I used to think launching a website meant either learning to code or shelling out hundreds of dollars to a developer. Turns out, I was completely wrong. Last month, I helped my neighbor set up a site for her small bakery, and we had it running in under four hours—for the cost of just a domain name. The aim of any business is keep the cost low, so building a website for free is a question that many people have in mind.
Why I Always Start with a Custom Domain
Here’s something I learned the hard way: when you build on Google Sites, you end up with URLs that look like sites.google.com/view/your-messy-site-name-here. Not exactly confidence-inspiring when you’re trying to look professional.
Getting your own domain changes everything. Instead of that clunky address, your visitors see something clean like yourbusiness.com. I usually grab domains through Squarespace because their interface doesn’t make me feel like I need a computer science degree to navigate it.
It’s honestly like the difference between handing someone a business card versus scribbling your info on a napkin.
Google Sites: The Tool Nobody Talks About
While everyone’s debating WordPress versus Wix, Google Sites just sits there being ridiculously simple. I’ve walked complete beginners through it over coffee, and they’re publishing pages by the time we finish our second cup.
The process goes something like this:
- Log in with whatever Google account you already have
- Choose from their templates (or ignore them and start fresh)
- Drop in your text, images, maybe embed a video from YouTube
- Move things around until they look right
- Hit publish
No plugins to manage, no updates to install, no mysterious errors at 2 AM. It just works.
How It Stacks Up Against the Big Names
I’ve used WordPress for years, and don’t get me wrong—it’s powerful. But that power comes with complexity. You’re dealing with hosting companies, security updates, plugin conflicts. Great if you want to build the next Amazon, maybe overkill if you just want to showcase your photography.
Wix looks prettier out of the box, I’ll give it that. Their drag-and-drop editor feels more polished than Google Sites. But try to do anything interesting on their free plan and you’ll hit paywalls faster than you can say “custom domain.”
Google Sites won’t win any design awards, but it gets you online without drama. Sometimes that’s exactly what you need.
Doing It Yourself (Because You Actually Can)
The whole process breaks down into three steps that anyone can handle:
First, pick up a domain name. I usually spend about 10 minutes browsing options on Squarespace until something clicks. Don’t overthink it—you can always register additional domains later if your first choice feels wrong.
Next, build your actual site in Google Sites. Start with their templates if you’re feeling overwhelmed, or go blank if you have a clear vision. Add your content, shuffle things around, preview it a few times.
Finally, connect that shiny new domain to your Google Site. This part used to intimidate me, but the instructions are pretty straightforward these days.
Total time investment? Maybe an afternoon if you’re taking your time and second-guessing your color choices.
Starting Small Makes Sense
Look, you don’t need to launch with every bell and whistle. Some of the most successful websites I know started as simple Google Sites that their owners gradually outgrew.
The point isn’t to build something perfect—it’s to get your idea out there where people can find it. You can always migrate to something fancier later when you know exactly what you need.
But right now? Today? You can have a real website with your own domain name for less than the cost of lunch at most places.
The hardest part is just deciding to start. In case you think you need any help you can always get in touch with us.