free website design australia
A step-by-step guide for Australian small businesses — use free tools, launch fast, and rank locally
You don't need a big budget to have a website that works. This guide shows how to plan, design and optimise a simple, effective website using free tools — with clear SEO steps to make it findable by local customers across Australia.
Plan: what your website must do
Start with clear goals. The most effective small business websites are simple and task-focused. Pick up to three priorities and design the site to achieve them.
Get contactable
Phone visible on every page, clear service area, and a short contact form or click-to-call button.
Show key services
One page per main service with a 2–3 sentence description, price guides and clear call-to-action.
Build trust
Customer reviews, local credentials (ABN, licences), and a few before/after photos work better than long text.
- Primary goal (leads, bookings, product sales)
- Top 3 services or pages
- Phone, email, address (or service areas)
- One hero image and 3 supporting photos
Choose free tools (what to use)
Here are reliable free options for each part of the job — pick the simplest stack that fits your skills.
Website builders
- Google Sites — fastest, entirely free, great for simple brochure sites (no custom domain on free tier).
- WordPress.com (free) — blog + pages, basic SEO, upgrade path available.
- Wix / Carrd free plans — quick landing pages (note: free plans show platform branding).
- Canva Websites — simple visual pages built from templates, easy for non-designers.
Design & mockups
- Canva (free) — templates, resize images, export web-optimised assets.
- Figma (free) — quick wireframes and layout prototypes (collaborate with team).
- Unsplash / Pexels — free high-quality images (search Australia + trade keywords).
SEO & analytics
- Google Business Profile — essential for local searches (free).
- Google Search Console — monitor indexing and search terms free.
- Google Analytics 4 — visitor tracking and conversion insights.
- Schema Markup Generators — basic JSON-LD snippets for local business.
Tip: start with one builder (e.g., Google Sites or WordPress.com). If you outgrow it, migrate later — but beginning small gets you visible fast.
Build: simple step-by-step (1–2 hours to a basic site)
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1. Create a one-page structure
Hero (what you do + phone), Services (3 short blocks), About (1 paragraph), Reviews (3), Contact (phone/form/address). Keep it concise — most visitors decide within seconds.
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2. Pick a template and swap content
Choose a clean template in your chosen builder. Replace headline, hero image, phone and the three service blocks. Use simple language: "Plumbing repairs in Sydney — same-day service".
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3. Mobile-first check
Open the site on your phone. Ensure buttons are large enough, text readable, phone number links tap-to-call, and images scale without cutting important content.
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4. Add contact and trust signals
Show phone and business hours in the header or hero. Add an ABN, licence numbers, or membership logos as simple text or small images.
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5. Configure basic SEO (done in 10–20 minutes)
Set page title and meta description (see SEO checklist below). Add alt text to images and create a short, clear URL for your main page (e.g., yoursite.com.au/roofing).
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6. Publish and connect Google Business Profile
Publish your site, then claim or create your Google Business Profile and link to your site. This gives you immediate local visibility and shows your opening hours on Google Search.
- Phone visible and clickable
- Clear service area (cities/suburbs)
- One strong call-to-action (Call now / Book)
- Google Business Profile linked
Simple SEO checklist — make the free site findable
On-page SEO (do these first)
- Page title: include service + location. Example:
Roof repairs Sydney — Same-day roofer - Meta description: 120–155 chars. Use a call-to-action and location.
- H1 & headings: One H1 (headline) and H2s for sections like Services, About, Contact.
- Image alt text: describe photo + keyword, e.g.,
electrician fixing switch melbourne - Short URLs: use readable slugs
/plumbing-sydney - Mobile-friendly: Google prioritises mobile — test with PageSpeed Insights.
Technical & local SEO (quick wins)
- SSL (HTTPS): free on most platforms—enable it.
- Robots & sitemap: use built-in sitemap from your builder or add simple robots rules.
- Structured data: add LocalBusiness JSON-LD (name, address, phone, opening hours).
- Google Search Console: submit sitemap, check for indexing issues.
- Google Business Profile: verify and include service areas and correct categories.
- NAP consistency: use the same Name, Address, Phone across site and directory listings.
Write one short paragraph (50–70 words) that includes: what you do, where you serve (suburbs/city), and how to contact you. Example: "We are a licensed plumbing team serving inner-Sydney suburbs — emergency repairs, hot water and blocked drains. Call 0412 345 678 for same-day service."
Local SEO for Australian businesses
Local visibility is the highest-impact win for trades and services. Focus on becoming the obvious local choice.
Google Business Profile tips
- Verify your listing and keep hours up to date.
- Add photos (before/after) and short posts about offers.
- Collect and respond to reviews — aim for 20+ good reviews over time.
- Set service areas (suburbs) if you don't have a fixed storefront.
Local citations & directories
- List consistently in local directories (TrueLocal, Yellow Pages, Yelp.au).
- Ensure NAP (Name, Address, Phone) is identical across listings.
- Use local keywords in page copy and blog posts (e.g., "melbourne electrician northcote").
Publish a short "Service areas" page listing suburbs you serve with 1–2 lines per suburb about common jobs you do there — this helps with many "near me" searches.
When to upgrade from free tools
Free tools are perfect to start. Consider upgrading when you need more control or professionalism:
- Custom domain and no platform ads: move to a paid plan when you want
yoursite.com.auwithout branding. - Better SEO control: need custom meta and schema not available on the free plan.
- Faster page loads: paid hosting can improve speed and reliability.
- Unlimited updates & support: if you prefer to text or email updates to a team rather than editing yourself, consider a subscription service.
If you outgrow a free plan, plan the migration: export content, keep the same domain and maintain SEO by preserving URLs or using redirects.
Frequently asked questions
Can I rank on Google with a free website?
Should I use Google Sites or WordPress.com?
How do I get a .com.au domain?
What's the fastest way to go live?
Build a free website today — get found by local customers
Follow the steps above to launch a simple, effective site quickly. If you'd rather have a pro handle it, there are affordable upgrade paths that include hosting, domain and unlimited updates.
No jargon. No hard sell. Just clear steps to help your business get online and grow.
Free tools recap
- Google Sites / WordPress.com / Carrd — launch site
- Canva / Figma — design and images
- Google Business Profile & Search Console — local visibility
- Unsplash / Pexels — royalty-free photos
Prefer someone else to do the build? We offer affordable, Australian-focused services with fast turnaround and local SEO included.
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