Practical Guide • 2025

how to make a site free

A clear, actionable walkthrough to get a professional website online without paying a cent — plus SEO and growth tips to make it work.

Want a website that looks professional and actually drives enquiries — but no budget? This guide shows step-by-step free options (builders, hosting, and tools), simple web design rules, basic SEO, analytics, and growth strategies you can implement today.

Quick Start Steps When to upgrade Try Congero (Paid option)

Cost to get started

15–60 mins

Typical setup time (simple site)

100%

Mobile-ready with the right template

In this guide

Why (and when) to choose a free site Top free platforms explained Quick step-by-step setup Web design basics SEO essentials Analytics & tracking (free) Growth strategies that cost nothing Common mistakes to avoid When to move to a paid plan Free site launch checklist

Why choose a free website (and when not to)

Free websites are great for testing ideas, creating a simple online brochure, or getting a presence while you build a business. They remove upfront costs and let you validate demand quickly. However, free plans often come with limitations: platform branding, a platform subdomain (yourname.platform.com), limited storage, and restricted SEO features. If you need e-commerce, advanced SEO, fast loading or a branded domain, consider upgrading later.

Good for: New side projects, portfolio sites, trades listing, event landing pages, temporary promos.

Not ideal for: High-volume stores, multi-location businesses, or sites that must rank aggressively for competitive keywords from day one.

Top free platforms and when to use them

Short summaries so you can pick the right tool fast.

Google Sites

Best for: ultra-simple pages, internal docs, event pages.

Pros: Fast, zero setup, works with Google account.
Cons: Limited templates, weak SEO features, no custom code.

Carrd

Best for: single-page promos and landing pages.

Pros: Beautiful templates, very quick to set up.
Cons: Free plan uses Carrd branding and subdomain.

GitHub Pages (with Jekyll/Hugo)

Best for: tech-savvy users who want version control and free custom domain hosting.

Pros: Free hosting, no branding, fast (static site).
Cons: Requires Git knowledge, not as friendly for non-technical users.

Netlify / Vercel (Free tier)

Best for: static sites built with static site generators or frameworks.

Pros: Free SSL, continuous deployment from Git, fast CDN.
Cons: Build step required; initial setup more technical.

WordPress.com Free Plan

Best for: bloggers and content-heavy sites with zero budget.

Pros: Powerful CMS, community plugins (paid), easy editing.
Cons: Ads and branding on free plan, limited themes and plugins.

Quick 8-step setup: Get your free site live in 30–60 minutes

Choose a platform: Pick Google Sites or Carrd for fastest setup; GitHub Pages/Netlify if you know Git; WordPress.com if you want blogging features.
Pick a template: Start with a clean, simple template. Prioritise a template with a prominent contact area and mobile-first layout.
Create your pages: Minimum: Home, Services (or What I Do), Contact. Optional: About, Prices, FAQ.
Write concise copy: Use short headlines, one-sentence service descriptions, and a clear call-to-action (call, text, or email). Keep each page scannable.
Add images: Use 2–6 high-quality photos (phone photos are fine). Optimise by resizing to 1000–1600px wide and compressing (tinyjpg.com).
Set up contact: Add a visible phone number, email, and a simple contact link. If forms are locked on free plan, show a phone number and email prominently.
Configure SEO basics: Edit the page title, meta description, and page headings (see SEO section below). Submit your site to Google Search Console (free).
Publish and test: Open on a phone, test links, submit contact test, and check loading speed on mobile.

Pro tip: If the platform offers a free custom domain for the first year, grab it—but read renewal terms carefully.

Web design basics that make free sites look professional

Design isn't about fancy features—it's about clarity, trust and conversions. Follow these rules on any free platform.

1. Clear hierarchy

Use H1 for the main headline, H2 for sections, and short paragraphs. Make the CTA (call us, text, book) visible above the fold.

2. Readable typography

Keep body font 16–18px on desktop, larger on mobile if the platform allows. Use high contrast between text and background.

3. Consistent colours & spacing

Limit palette to 2–3 colours. Use whitespace to separate sections—don’t cram content together.

4. Trust signals

Add 3–5 customer testimonials, a short bio with photo, and any registration/licence numbers to boost credibility.

SEO basics for free websites (get found without paid ads)

Search engine optimisation doesn't require expensive tools. Implement these free fundamentals to start showing in Google.

Title tags & meta descriptions

Each page should have a unique title (60 chars) and meta description (120–155 chars) including your main keyword and location if relevant (e.g., "plumber Melbourne").

Headings & content

Use a single H1 per page that contains your main keyword. Use H2/H3 to structure content and include related keywords naturally.

Local SEO

Create or claim your Google Business Profile (free). Ensure NAP (name, address, phone) is consistent across your site and listings.

