Practical & Actionable

free website create

Step-by-step guide to launch a free website in 2025 and make it fast, findable and useful

You can launch a functional website for free today — then improve SEO, loading speed and visibility over time. This guide shows the fastest paths, which free platforms work best, and practical SEO and performance steps you can apply right away.

Quick Start — Launch Today Free Platforms & Tools Try Congero (Managed)

Start for free today

60s

Fastest managed launches (Congero)

90+

Lighthouse score target

In this guide

Quick start: Free site in 10 minutes Best free platforms SEO basics & checklist Speed & performance tips Get found: visibility tactics When to upgrade to paid/managed

Quick start — launch a free site in 10 minutes

Follow these 6 practical steps to get a basic, usable website live immediately. This route uses free tools and produces a site that's ready for SEO and speed optimisations.

1. Choose a platform

Pick one of the free options below (GitHub Pages, Netlify, Google Sites, WordPress.com, Carrd, or Blogger). If you want zero technical work, Google Sites or WordPress.com free plan are quickest.

2. Create one focused homepage

Write a short headline, one paragraph describing your service, 3 key benefits, contact info (phone/email), and a clear call-to-action (CTA). Keep content concise — one page often converts best early on.

3. Use your business name as the site title

Site title and heading should include your primary keyword + location when relevant (e.g., "Paul's Plumbing Melbourne"). That helps local search from the start.

4. Add contact & trust signals

Display phone, email, and service area prominently. Add an image of your team/van, a short testimonial, and business hours. These improve conversions and local rankings.

5. Publish, test on mobile

Before sharing, open the site on a phone. Is text readable? Buttons large enough? If not, tweak the template or spacing.

6. Submit to Google (Search Console)

Add your site to Google Search Console, submit a sitemap (if available), and request indexing. That gets your new site into search results faster.

Best free platforms & when to use them

Google Sites — Easiest, no-account hassle

Simple editor, works with your Google account, great for brochure pages. Limited SEO control but perfect for a quick presence.

Pros: Very fast setup, mobile-friendly
Cons: Limited SEO and design control
Use if: you need a simple, immediate page

WordPress.com (Free plan) — Content first

Good for small blogs and service sites. Basic SEO tools exist, and you can upgrade later. More flexible than Google Sites.

Pros: Familiar CMS, upgrade path
Cons: WordPress branding, limited plugins on free plan
Use if: you plan to expand into a blog and want CMS control

GitHub Pages / Netlify — Developers & hobbyists

Free hosting for static sites. You’ll deploy via Git, but performance and SEO control are excellent. Great paired with static site generators (Hugo, Jekyll).

Pros: Fast (CDN), free SSL, advanced control
Cons: Slight technical setup
Use if: you or a helper can do a small deploy

Carrd / Blogger — Single-page & simple blogs

Carrd is great for single landing pages; Blogger is simple for blogs. Both are fast ways to publish and easy to update.

Pros: Simple editors, fast publish
Cons: Less customization than paid options
Use if: you want a polished single-page presence fast

Domain tip

Free sites usually use vendor subdomains (yoursite.wordpress.com). For credibility, buy a custom domain (common cost ~$10-20/year) and connect it when the platform supports it.

SEO basics — immediate wins

These SEO actions are high-impact and easy to implement on free sites.

On-page SEO checklist

Unique title tag: include primary keyword + service/location (60 chars)
Meta description: compelling, 120–155 chars
Use H1 once (page headline) and H2/H3 for sections
Image alt text with descriptive phrases
Internal links (e.g., services → contact) and a simple sitemap if possible

Local SEO essentials

Create / claim Google Business Profile and keep details consistent
Include business name, address, phone (NAP) on every page footer
Ask customers for Google reviews and respond to them
Add service-area pages for each suburb you serve (one short page per area)

Content & keyword tips

Write simple pages answering customer questions (FAQ-style)
Use 1–2 target keywords per page — avoid keyword stuffing
Include trust content: testimonials, recent jobs, before/after photos

Free SEO tools

Google Search Console — indexing + coverage
Google Analytics — traffic & conversions
Google PageSpeed Insights — speed scores
Ubersuggest / AnswerThePublic — keyword ideas

Quick meta example

Title: Paul’s Plumbing Melbourne — Blocked Drains & Repairs | 24/7

Meta description: Fast, reliable plumbing in Melbourne. 24/7 blocked drain repairs, no callout fee. Call now for same-day service.

