You have a vision, a flawless plan for your business that simply cannot fail. Name, brand, logo… Everything is here! People are interested in your services and want to know more about you, but you don’t have a website yet. Do you even need a website? More importantly, can you create one yourself for free?

As an entrepreneur, there will be a lot you need to catch up with, and any useful information you can get is key. Building a website for free is possible, but it requires some organisation. So, we’ve gathered the most relevant things to consider before starting your website. 

We will answer questions like: does it really matter, and can you use social media platforms instead, or if you ‌ need a website, is it possible to do it for free? 

What purpose does a website have?

Before diving deeper into the subject and getting rid of your doubts, let’s define the key concept: What is a website? A website is a collection of pages with information about a certain topic. The topic and information depend on the individual, company, or organisation that is creating content for the site.

However, if Facebook or Instagram already contain certain information and serve as a medium for communicating with the audience, do you really need a website?

E-commerce companies can’t go without a website, as their website contains the products they’re selling. In short, they depend on websites.

Whether you need a website will depend on your venture. Even if you feel like a website is not needed, it can help your business grow. Think about it this way: If someone wants to know more about your company, they are almost certain to look for it on Google first. If they don’t find a website, they are likely to lose interest.

How to create a website?

To know where to start, ‌have your business plan ready and your brand established. We have already talked about content marketing and social media marketing in other EWOR blogs you should check out.

You already know everything about starting a new company. The next step is to advertise it. The most effective way to do that is to create a website.

A website outlines certain rules you should follow. Every website contains certain parts (pages). To name a few, there are the following:

– Homepage

– About section

– Offer (products)

– Privacy policy

In order to make your website UX (user experience) friendly, create a website mind map.

Mind map for building a website

A mind map is like a networked collection of key information about your website. Depending on your services, you choose which pages you want to include on your website.

The homepage is something you need on your website. The “about us” section tells the reader who they’re doing business with. The rest is up to you. Pages like a blog, products, services, and privacy policy depend on the type of business that you have.

Once you’ve put everything on paper, you’ll need to transfer it to a computer to make it work. You can try using MindMup to help you speed up the process. 

Be creative, but also constructive. Keep in mind that user experience (UX) matters, as it plays a very critical role in expanding your traffic. After you have the structure, it’s time to start building a website – for free.

How can you create a website for free?

You can just make a few clicks, choose your theme and start building a website for free.

You should do some research before settling on a name for your listing. Thus, you may see your competition and make a name difference. Make sure the name you choose is relevant. Name is a very useful source that can help you with this task. Once you own your business name, it’s time to check the competition. Try SimilarWeb and get familiar with the competition.

In order for your venture to succeed, you have to know both the market and the competition. This insight will tell you what you should focus on and help you find something that will make you stand out in the market.

Top 5 completely free website builders

Building a website for free is simple. There are a lot of website builders that are fun to use, so you can even enjoy the creative process of building your website. Although most website builders have paid plans with premium features, the free versions are a worthwhile place to start.

1. Wix – One reason for its popularity is that its service is completely free. There is a starting price of $14 per month if you want to upgrade your account. However, even if you don’t, there are still a lot of benefits you can enjoy.
   
   The drag-and-drop editor makes this website builder easy to use, so you won’t have to get familiar with it. Their storage has 500 MB of free space, while their ads are barely visible on a banner at the top of the page.
   
   Wix offers free templates and designs with pre-built content. All you need to do is click on the text and edit it according to your wishes and needs.
   
   For those who need an e-commerce test site, Wix offers a zero-cost plan for building the site. But to sell products, you will have to pay a premium upgrade plan for business and e-commerce.
   
2. GoDaddy – Coming with an SEO Wiz just like Wix, GoDaddy is one of the newest website builders on the market, but that doesn’t make it any less useful. This service is beginner-friendly and has an editor that’s easy to master. Within just a few clicks, you can create, rearrange, build and manage your website for no cost.
   
   The website editor is based on the ADI (Artificial Design Intelligence) method, meaning that you can answer a few simple questions that will lead you to an already prepared template for your website.
   
   Although, this website builder still offers outstanding features considering they are entirely free. There is a paid option billed annually for advanced users.
   
   
3. Site123 – Just like GoDaddy, this builder starts with the ADI method, asking you a few questions before preparing a website template for you. However, one disadvantage of this service is a randomly generated name. This may force you to get a paid plan in order to change it.
   
   Still, in the variety of website builders, if you have no other option, Site123 is a decent place to start. If you want a website builder just for practice, this would be the most suitable one to start with.
   
4. Webflow – Probably the leading website builder for designers, Webflow will impress you with stylish and professional customisation. Unlike Wix or GoDaddy that have drag-and-drop editors, Webflow works with section block areas.
   
   If you’re not comfortable with more advanced customisation, choose website builders with a drag-and-drop system.

What you see is what you get

“You get what you pay for” may not be the case for building a website for no free. Although ‌these website builders come with a paid plan ranging between $6-14 per month, their basic service is entirely free. Keep in mind, some may exceed this range, reaching up to $50 per month, or if you hire someone personally, the price tag will increase immensely (to hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars). You can use free templates, and you can get a domain name for free with just a few clicks.

Conclusion

All you need is an idea to build your website using a mind map. After you decide on the construction of your website and the content, you can dive into building a website for free.

Choosing which website builder best suits your business depends on your type of business. While social media can be beneficial in expanding your company and gaining recognition, a website will still further growth goals. So, what are you waiting for?