free website builder demo
How to prepare, what to test, and the exact SEO & marketing steps to turn a demo into a high-converting site
Free demos are a low-risk way to evaluate a website builder — but most business owners waste them. Follow this guide to use your demo time efficiently: prepare a checklist, prioritise SEO and conversion-focused features, and set up simple marketing tracking so your demo becomes a launch.
Before your demo: a 7-item prep checklist
Spend 10–15 minutes preparing and you'll get exponentially more value from any free demo. This checklist keeps the session focused on results, not setup.
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Primary goal: What's the single thing your site must do? (e.g., generate leads, allow bookings, show portfolio)
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Contact details: Phone, email, address and opening hours you want displayed.
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2–5 photos: High-quality shots of your team, work, or product. If none, plan to use stock images for the demo.
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Short description: A 1–2 sentence summary of your business and 3 key services (bullet points).
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Service area: City/suburbs you serve — crucial for local SEO testing.
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Target customer: Who calls you and why? Share 1–2 common customer needs so the demo can prioritise messaging.
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Timebox the session: Tell the demo host you have 30 minutes and the 3 things you want covered. It keeps the demo laser-focused.
Core demo features to test (don't skip these)
In a demo, prioritise features that affect visibility and conversions. Ask the host to show each item live.
Mobile preview & editing
Open the mobile preview and change text/images. Confirm you can edit content without breaking layout.
Speed & performance tools
Does the builder optimise images, lazy-load media, and provide PageSpeed tips? Ask for a mobile render time estimate.
SEO controls (titles, meta, schema)
Show where you edit page titles, meta descriptions, alt text and structured data. Can you add local business schema easily?
Contact & lead capture
Test the contact form, booking widget or click-to-call. Confirm delivery (email/SMS) and spam protection.
Unlimited updates & edits
Ask how updates work after launch. Are edits free? How fast are changes published?
Hosting, SSL & backups
Verify SSL is included, backups frequency, and uptime guarantees. Is there a content delivery network (CDN)?
SEO baseline in 5 minutes (what to set during the demo)
You don't need an SEO expert to get the essentials right. During the demo, ask to configure these items and confirm they appear in the page source.
- Page title: Use Primary Service — Location | Business Name. Ask the host to edit the title tag and preview it.
- Meta description: 140–160 characters. Include the primary service, location and a call-to-action.
- H1 & heading structure: Confirm the main headline uses H1 and subsections use H2/H3 for accessibility and SEO.
- Image alt text: Add descriptive alt text for key images (service+location). This helps search and accessibility.
- Local markup (schema): Request localBusiness schema or at least business name, address, phone and opening hours in structured data.
- Fast URLs & sitemap: Confirm the site generates readable URLs and an XML sitemap for Google Search Console.
- Robots & analytics: Make sure there's an option to add Google Analytics & tag manager code, and that robots.txt can be edited if needed.
Simple marketing & tracking to add during or right after the demo
These quick wins get your demo site pulling in visitors and leads from day one.
Analytics
Install Google Analytics (GA4) and Google Tag Manager. Confirm events for form submissions and clicks to track conversions.
Google Business Profile
Claim or link your Google Business Profile. Confirm your business name, categories, photos and service area are correct.
Local listings & citations
Add consistent NAP (name, address, phone) across directories like Yellow Pages, Yelp and industry sites. It boosts local rankings.
Landing pages & CTAs
Create 1–2 focused landing pages for top services with a clear CTA (call, form, or booking). Test which converts better.
Simple remarketing
Add a small Facebook/Meta pixel or Google Ads tag to enable low-cost remarketing campaigns once you have traffic.
Reviews & social proof
Ask for one or two customer reviews to add to your homepage. Reviews increase clicks and conversions.
30-minute demo playbook (what to do, minute-by-minute)
Use this script during your demo — it keeps the host focused on what matters for launch and conversions.
- State your primary goal clearly: "I want a site that generates leads for [service] in [city]."
- Confirm you have 30 minutes and the 3 things you want to test (mobile, contact flow, SEO).
- Ask to change headline, hero image and CTA. Check mobile preview and click the CTA (does it trigger call/form?).
- Submit a test contact form. Confirm delivery and spam protection. Test click-to-call on mobile.
- Edit title, meta description, H1 and an image alt tag. Ask the host to show these in the page source.
- Add Google Analytics ID or Tag Manager snippet. Confirm it's added in the site header/footer settings.
- Clarify hosting, domain, SSL, update policy and pricing. Ask: "If I want changes after launch, how fast and at what cost?"
Frequently asked questions
How long should a demo take?
Can I keep the domain if I leave?
Will the demo show real SEO results?
What if I need help after launch?
5 common demo mistakes (and how to avoid them)
- Not timeboxing: You get sales talk instead of hands-on testing. Fix: Say "30 minutes — here's the 3 things I must see."
- Skipping mobile testing: Demo looks great on desktop but breaks on phones. Fix: Force the host to switch to mobile preview first.
- Ignoring tracking: You can't measure success later. Fix: Add GA4/Tag Manager during the demo.
- Missing lead test: Forms not tested = lost leads. Fix: Submit test forms and confirm delivery to email/SMS.
- Not confirming update policy: Post-launch edits can be costly. Fix: Ask about unlimited updates and turnaround times.
Ready to turn a free demo into a launched website?
Follow the checklist above during your next demo and you'll walk away with a site that looks great, ranks locally, and starts to collect leads. For a guided demo that covers SEO, tracking and conversion best-practices — try a live walkthrough.
Want a demo tailored to your trade? Bring your business name, 3 services, and a phone number — we'll show a ready-to-launch homepage in under 60 seconds.
