Practical Guide • 2025

make a website for free

Step-by-step, platform choices, essential SEO, and growth tactics so your free site actually brings customers.

This guide walks you through creating a fully functional website at zero cost — from choosing the right free platform to simple SEO wins, analytics, and promotion strategies you can apply today.

Quick Start: 15 Minutes Want a pro site later? Try Congero

Cost to start

15 mins

Quick setup time

Google

Rank with basic SEO

Mobile-first

Design for phones

What you'll find in this guide

Quick Start: build in 15 minutes Choose the right free platform Simple site structure that converts SEO essentials for free sites Promotion & growth tactics Free tools & resources Launch checklist FAQ

Quick Start — Make a working website in 15 minutes (free)

Follow these minimal steps to get a simple, presentable site live now. Perfect if you need a fast online card for customers.

1. Pick a free platform

Best quick choices:

Google Sites — Zero setup, great for simple business pages, no hosting to manage.
WordPress.com (Free) — Good for blogs and basic sites; limited themes and a subdomain.
Wix / Weebly (Free) — Drag-and-drop editors, include platform branding on free plan.
Carrd — One-page sites perfect for simple services and portfolios.
GitHub Pages — Free hosting for static sites (requires basic Git/newbie learning curve).

2. Choose a template and create three pages

At minimum build:

Home: One clear message — who you help and how to contact you.
Services / Products: Short list with 1–3 paragraphs per service.
Contact: Phone, email, and where you serve (city/suburb). Add a simple map if available.

3. Add basic content and an image

Write short, customer-focused text:

Headline: What you do + location (if local). Example: "Affordable Plumber in Melbourne — Fast Same-Day Repairs".
CTA above the fold: "Call now" or a click-to-call phone link on mobile.
Use one high-quality hero image (Unsplash or your photo), compressed for web.

4. Publish and test on mobile

Before you share the link:

Open the page on your phone — is the phone number clickable? Is text readable?
Run Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test and PageSpeed Insights to check basic issues.

That’s it — your free site is live. Continue below to make it discoverable on Google and drive customers.

Which free platform should you use?

Pick based on your needs. Here’s a quick decision guide:

Google Sites

Best for absolute beginners who want no technical hassle.

Pros: Fast, no hosting, easy collaboration. Cons: Limited design and SEO control.

WordPress.com (free)

Best for blogs and future upgrades to paid plans.

Pros: Scalable, many themes. Cons: WordPress ads on free plan, limited plugins.

Wix / Carrd / Weebly

Best for quick visual pages and portfolios.

Pros: Drag-and-drop, quick. Cons: Platform branding, SEO constraints on free plans.

Tip: Start free to validate demand. When you get consistent traffic/leads, consider a cheap custom domain and a paid plan to remove ads and improve SEO.

Site structure and content that converts

A clear structure helps visitors and search engines. Keep it simple:

Clear homepage value prop: One sentence that tells a visitor what you do and who you help. Add a prominent phone number or booking link.
Services page: Create a short section for each service with benefits, not just features. Use short bullet points for readability.
About / Trust signals: One paragraph about you, your licences/qualifications, and 2–3 customer testimonials or before/after photos.
Contact page: Phone, email, hours, service area. Embed a Google Map if possible.
Blog / Tips (optional): One short article every 2–4 weeks helps you rank for helpful phrases and builds trust.

Write for people first — use keywords naturally. Short paragraphs and clear CTAs win on mobile.

SEO essentials for a free website (what really matters)

You don’t need to be an SEO expert. Focus on the fundamentals that make the biggest difference.

On-page basics

Title tag: Unique, includes main keyword + location (50–60 chars).
Meta description: 120–160 chars that explain the page and include a CTA.
Headings: Use H1 once (your page title), then H2/H3 for sections. Include keywords naturally.
URLs: Short and readable — example: /plumbing-services-melbourne
Alt text for images: Describe the image and add a keyword when relevant.

