Practical guide

set up a website for free

A clear, no-nonsense step-by-step plan for beginners — from choosing a free platform to essential SEO and growth tips.

You don't need to spend hundreds or wait weeks to get online. This guide walks you through setting up a fully functional, search-friendly website for free in one afternoon, plus practical steps to start getting traffic and enquiries.

Start the Quick Steps Essential SEO Tips Upgrade to Congero

Starting cost

1–4 hrs

Quick setup time

Mobile

Optimise for phones

SEO

Essential on-page steps

Quick setup steps (fast) Best free platforms Write great pages Essential SEO setup Analytics & monitoring Growth tips When to upgrade FAQ

Quick setup: Get online for free in under 2 hours

Follow these practical steps to launch a simple, usable website with no cost. We'll expand on each step after the checklist.

1

Pick a free platform — recommended options: GitHub Pages, Netlify, Google Sites, WordPress.com free plan, Carrd, or Wix free subdomain.
2

Choose a simple structure — Home, Services (or Products), About, Contact. One page is OK to start.
3

Write clear copy — Headline, 3 key benefits, contact details, and a short call-to-action.
4

Add images and logo — use free stock or a simple photo; optimise for web (small file sizes).
5

Set up basic SEO — page title, meta description, headings (H1, H2), and alt text for images.
6

Connect analytics — Google Analytics / Google Tag Manager + Google Search Console.
7

Publish and test — check mobile, forms, and speed. Share to your social profiles.

Best free platforms and when to use them

Not all free options are equal. Pick the one that matches your technical comfort and needs.

Google Sites

Simplest: drag-and-drop, free with Google account. Great for basic brochure sites and teams.

No code, instant
Limited design control
Works well for internal pages or one-pagers

WordPress.com (Free)

Good for blogs & content. Free plan includes wordpress.com subdomain and basic features.

Easy blogging tools
Limited plugin access on free plan

Carrd

Fast one-page sites, minimal learning curve. Great for landing pages and promos.

Beautiful templates
Free with Carrd subdomain

GitHub Pages / Netlify

Best for technically comfortable users. Free hosting with your own static site (Jekyll/Eleventy/static HTML).

Full control + custom domain support
Requires basic Git / command line

Wix Free Plan

Easy builder with many templates. Free plan includes Wix branding and subdomain.

Visually powerful editor
Branding & ads on free plan

Google My Business Website

Auto-generated page from your Google Business Profile — quick local presence.

Instant for local businesses
Very limited customisation

Recommendation: For non-technical users wanting a free, presentable site quickly, start with Carrd or Google Sites. If you plan to scale content and SEO, use WordPress.com or host a static site on Netlify/GitHub Pages (free) and add a cheap domain later.

Write pages that convert: structure & copy

Good content is the difference between a website and a business tool. Use this simple page layout for every primary page.

Essential page structure (Home / Service / About)

Headline: One sentence that explains what you do and who you help.
Subheadline / 3 benefits: Short bullets describing why choose you.
Social proof: Testimonials, logos or numbers (e.g., 1,200 installs).
Primary call-to-action: Call, WhatsApp link, or booking link.
Contact details & map: Phone, email, and your service areas.

Headline tips

Be specific: "Plumber in Melbourne — 24/7 emergency repairs" beats "Quality plumbing".
Include location or service if you rely on local customers.

Image & media tips

Use clear, high-quality photos of your work or team.
Compress images: aim for 100–250 KB per image for fast pages.
Add alt text describing the image (helps SEO and accessibility).

Essential SEO (do these first)

Search Engine Optimisation doesn't have to be complex. Start with these high-impact essentials.

On-page basics

Page Title (title tag): Keep to 50–60 characters, include main keyword and location if local.
Meta description: 120–160 characters, persuasive summary with a call-to-action.
Headings: One H1 per page (use "set up a website for free" on the relevant guide page). Use H2s for sections.
URL structure: short and readable (example: /services/plumbing-melbourne).
Image alt text: concise descriptions including keywords when relevant.

