A free website can get you online quickly — but there are trade-offs. Understand the limitations so you can choose the right path for your business.
Cost — obviously. Speed and simplicity are the other reasons: you can be discoverable online in under an hour with almost no technical skills. For new or testing businesses it's a low-risk place to start.
These options are popular in 2025 — pick based on your skill level and long-term goals.
Beginner-friendly drag-and-drop editor, lots of templates. Free plan includes Wix ads and subdomain. Good for portfolios and simple service pages.
Flexible content and blogging features. Free plan gives a WordPress subdomain and limited plugins. Ideal if you plan to scale to a hosted WordPress site later.
Extremely simple, no ads, but basic styling. Great for internal pages, event landing pages or simple contact sites tied to a Google account.
Best for people comfortable with Git or static site generators. Full control, no platform ads, can use a custom .com.au domain — but more technical setup required.
Fast one-page sites and landing pages. Free versions often require upgrades for forms or custom domain support.
Not a traditional website, but free business profiles help with visibility and quick contact — essential for local Australian businesses.
Simple store and site capabilities on a subdomain with platform branding. Good for small shops testing demand.
Follow these steps to launch a basic, discoverable site today.
Pick based on skill and goals: Wix/WordPress.com for easiest editing, Google Sites for zero fuss, GitHub/Netlify if you want full control and custom domain for free hosting.
Use a professional-looking template that matches your industry (trades, beauty, café). Upload your logo and replace sample text with your own.
Use a consistent business name, address and phone (NAP). Create or claim your Google Business Profile and add service areas. Mention suburbs and cities you serve on service pages.
Use real photos of your work where possible; compress images for fast load times. Add testimonials or before/after shots to build credibility in Australia.
Publish to the provided subdomain, test on mobile and desktop, check contact links and map pins. Use Google Search Console to submit your sitemap if the platform supports it.
Use Google Analytics and Search Console to monitor traffic. Make small improvements: add keywords to service pages, shorten headings, and request reviews from customers.
Demo creates a professional site instantly — free preview, no credit card.
Free is great for experimentation. Paid managed websites are usually better when you need leads, local SEO and a reliable presence.
Congero offers a free demo that builds a professional, mobile-responsive website in under 60 seconds via text — no design skill required. If you like the preview you can continue for an all-inclusive AUD 49/month that covers domain registration (or transfer), hosting, SSL, local SEO and unlimited updates. For busy Australian trades and services who value leads and uptime, Congero provides the speed of "free" with the reliability of a managed service.
Even with a free site, apply these best practices to increase enquiries.
Include suburb names and terms like "near me", "Melbourne plumber", or "Brisbane electrician" naturally in headings and service descriptions.
Add photos, opening hours and service areas. Google Business often outranks small websites for local searches.
Even free sites should show consistent name, address and phone. Add schema (LocalBusiness markup) where possible to help search engines.
Compress images and choose a lightweight template — Google prioritises mobile speed for ranking and conversions.
Ask satisfied customers for Google reviews — they’re the single most powerful factor for local trust and click-throughs.
Get listed on local directories, community pages or local trade associations to build local authority.
These solutions work for most small Australian businesses.
Check you have a Google Business Profile, proper NAP, and at least 3-5 service pages that include local keywords. Submit sitemap to Search Console where possible.
Compress images (WebP or optimized JPEG), use correct dimensions and add descriptive ALT text. Many site builders compress automatically — check settings.
Most free plans don’t allow custom domains. Consider buying a .com.au and connecting it (may require paid plan). For immediacy, use Google Business and social profiles while you upgrade.
Yes — many builders offer free plans. However, truly fully-featured sites (custom domain, no ads, full SEO) often require a paid plan. Expect small costs for a professional domain.
Usually not. Free plans often block custom domain use or require upgrading. You can buy a .com.au domain separately and connect it when the platform allows it (often on paid plans).
No — Google rewards helpful, people-first content regardless of how it’s created. Focus on original, useful information for your customers. If you use AI, tailor the content to your services and local areas.
Ask satisfied customers in person or via SMS/email to leave a Google review. Make it easy by sending a direct review link. Reviews dramatically improve local visibility and trust.
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