where to get a free website
Free website options, SEO basics, and a realistic plan to grow your online presence
Free websites are a great starting point for new businesses, side-hustles, and testing ideas. This guide explains the best free platforms, what they include (and what they don't), plus step-by-step SEO and growth tactics so your free site can actually attract customers.
Top free website options (what to expect)
Here are the most common free routes, grouped by ease-of-use and freedom.
Drag-and-drop builders (easiest)
Quick setup, visual editing, but usually show branding/ads and limit custom domains unless you pay.
- Wix (free plan) — Very easy, lots of templates, shows Wix ads, subdomain like username.wixsite.com/site
- Weebly — Simple e-commerce options on paid plans; free plan shows footer branding.
- Google Sites — Fast, free, no ads, but minimal design and functionality (good for internal or simple brochure sites).
Developer-friendly static hosting (most control)
No ads, full control, free HTTPS — but requires some technical skill to build and deploy.
- GitHub Pages — Free hosting for static sites, ideal for Jekyll, Hugo, or static HTML sites. Custom domain supported.
- Netlify / Vercel (free tiers) — Continuous deploys from Git, serverless functions, and global CDN on free plans.
- Cloudflare Pages — Great performance and free edge hosting for static projects.
Publishing platforms (content-first)
Perfect for writing and building an audience quickly; limited site structure and branding.
- WordPress.com (free plan) — Good blogging platform, shows WordPress.com branding, limited plugins and themes.
- Blogger / Medium — Simple and free for content publishing, not ideal as a full business site but great for SEO content.
One-page builders
Fast landing pages and portfolios; often used for lead magnets and simple contact pages.
- Carrd (free plan) — Excellent for single-page sites; free with Carrd branding and limited forms.
- Tilda / Strikingly (free tiers) — Good templates and one-page focus with branding on the free plan.
Quick recommendations
- Non-technical and fast: Wix or Weebly to launch a decent brochure site in minutes.
- Control + no ads: GitHub Pages / Netlify if you can handle a static site or hire someone to set it up.
- Content-focused: WordPress.com, Medium, or Blogger for publishing and SEO testing.
When a free website makes sense
A free site can be an excellent starting point if your goals are modest and you understand the trade-offs.
Good reasons to use a free site
- Testing an idea or MVP before investing money.
- Simple brochure or portfolio with a handful of pages.
- Authors or bloggers focused on content, not branding.
- Internal pages, event microsites, or temporary campaigns.
When to avoid free plans
- You need a professional brand presence with your own domain and no ads.
- You require advanced SEO, e-commerce, or heavy customization.
- You want reliable support, fast performance, or business-grade email.
SEO basics for free websites (practical steps)
Free platforms can rank well if you follow SEO fundamentals—here's the exact checklist to implement.
1. Keyword intent & page focus
Choose one clear intent per page. Use a primary keyword (e.g., "plumbing repairs 24/7") in the page title, H1, and within the first 100 words naturally.
2. Title tags & meta descriptions
Write unique title tags (50–60 chars) and meta descriptions (120–160 chars) for each page. On free builders, find the SEO settings and enter them manually.
3. Headings & structure (H1, H2)
Use one H1 per page and H2s for sections. Clear structure helps both readers and search engines understand your content.
4. Images & alt text
Compress images for speed and add descriptive alt text (use target keywords sensibly). Free platforms let you upload images and edit alt fields—always fill them in.
5. Mobile-friendly & speed
Test pages on a phone. Remove large scripts and heavy widgets. For static-site hosts (Netlify/Pages), you get faster load times by default.
6. Sitemap & robots.txt
If your platform supports it, submit a sitemap.xml to search engines and check robots.txt. For WordPress.com or static sites, generate and submit a sitemap via Google Search Console.
7. Analytics & tracking
Install Google Analytics / GA4 (or platform analytics). Track visitors, popular pages, and conversion events like contact clicks or form submissions.
8. Backlinks & local signals
Get listed in relevant directories, partner sites, and industry pages. Links from reputable sites boost rankings more than dozens of low-quality links.
Quick SEO action plan (first 30 days)
- Choose 3–5 target pages and keywords.
- Fill title tags, meta descriptions, and H1s.
- Compress images, add alt text, and test mobile layout.
- Install analytics & submit sitemap to Google Search Console.
- Publish 1 helpful blog post and promote it to local directories and social.
How to grow your online presence from a free site
Free sites can become lead-generating assets when paired with consistent content and basic marketing. Follow this practical sequence.
1. Content that answers questions
Write pages and blog posts that directly answer what customers search for. Use simple titles like "How much does X cost" or "How to choose a Y".
2. Claim business profiles
Create or claim profiles on relevant directories and listing services. Keep your business name, phone, and website consistent (NAP).
3. Collect reviews & testimonials
Positive reviews build trust and help local search results. Ask customers to leave feedback and showcase it on your site.
4. Small paid boosts
Run a low-budget ad to a high-value page (e.g., service + contact) to validate demand. Even $5–10/day can drive useful traffic.
5. Email & remarketing
Collect emails with a simple signup and follow up with offers. Use remarketing to re-engage visitors who didn't convert the first time.
6. Measure and improve
Use analytics to find the best pages. Improve those pages’ content, CTAs, and speed for more conversions.
Growth timeline (realistic)
Month 1: Launch & basic SEO. Months 2-3: Publish content weekly and claim listings. Months 4-6: Build backlinks, collect reviews, run small ads — expect measurable traffic and leads if you stay consistent.
When a paid or professional site makes sense
Upgrade when your site needs credibility, performance, or features that free plans can't provide.
You should consider upgrading if:
- You want a custom domain without ads.
- You need faster pages, better uptime, or business email.
- You require advanced SEO, schema, or e-commerce.
- You want unlimited updates and reliable support.
A pragmatic alternative
If you need a professional presence but want predictable costs, subscription services combine design, hosting, domain and unlimited updates for a monthly fee. They remove the technical burden and include SEO basics so you can focus on customers.
If your free site is bringing real enquiries, consider moving to a paid plan or managed service to remove ads, use a custom domain, and unlock better SEO tools.
See How It WorksFrequently asked questions
Is a free website good for SEO?
Will a free site hurt my credibility?
How hard is it to move from free to paid?
Can I use a free site long-term?
Start small — then grow with confidence
Free websites are perfect for testing and getting visible quickly. If you later need a professional managed option with unlimited updates, included SEO, domain and hosting, there are subscription services that handle everything so you can focus on customers.
See How It WorksNo matter which route you choose, follow the SEO checklist above and measure results. Optimize what drives leads first.
Not sure which path suits you?
If you want the speed and predictability of a managed website (custom domain, mobile-optimised design, SEO basics handled, and unlimited updates) without the technical work, professional subscription services offer that as a monthly plan. They often include domain registration, hosting, SSL, and analytics for a predictable fee.