Sitemap & indexing

If using GitHub Pages, Netlify or WordPress, generate a sitemap.xml and submit it to Google Search Console. Many free builders handle sitemaps automatically.

Image optimisation

Resize images before uploading (1000–1600px wide) and add descriptive alt text. Use filenames with keywords (plumber-truck.jpg).

Load speed

Avoid auto-playing videos, large uncompressed images, and heavy widgets. Fast sites rank better and convert more visitors.

Free analytics and tracking you'll actually use

Tracking lets you see what works. These free tools are robust and simple to add to your free site.

Google Analytics 4 (free): Tracks visitors, traffic source, page performance. Add the GA4 tag or use Google Tag Manager where supported.
Google Search Console (free): Shows search queries, impressions, and index coverage—submit your sitemap here.
Hotjar Basic (free): Session recordings and heatmaps (limited) to see where people click—useful if platform supports custom scripts.
Utm links & short URLs: Use utm parameters when sharing links to measure campaign performance in Analytics.

Note: Some free builders block adding third-party scripts on their free tier. If analytics are essential, confirm the platform supports adding tracking before choosing.

Growth strategies that cost nothing (or very little)

Free or low-cost actions you can take this week to get more visitors and enquiries.

1. Local listings

Claim Google Business Profile, Bing Places, and relevant local directories. Keep NAP consistent.

2. Publish one useful page/week

Write short how-to posts or local tips that answer real customer questions—these rank well and attract local traffic.

3. Ask for reviews

Request reviews from happy customers and add them to your site and Google Business Profile. Reviews directly impact local search and trust.

4. Social micro-promotions

Share new pages or before/after photos on Facebook and Instagram with a link back to your site; use local hashtags.

5. Partnership links

Ask suppliers or local businesses to link to your site—one or two relevant backlinks can help local SEO significantly.

6. Convert visitors

Make it easy to contact you: phone link, clear CTA, and operating hours. Consider offering a simple special to encourage inquiries.

Common mistakes when building a free site (and how to avoid them)

Relying only on a platform subdomain: It reduces credibility. If possible, buy a domain or use a free domain offer for the first year.
Overwhelming visitors with text: Keep pages scannable—short paragraphs, bullet lists, and clear CTAs.
Skipping mobile testing: Always test on real phones. Fix tap targets and text sizes.
Not setting up Google Business Profile: This is the most common missed step for local businesses. Claim it now.
Not tracking anything: Without analytics you’re guessing. Use free tools mentioned earlier.

When a paid plan makes more sense

Free is a great starting point, but consider upgrading when your site needs to: remove platform branding, use your own domain, add custom scripts or forms, improve performance, or when you're generating regular enquiries and need reliability.

Signs you're ready to pay

You're getting steady traffic or enquiries.
You want a branded domain (yourbusiness.com).
You need reliable forms, appointment booking or e-commerce.
Your platform restricts SEO or analytics.

Low-cost paid alternatives

Upgrade your current builder plan (often $5–15/mo) for domain and remove branding.
Move to a managed subscription (like Congero) for $49/mo — includes domain, hosting, unlimited updates and local SEO.
Purchase a single custom domain (~$10–$20/yr) and keep the rest free.

Prefer someone to handle it? Congero builds professional websites fast and offers a predictable plan with unlimited updates, local SEO, domain and hosting included. Try our demo at no cost — or continue with your free site and upgrade when the time is right.

See Congero Demo

Frequently asked questions

Can I use a free site for my small business?

Yes—if you need a simple online presence, a free site works. For long-term credibility and SEO, a branded domain and paid plan are recommended once you have repeat enquiries.

Will a free site rank on Google?

Absolutely—Google ranks pages based on relevance, content quality, and technical performance. A well-optimised free site can rank for local, low-competition searches.

Do I own my content on a free plan?

You typically own your content, but the platform controls hosting and sometimes the domain on free plans. Always keep backups of your text and images.

What's the difference between a free site and Congero's service?

Free sites reduce cost but impose limits. Congero (from $49/mo) offers a professionally designed mobile-first site, free domain options, hosting, unlimited text-in updates, built-in local SEO and analytics—with fast turnaround and no lock-in. It's ideal when you want results without the time or tech hassle.

Start for free — then scale when you’re ready

Follow the steps above to get a free site live today. When you want more reliability, SEO, or unlimited updates, consider a predictable paid plan — Congero builds sites for busy businesses and handles updates by text.

Start the Quick Steps See Congero Demo

Prefer help now? Try Congero’s free demo — professional site in under 60 seconds with domain, hosting, and local SEO available for $49/month if you choose to upgrade.

Use your phone to capture authentic photos—customers trust real images over stock photos.