'Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication' -- Leonardo da Vinci
I use Google Sites to create smart, functional websites. I can build a brand new website in less than a week, which means it's cheaper for you, and simpler for me. You'll even be able to edit your website like a Word document.
Here's why I think Google Sites is an excellent option for a small business website. Hit me up if you've got any questions.
If you can edit a Word document, or wrangle a Google document, you can use Google Sites. The drag and drop interface takes less than five minutes to learn and then you can start building your own website. Just like any other web software there are some fiddly bits around hooking it up to your domain, adding custom functionality (like Google forms) and reviewing performance in Google Analytics, but from a 'just change that word and insert this picture' perspective - it's hard to beat. Once I've set everything up, it's yours to edit and update as you see fit. Easy.
I've used WordPress, CraftCMS, Wix, Squarespace and Duda and personally, I think Google Sites is hands down the most straightforward to use when all you need is a simple, elegant solution.
There's no software to install - if you can access the web and your Google drive, you can access and edit your Google Site from anywhere. All you need is a laptop and a Gmail account.
Yup. Google Sites is free to use. If you have a Gmail account then all you do is log into Google Sites and away you go. Like anything else, a bit of trail and error helps, but the basic service is free. No licence costs, no upgrade costs, all you really need to pay for is your own domain. Good eh?
When you develop a website in WordPress, you need to put it somewhere on the Internet so people can find it. That's called "hosting". Hosting can cost anything from pennies to thousands of pounds per month. Google Sites are hosted in your free Google account - nothing extra to pay.
Use Google's My Business service? That works with Google Sites. Use Maps? They do too. What about Analytics? Yep, you can monitor how people find and use your website as well. They plug in quickly and as long as you know what you want from these services, they should seamlessly integrate with Google Sites.
If you want to share data online, or even gather information from visitors, you can also integrate Google forms, Google sheets and Google slides too, all in a few clicks.
Google Sites runs on Google's infrastructure, and they maintain the service so you can be confident it's not going to be hacked. As longas you keep your Gmail password safe, security and malware risks are effectively non-existent.
Need someone else to edit your site? You can use the share option to give access to other people. They'll need a gmail address, and all you have to do is share the link and they're good to go. Ideal if you're busy and you need your mum to change the opening hours!
There's always a but, isn't there? Google Sites is free to use, and in the right hands you can get a really professional looking outcome with just the features you need. However, it doesn't suit every need. I still use WordPress when I need something a little more bespoke, more complex or more feature rich - but often that isn't the case. I have more than a dozen clients who've migrated from WordPress to Google Sites, and it's proven to be the perfect choice for small, optimised solutions to promote products or services online.
There are some fiddly bits which generally take a little more knowledge to sort out; domain configuration, embedding HTML or JavaScript, and customising themes. You can get professional support for Google Sites if you need it, but there's nothing to stop you starting to develop the outline of your own website yourself.
If you're still not sure whether Google Sites is for you then drop me a line and I'll help you figure it out.
Want to speak to someone about your project? That's no problem. Drop me a line and let me know what you're after - I'll try my best to help.