"Free website" usually means you can publish a site without paying money up front. In practice, free options trade off: you may get a subdomain (yourname.platform.com), platform branding or ads, limited storage/bandwidth, poor SEO, and no custom email. This guide shows realistic free paths, their limits, and when a low-cost managed option like Congero ($49/month) is a smarter business choice.
A "free" website can work for hobbies, experiments or one-off events. For trades and service businesses that need leads and reliable local visibility, the limitations of free plans often cost you more in missed enquiries and time.
Pro tip:
Use a free website to test messaging and images, then upgrade to a managed, SEO-optimised site when you're ready to get real enquiries.
Key differences that affect visibility, credibility and leads.
Quick to start, zero upfront cost, ideal for prototypes.
Powerful & customisable, but needs time and technical skills.
Fast, optimised, includes updates & local SEO for $49/month.
Follow these steps to publish a basic website today. Time to live: 10–60 minutes depending on content readiness.
Decide whether the site is a simple business card, portfolio, booking page or online store. Keep it focused — one clear call-to-action converts best.
Pick a hosted free plan for speed (subdomain) or use a free hosting tier with a CMS if you’re technical. For instant previews, try Congero’s free 60s demo to see a real site without commitment.
Use a clean template and upload your logo, a strong headline, 3 primary services, and 3 photos of your work. Aim for clarity over quantity.
Include NAP (name, address, phone), a short services section, trust signals (reviews or years in business) and a clear CTA (call, SMS or booking link).
Publish to a subdomain for free. Test on mobile, check page speed, and make sure contact details and click-to-call work correctly.
List your business on Google Business Profile, add local keywords to your home page, and track visits. If you get traction, consider upgrading to a managed site to capture more leads.
See a working version of your site for free — then decide.
Free plans are tempting, but these common issues hurt business owners trying to get leads.
Using yourname.platform.com looks less professional and can confuse customers. Platform ads can also distract visitors.
Free plans often block advanced meta tags, schema and analytics — all essential for local search performance.
Some builders make it hard to export your content or migrate away. That can lock you into a platform or force a full rebuild later.
Free hosting tiers may lack regular backups, DDoS protection and fast SSL support — all risks for customer trust and uptime.
Shared free hosting often means slow load times, which hurts conversions and search rankings.
Free users typically have limited or forum-only support — not ideal when your business depends on the site working.
Upgrade when the website starts costing you more in missed leads than the monthly fee.
Even on free plans, these basics help your site rank and convert better.
Whenever possible, swap the platform subdomain for a custom domain — it improves trust and SEO. If domain cost is a barrier, prioritize it once you have enquiries.
Most visitors are on phones. Ensure headings, click-to-call, and content load quickly and look great on small screens.
Include your suburb or service areas in page titles, meta descriptions and the visible business address to rank in "near me" searches.
Compress photos and add descriptive ALT text. Slow pages kill conversions and rankings.
Add localBusiness schema or service schema where possible — this helps search engines understand your offering.
Install analytics to track where enquiries come from. Data guides whether to keep a free plan or upgrade to grow.
Clear, practical answers so you know what to expect.
Yes — you can publish a site using free plans or platform previews. Expect limitations like subdomains, ads, limited SEO, and restricted support.
It can be a starting point, but most trades need reliable local SEO, fast pages and credibility — things free plans don’t always provide. A managed solution like Congero (from $49/month) often delivers more leads and less maintenance time.
Use a hosted builder free plan or a Congero free preview to see a real working site in under 60 seconds. If the preview converts, you can choose to upgrade for added features and a custom domain.
Managed plans that include domain, hosting, SEO and updates typically start around $49/month (Congero). That predictable cost often pays for itself with higher enquiry rates and less time spent maintaining the site.
See a tailor-made website for your business in under 60 seconds — free preview, no card required. If you love it, Congero provides hosting, domain options and unlimited updates for a flat $49/month with no lock-in.
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