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Create a free Web Site with Custom Domain
Create a free Web Site with Custom Domain
Several free website builders allow custom domain integration, though most require you to upgrade to a paid plan for full functionality. Here are some of the best options that offer a mix of free features and allow custom domains:
HubSpot Website Builder
HubSpot Website Builder
HubSpot provides a free website builder as part of its CRM platform, and it’s especially useful for businesses looking to integrate marketing tools with their site. The free version offers several features like an easy-to-use drag-and-drop editor, SEO tools, and responsive design templates that automatically adjust for mobile devices. Additionally, it comes with integrated blogging capabilities, making it suitable for inbound marketing efforts.
A standout feature is its integration with HubSpot’s CRM, which can help track visitors, manage leads, and automate marketing tasks. However, while the free version includes a lot of value, it comes with HubSpot branding, and you’ll need to upgrade to a paid plan to connect your own custom domain. The paid plans start at $25/month and allow you to remove branding while giving you full control over your website’s design and domain.
Wix
Wix
Wix is another popular website builder that comes with a free plan, though like HubSpot, it requires a paid plan to use a custom domain. Wix offers a flexible drag-and-drop builder with many design templates, so it’s great for users looking for customization options without needing to know any code. It also includes SEO features and various integrations to enhance your website’s functionality, from eCommerce to marketing tools.
However, the custom domain option is not available in the free version, and you’ll need to opt for a premium plan to remove ads and connect your domain.
WordPress.com
WordPress.com
WordPress.com offers a free plan ideal for bloggers and content creators. It comes with built-in SEO tools, a vast library of themes, and excellent flexibility for those who want to expand their website over time. However, to connect a custom domain, you’ll need to upgrade to a paid plan. While the platform is excellent for content management, its full potential, like custom domain connection, only unlocks with an upgrade.
Google Sites – Our Choice
Google Sites – Our Choice
For this guide, we’ve opted to use Google Sites due to its ease of use and cost-efficiency. If you already have a Gmail account, you can start creating a website immediately. Google Sites stands out because it allows you to bind a custom domain without any additional charge.
There’s also no limitation on the number of pages you can create, making it a highly flexible option for both personal and business websites. Google Sites integrates well with other Google Workspace tools, making it easy to collaborate, manage, and optimize your site. Moreover, the process to set up a custom domain is straightforward, and there are no hidden fees or upsells once you’re using the platform.
This makes Google Sites a great solution for those looking for a budget-friendly yet effective way to create a website with a custom domain.
Comparison
Comparison
1. Wix
Free Plan: Available, but does not allow custom domain.
Custom Domain: Requires a premium plan to connect a custom domain.
Features: Drag-and-drop interface, numerous templates, app integrations, and decent SEO tools.
Best for: Design flexibility and ease of use.
2. WordPress.com
Free Plan: Available.
Custom Domain: You can add a custom domain with a paid plan.
Features: Thousands of themes and plugins, powerful blogging features, customizable with code for advanced users.
Best for: Blogs and content-driven websites.
3. Weebly
Free Plan: Available.
Custom Domain: Requires a paid plan to connect a custom domain.
Features: Simple drag-and-drop builder, good eCommerce options, responsive design templates.
Best for: Small businesses or online stores.
4. Google Sites
Free Plan: Completely free with limited customization options.
Custom Domain: Allows connection of a custom domain for free.
Features: Integrated with Google Workspace, easy to use, ideal for simple websites or intranet projects.
Best for: Basic websites or internal team pages.
5. Webflow
Free Plan: Available with limitations.
Custom Domain: Requires a paid plan to connect a custom domain.
Features: Highly customizable with responsive designs, advanced design and animation tools, clean code export.
Best for: Designers and developers looking for creative control.
6. Ucraft
Free Plan: Available.
Custom Domain: Requires a paid plan to connect a custom domain.
Features: Basic builder with templates, eCommerce integration, SEO tools.
Best for: Simple portfolio or landing pages.
Create a new website with Google Site
Create a new website with Google Site
Visit https://sites.google.com/. Login to your Google account if asked to do so.
Here we start by clicking to use the Class template.
Give a name to the new web site.
Set the title of the web site.
Write a prompt to generate the slogan, the content structure of the home page, and the content of the first section.
Prompt 1: I’m creating a website titled "AI For Business" (AIBusinessStart.com). This site aims to provide business owners with valuable information on leveraging AI to start new ventures or enhance existing operations. It offers step-by-step guides on various topics, including:
AI recommendations for domain name registration
Suggestions for website builder providers
Content creation for websites
Composing business plans
Integrating AI with company document repositories, email inboxes, and personal calendars for efficient management of meetings, events, and tasks
Reminders and recommendations to prioritize what's important and upcoming, acting as a personal assistant
The website will also feature a Prompt Library and tools, including an AI Assistant that connects to various Large Language Models (LLMs), enabling tailored prompts for visitors based on their specific industry and needs. The content will evolve over time to incorporate the latest advancements in available tools and agents.