Performance — make your free site fast

Even free sites must be fast. Google and customers prefer pages that load quickly on mobile.

Immediate speed wins

Compress images (WebP or properly sized JPEG). Aim for images <200KB where possible.
Lazy-load below-the-fold images and embeds
Use the platform's CDN (GitHub Pages/Netlify/WordPress.com already use CDNs)
Limit third-party scripts (chat widgets, heavy analytics)

Advanced optimisation

Minify CSS/JS and combine files sparingly
Serve fonts from Google (use font-display:swap)
Reduce main-thread work: avoid heavy animations on load
Set caching headers where your platform allows

Target metrics

Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): < 2.5s
First Input Delay (FID) or Interaction to Next Paint (INP): < 100ms
Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): < 0.1
Aim for 90+ on PageSpeed Insights mobile score

Free performance tools

PageSpeed Insights
Lighthouse (in Chrome DevTools)
GTmetrix (free tier)
WebPageTest.org

Visibility — get your first customers

Publishing is only step one. Use these tactics to drive local traffic and enquiries.

Google Business Profile

Claim and optimise your listing: categories, hours, photos, and at least 3 early reviews.

Reviews & social proof

Ask happy customers for short reviews and publish them on your site and GBP profile.

Local links & citations

List your business on local directories and trade sites (e.g., TrueLocal, Yellow Pages). Consistent NAP is crucial.

Simple content marketing

Write one local-focused blog or project page per month (e.g., "Blocked drain fix in [Suburb]") to attract search queries.

Email & social

Collect emails (or use social follow buttons) and post local updates and offers regularly.

Monitor & iterate

Use Google Search Console and Analytics to find queries bringing traffic and expand content around them.

When to upgrade — free today, professional tomorrow

A free site is perfect to validate demand. Upgrade when you need more reliability, better SEO, or ongoing support.

Signs you should upgrade

You're getting steady enquiries but the site can't convert
Need better SEO (structured data, schema, meta control)
Need reliable hosting, custom domain, and professional images

Fast managed option: Congero

If you prefer zero-technical setup and professional results, Congero builds managed websites instantly via WhatsApp and a short demo — then manages hosting, local SEO, and unlimited updates for a flat monthly fee (no lock-in).

Live in 60 seconds for demos and fast builds
All-inclusive: domain, hosting, SSL, local SEO
Flat fee (Congero's offering) — predictable costs and unlimited updates

If you value your time, moving from a free site to a managed subscription often pays for itself in weeks through better conversions and less downtime.

See a Fast Demo

Practical tools & checklist

Free toolset

Google Search Console
Google Analytics (GA4)
PageSpeed Insights / Lighthouse
Canva (free) for simple images
Ubersuggest / AnswerThePublic for keyword ideas

Checklist — before you launch

H1 headline + short intro paragraph
Contact info visible in header/footer
Mobile test passed
Sitemap submitted to Search Console (if possible)
PageSpeed score checked and basic fixes applied

DIY maintenance routine (10–20 mins/week)

Review messages and form submissions, add one recent project/photo, check Search Console for errors, and respond to any new reviews. Small weekly work keeps your site fresh and ranking better.

Frequently asked questions

Can I rank on Google with a free site?

Yes. Google ranks pages on relevance, speed and authority, not on how much you paid. A well-optimised free site with good local signals and reviews can rank for local queries.

What's the biggest mistake with free websites?

Treating the site as "temporary" and never optimising it. Free doesn't mean disposable — follow the simple SEO and performance checklist and iterate.

Do I need a custom domain?

A custom domain improves trust and local SEO. If budget allows, register a domain (~$10–20/year). Many platforms let you connect it later.

When should I switch to a managed service like Congero?

Upgrade when enquiries grow and you want better SEO, analytics, unlimited updates, secure hosting and a professional design without the time investment. Congero offers instant demos and a fully managed monthly plan.

Ready to launch faster or scale your free site?

Use the free options above to validate demand. When you're ready for professional design, local SEO and unlimited updates, Congero builds and manages your site instantly for a flat monthly fee — domain, hosting and analytics included.

Try a Fast Demo Learn About Managed Plans

Pro tip: Start free, iterate with the SEO & speed checklist, then consider a managed subscription when growth demands reliability.