordPress.com (free)
Blog-friendly and extensible, but many SEO plugins require paid plan.
Carrd
Perfect for a single-page landing site. Clean, fast, and easy to use.
GitHub Pages / Netlify
Developer-friendly — free custom domain support and great performance. Requires some technical steps.
Google Business Profile website
Auto-generated from your Business Profile. Great for local visibility but very basic.
How to choose
- Want zero setup time: Google Business Profile or Google Sites.
- Want design control without code: Wix or Carrd.
- Want performance and free custom domain (technical): GitHub Pages or Netlify.
- Want content-first/blogging: WordPress.com.
7 steps to build a free website (practical)
Follow these steps in order — they cut decision time, avoid common mistakes, and make sure your site is set up to get found.
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Decide the primary goal
Do you want calls, bookings, email signups, or to showcase work? Your design and copy should aim to achieve that one goal.
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Pick the simplest platform that meets the goal
For local trades a single-page Carrd or Google Business Profile site may be enough. If you need a blog, use WordPress.com. If you want full speed and are comfortable with Git, use GitHub Pages or Netlify.
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Prepare content first (copy + images)
Write concise headings, a clear value proposition (one-line), 3–5 bullet points of services, contact info, and a call-to-action. Use high-quality photos — phone photos are fine if well-lit.
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Build the pages — keep it simple
Start with: Home, Services (or single-page sections), About, Contact. Use clear headings (H1, H2), short paragraphs, and visible phone/email. Put your main CTA above the fold.
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Set basic SEO up before launch
Add an optimized page title and meta description for each page, fill alt text for images, and ensure headings reflect your keywords (more in next section).
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Connect analytics and submit sitemap
Install Google Analytics (or equivalent) and Google Search Console. If platform provides a sitemap.xml, submit it; if not, use a simple sitemap generator and add it to GSC.
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Test and publish — then promote
Test on mobile, submit contact form, and ask 3 friends to test. Once live, add the site to Google Business Profile, local directories, and share on social channels.
Quick checklist before launch
- H1 on homepage describes what you do + city (if local)
- Title tag ≤ 60 characters, meta description ≤ 155 characters
- Images compressed and alt-tagged
- Phone number clickable on mobile
- Privacy policy & contact details visible
Essential SEO tips for free websites
Even free sites can rank. Focus on these high-impact, low-effort SEO actions.
Keyword intent first
Pick 1–2 main keywords per page (e.g., "local plumber Melbourne", "garden maintenance Sydney"). Use them naturally in your H1, first paragraph, and H2s.
Title tags & meta descriptions
Write unique title tags and meta descriptions for each page. Make titles action-oriented and include your main keyword + location when relevant.
Optimise images
Resize and compress images (use webp if possible), include meaningful alt text with keywords, and give images descriptive filenames.
Internal linking
Link between related pages on your site using descriptive anchor text — this helps crawlers and users navigate to important pages.
Schema & local signals
Add simple schema markup (business, localBusiness) if platform supports it. Make sure your name, address, phone (NAP) are consistent across the web.
Mobile-first & speed
Use lightweight templates, limit third-party scripts, and test with PageSpeed Insights. Aim for under 3s mobile load time for better rankings.
One-page SEO template (use for single-page sites)
Free marketing strategies to grow traffic and leads
Build the site, then get visitors — these tactics cost little to nothing but drive consistent local traffic.
Google Business Profile
Claim and verify your Google Business Profile. Add photos, services, business hours, and link to your site. Encourage customers to leave reviews.
Local directories & citations
Add consistent NAP to top local directories (Yellow Pages, TrueLocal, Hotfrog, Yelp). Matching info boosts local SEO.
Email & referrals
Collect emails with a simple signup (even a shared Google Form) and send occasional promotions. Ask satisfied customers for referrals and reviews.
Social proof
Add testimonials, before/after photos, and case studies to your site. Share them on Facebook/Instagram to build trust.
Community groups and local posts
Post helpful answers in local Facebook groups, Nextdoor, or community forums with a link to your site. Be helpful, not spammy.
Low-cost ads to test demand
If you can spend $5–20/day, run a small Google Local Services ad or Facebook boost to test messaging and measure conversions.
Leverage one measurable channel
Pick one channel (GMB, Facebook, or Google Ads), run a basic campaign for 30 days, measure phone calls and enquiries, and double down on what works.
Tracking & measuring results (free tools)
If you can measure it, you can improve it. Use these free tools to track visitors, keywords, and conversions.
Google Analytics / GA4
Install GA4 to monitor user behaviour, top pages, and conversion events (calls, contact form submissions).
Google Search Console
See which keywords show impressions, clicks, and pages that need improvement. Submit sitemaps and monitor indexing issues.
Call tracking (free methods)
Use a unique phone number on your site (Google Voice or a dedicated number) to attribute calls from the website vs other sources.
Monitor uptime & speed
Free tools like UptimeRobot and PageSpeed Insights help you catch downtimes and performance issues quickly.
Set 30-day goals
Examples: 50 organic visits, 10 clicks to call, 5 new leads. Track weekly and adjust messaging or channels if goals aren't met.
Free vs paid — when to upgrade
Free sites are great to start, but as your business grows you may need features that only paid plans or professional services provide.
Upgrade reasons
- Want a custom domain (brand trust)
- Need advanced SEO tools or plugins
- Require fast support, analytics or integrations
- Need ecommerce, bookings, or multi-page marketing funnels
What paid gives you
- No platform ads and custom domain
- Faster page speed, better uptime
- More control over SEO and schema
- Professional design and unlimited updates
Consider a managed subscription
If you prefer to focus on customers, consider a managed subscription. For example, Congero offers a fully managed, AI-driven website service with unlimited updates, local SEO, hosting and domain included from $49/month — no lock-in contracts and a fast turnaround. It’s an affordable way to move from DIY to a professional, conversion-focused site without a large upfront cost.
Frequently asked questions
Can a free website rank on Google?
Do I need a custom domain?
How long until I see results?
What’s the #1 tip for free websites?
Ready to launch your site?
Start with a free site to validate your idea, then upgrade when you’re ready. If you'd rather skip the setup and get a professional, conversion-optimised website fast, Congero builds sites in minutes and manages SEO, hosting and unlimited updates for a predictable monthly price.
Tip: If your time is worth more than $50/hr, a managed subscription often pays for itself by saving hours and converting more visitors into customers.
