Many small business owners search for "free web sites" expecting zero cost and instant results. That’s true in one narrow sense — you can publish a site without paying money upfront — but the trade-offs are significant. This guide explains what "free" actually includes, what it usually excludes, and the practical long-term cost for trades and local services in Australia.
A free website typically gives you hosting, a builder interface and templates at no cost — but often with restrictions. Understanding these limits helps you decide whether "free" is right for your business.
"Free" often comes at the cost of brand control, professional email, search visibility and removal of ads — all important for service businesses that rely on trust and local search.
A balanced look at what you gain and what you give up when choosing a free website.
Free hosting and builders can harm local visibility and make it harder for customers to find your business online.
Free sites on subdomains often get lower local ranking priority than domain-owned sites. For trades, ranking in "near me" searches is vital.
Shared free hosting and heavy platform scripts slow pages. Slow speed reduces conversions and search visibility.
Platforms control outbound links and indexing rules. Building authority and backlinks to a subdomain is harder than to your own domain.
If you want to test an idea, a free site is ok. But for long-term local lead generation — especially for trades like plumbing, electrical or landscaping — investing in a proper domain and hosted site pays back quickly in leads and bookings.
A Melbourne plumber tested a free builder and then moved to a managed Congero site. Results after 90 days:
Subdomain, platform ads, slow loading.
Own domain, local SEO, unlimited updates.
Domain authority, schema, speed and removal of platform branding drove trust and clicks.
If cost is the key concern, here are practical paths for small businesses.
Use a free site to prototype, then migrate to your own domain when ready. Exporting content can be manual — plan for time to rebuild.
Paid starter plans (often $5–$15/month) remove ads and provide a custom domain — better for branding but still limited in support and updates.
Congero offers domain, hosting, local SEO, unlimited updates and analytics for one flat fee — ideal for trades and local services who need leads, not tinkering.
We designed our service specifically for busy trades and service businesses that can’t afford downtime, lost leads or technical headaches.
For $49/month you get domain (or bring your own), hosting, SSL, unlimited text-in updates, and monthly analytics. No surprise bills to remove branding or unlock SEO features.
Automatic local SEO, schema markup and on-page optimisation to help you show up in "near me" searches — something free subdomain sites rarely handle well.
Need to update a price, add a special or upload a photo? Text us and we’ll publish changes in minutes — perfect for tradespeople on the go.
Cancel anytime and export your content. You keep control of your website and data — unlike many free platforms that make exporting difficult.
Answers to the most common questions to help you choose the right path.
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