Technical & local SEO

Mobile-first: Ensure pages look and load well on phones.
Speed: Aim for under 3 seconds — compress images, limit scripts.
Sitemap & robots.txt: Submit sitemap to Google Search Console.
Google Business Profile: Claim & optimise for local searches if you serve a local area.

Simple SEO workflow (first 30 days)

Publish core pages (Home, Services, About, Contact).
Install analytics & connect Search Console.
Submit sitemap and request indexing of key pages.
Gather 3–5 local citations (Yellow Pages, local directories) and add consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone).
Collect one or two real testimonials and add to your site — trust helps ranking and clicks.

Analytics & monitoring — measure what matters

Track performance from day one so you know what works and where to improve.

Free tools to use

Google Analytics 4 — user behaviour and conversions
Google Search Console — performance, indexing, search queries
PageSpeed Insights — speed diagnostics
Uptime robot or similar — monitor downtime

Key metrics to check weekly

Sessions and users
Top landing pages
Search queries driving clicks
Form submissions / calls
Mobile vs desktop traffic

Quick wins from data

Boost pages with high impressions but low CTR — improve title & meta description.
Fix pages with high bounce rate — check mobile layout and load speed.
Repurpose top-performing content into social posts and email snippets.

Grow your online presence (practical steps)

Once published, focus on predictable, low-cost tactics that drive traffic and enquiries.

Local listings

Claim and optimise Google Business Profile, add photos, opening hours, and a short description. Encourage reviews from customers.

Content schedule

Publish one short blog or update every 2 weeks about jobs, tips, or offers. Consistency beats perfection.

Social & backlinks

Share new pages to Facebook, LinkedIn, and industry forums. Ask local partners to link to your site (chambers, suppliers).

Low-cost traffic boosters

Local ads: Small Google Ads or Facebook campaigns for your top service areas — start with $5–10/day.
Promotions: Limited-time offers with a clear CTA increase enquiries quickly.
Email follow-up: Collect emails and send short newsletters with before/after photos and specials.

When free isn't enough — sensible upgrade signals

Free sites are great for starting. Consider upgrading when you need consistent enquiries, advanced SEO, or a polished brand presence.

Signs you should upgrade

You're outgrowing a subdomain (e.g., yourname.wixsite.com)
Traffic grows but conversions are low (you need better design or forms)
You want faster SEO results and local optimisation

Upgrade path options

Buy a domain: Affordable domains start around $10–20/year.
Move to a professional subscription: Includes hosting, SEO, and unlimited updates (Congero offers a managed option from $49/mo).
Custom build: For unique features, consider a custom site when revenue supports it.

Need help scaling? — Quick note about Congero

If you want to move from a free site to a fully managed, conversion-focused website without technical hassle, Congero builds professional mobile-first sites quickly, handles local SEO, domain registration, hosting, and unlimited updates for a predictable monthly fee. Learn more or upgrade anytime via the demo link below.

See Congero Plans & Start

Frequently asked questions

Can I use a free domain instead of buying one?

Free subdomains (platform.example.com) work fine to start. For branding and SEO, a custom domain (yourbusiness.com) is worth buying when you can — domains are inexpensive and look more professional.

Will a free website hurt my ranking on Google?

No — Google looks at content quality, mobile usability, and speed. A well-optimised free site can rank well. Limitations come from slow pages, lack of custom domain, or restricted SEO features on some platforms.

How do I get my site indexed quickly?

Submit your sitemap in Google Search Console, request indexing for key pages, and share links on social profiles. Backlinks from local directories also speed up discovery.

What's the fastest way to collect enquiries?

Add a clear call-to-action with a click-to-call phone number, WhatsApp link, or a simple contact form. Place it above the fold and on every page.

Ready to launch your free website?

Follow the steps above and you'll have a searchable, usable website at no cost. When you're ready to grow faster, upgrade to a managed solution that handles SEO, updates, hosting and analytics for you.

Start the Quick Steps See Managed Option (Congero)

No credit card needed to try a demo and see how a managed site can replace hours of DIY work.