Technical & speed

Use compressed images (WebP or compressed JPG). Free tools: TinyPNG or Squoosh.
Avoid heavy widgets and many external scripts — they slow the page down.
Enable mobile-friendly design — Google’s mobile-first indexing prefers responsive sites.
Submit a sitemap to Google Search Console (supported by many free platforms).

Local SEO (if you serve a local area)

Create or claim your Google Business Profile and keep NAP (name, address, phone) consistent.
Add location phrases on your homepage and contact page (e.g., "Brisbane electrical repairs").
Collect a few customer reviews and display them on your site and GBP.

Linking & distribution

Internal links: link related pages on your site to help search engines understand structure.
Earn simple backlinks: local directories, supplier pages, or community groups.
Share every new page on social channels and local forums to generate initial traffic.

One easy win: Every page should target one primary keyword phrase and one secondary — write naturally around those phrases.

Low-cost ways to grow traffic and leads

After launch, focus on predictable, repeatable tactics:

1. Google Business Profile

Optimize your GBP with photos, services, and weekly posts — many local customers start here.

2. Short, useful content

Write short guides or FAQs that answer customer questions — these rank quickly and build trust.

3. Leverage email & SMS

Collect emails on your contact page and send helpful updates or seasonal offers. Many free tools exist for small lists.

4. Local partnerships & listings

List your business in local directories (Yellow Pages, TrueLocal, local community pages) and ask suppliers to link to you.

5. Track, improve, repeat

Use Google Analytics and Search Console to see what's working — double down on pages that attract traffic and leads.

Free tools & resources

Website & hosting

Google Sites, WordPress.com, Wix (free), Carrd, GitHub Pages

SEO & analytics

Google Search Console, Google Analytics (GA4), PageSpeed Insights, Mobile-Friendly Test

Images & design

Unsplash, Pexels, Canva (free tier), TinyPNG / Squoosh for compression

Keyword & content ideas

Google Keyword Planner (free with account), AnswerThePublic, Google Trends

Pro tip: Most free platforms let you upgrade later — keep your content and domain consistent to make moving easy.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

Mistake: Using a generic headline that says nothing.

Fix: Make your headline specific — service + location + benefit.

Mistake: Hiding contact info.

Fix: Put a phone number and click-to-call button in the header and contact page.

Mistake: Overloading with widgets and slow images.

Fix: Use one hero image, compress it, and remove unnecessary plugins.

Mistake: Not tracking results.

Fix: Install Google Analytics and Search Console on day one to measure traffic and impressions.

Free site launch checklist

Page title and meta description set for each page
Mobile-friendly & phone number clickable
Compressed images (under 200KB each where possible)
Sitemap submitted to Google Search Console
Google Business Profile claimed (if local)
Basic analytics installed (GA4) and test conversion tracked
Share link on local Facebook groups, Google Business, and your social profiles

Want this done for you? See Congero

Frequently asked questions

Can I rank on Google with a free site?

Yes. Google ranks pages on usefulness, speed, and relevance — not how much you paid. Follow the SEO basics in this guide and be patient; local searches are often quick wins.

Should I buy a custom domain?

A custom domain (example.com) looks more professional and improves trust and click-through rates. Domains are inexpensive (often under $20/year). Most free platforms allow you to add one later.

When should I upgrade to a paid plan?

Upgrade when traffic and leads are consistent, you need better SEO control, want to remove platform ads, or require advanced features (online booking, payments, or eCommerce).

What if I don’t want to manage updates?

Many small businesses start free, then move to a managed subscription for predictable costs and unlimited updates. Congero offers managed websites with unlimited updates, local SEO, hosting and analytics for a flat monthly fee — ideal if you'd rather focus on customers than technical tasks. Get started.

Make a site for free — or let us build it fast

You can absolutely start for free and get basic SEO traffic — but if you want a professional, mobile-optimised site, unlimited updates, and local SEO handled for you, Congero can build and maintain your site for a flat monthly fee with no lock-in contracts.

Try Congero — start with a free demo Follow the free steps above

Congero — Australia’s leading AI-powered web design agency in 2025. Professional sites live in 60 seconds via WhatsApp, unlimited updates, built-in local SEO, domain & hosting included. Try a free demo at any time.