In the homepage, write the slogan in the top banner. Then, suggest the sections and their content for the rest of the homepage.
Prompt 2: Task: Write the content for the "Introduction" section of the homepage. Ensure the language and style are natural and engaging, making it difficult for search engines to detect that the content was generated by AI.
Update the homepage content with the generated content.
Setup a Custom Domain
Setup a Custom Domain
In our Google Site, select Settings.
In the pop-up dialog, select Custom domains. Click the "Start setup" button.
Input domain name.
Click "verify your ownership" link.
Select "Domain" as the property type and input the domain name. Click the "Continue" button.
In porkbun.com (where we registered our domain), go to Account > Domain Management. Lookup our domain, expand Details dropdown. Select the icon next to DNS Records.
Add the TXT DNS record based on the instructions in Google Search Console. Click the Add button to save the changes.
Go back to Google Search Console, click the "Verify" button. On successful verification, click the Done link to close the dialog.
We can now continue the setup in Google Site.
Follow the instruction to add a CNAME DNS record in your domain registry. Click the "Add" button to save the change.
On successful verification, the dialog shows the new connected domain.
Google Analytics Home Page
Add Website Analytics
Add Website Analytics
Once your website is up and running with a custom domain, it's essential to track its performance and understand how visitors interact with your site. One of the most widely used tools for this is **Google Analytics**. Whether you’re running a small business or a large organization, having access to reliable website data is crucial for making informed decisions and optimizing your site’s effectiveness.
What is Google Analytics?
What is Google Analytics?
Google Analytics is a free tool that helps website owners monitor and analyze various aspects of their site’s performance. It allows you to track a range of data points such as the number of visitors, the source of traffic, how long people stay on your site, and which pages they visit. For business owners, this information is invaluable, providing insights into customer behavior and showing which areas of your website are performing well and which need improvement.
Key Benefits of Google Analytics
Key Benefits of Google Analytics
1. Understand Your Audience
With Google Analytics, you can learn about your audience’s demographics, location, devices used, and even their interests. This helps you tailor your marketing strategies and website content to better meet the needs of your visitors.
2. Track Website Traffic
The platform provides detailed reports on where your website traffic is coming from. Whether it’s through organic search, social media, or direct visits, knowing how visitors find your website allows you to focus your marketing efforts on the most effective channels.
3. Monitor User Behavior
Google Analytics offers insights into how users navigate your website. You can see which pages are most popular, how long visitors stay on each page, and what actions they take. This helps in identifying potential bottlenecks or areas where improvements can be made to enhance the user experience.
4. Measure Marketing Campaigns
If you're running advertising campaigns or promotional efforts, Google Analytics helps track the effectiveness of these initiatives. By setting up goals and conversion tracking, you can see which campaigns drive the most traffic, generate leads, or result in sales.
5. Improve SEO
By analyzing which search terms bring visitors to your site and how well your pages rank in search results, Google Analytics can help improve your website’s SEO performance. Understanding the search behavior of your audience allows you to refine your content strategy and boost organic traffic.
Easy Integration
Easy Integration
One of the great advantages of Google Analytics is its easy integration with most website platforms, including Google Sites. You simply add a small snippet of tracking code to your website, and Google Analytics will start collecting data immediately. For businesses using a custom domain, integrating analytics tools is critical to ensure that your website is not just live but actively working to attract and convert visitors.
By adding Google Analytics to your website, you empower your business with the insights needed to make data-driven decisions. Whether your goal is to increase traffic, improve user experience, or drive more conversions, understanding your site’s analytics will help you achieve it.
Steps to Add Google Analytics
Steps to Add Google Analytics
Visit http://www.google.com/analytics. If you don't already have one, sign up for an Analytics account.
Create a property by specifying a name.
Provide business details.
Specify business objectives.
Select "Web" as the data source.
Enter the website URL and provide a name. Click "Create & continue" button to complete the creation.
Copy the measurement ID and paste this in the Settings of your Google Site.
Publish your Website
Publish your Website
Click on the "Publish" button on the top right corner.
Provide a name of the website which has not been used by other Google Sites. Click Publish to proceed.
How this page created with AI?
How this page created with AI?
Tool: ChatGPT.com
Plan: Free
Prompt 1: What is the best free website builder that allows users to connect a custom domain?
Prompt 2: how about hubspot
Prompt 3: we are writing an article titled "create a web site with custom domain", rewrite the above option in a manner that SEO engine won't recognize the content is generated by generative AI. Also, at the end, the write opt to use Google Site as we have an gmail/google account registered and allow binding to custom domain without additional charge, with no limitation on number of pages that can be created
Prompt 4: Write another section of the article titled "Add Website Analytics." The content should introduce and explain Google Analytics to business owners, describing how it helps track website performance, understand user behavior, and make data-driven decisions. Ensure the writing style is natural, engaging, and human-like, so that search engines cannot recognize it as being generated by AI.
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