In today’s digital age, having an online presence is very crucial for individuals and businesses.
Whether you are a blogger, a small business owner, or someone who just wants to share their passion with the world or wants to sell anything online, you need a website, and creating it has never been easier.
But the important thing is that you do all these for free!
In this step-by-step guide, we will let you know how to create a free website.
Which Website Should I Create, Free or Paid?
Whether you should create a free or paid website depends on your goals, budget, and the features you require for your website.
Here are some factors to consider when making your decision:
Free website:
- Budget Constraint: If you have a limited budget or you’re just starting out, a free website can be a great way to establish your online presence without any financial commitment.
- Basic Needs: If your website’s primary purpose is to share information, personal blogs, or showcase a small portfolio, a free website might be sufficient.
- Learning Curve: Free website builders typically have user-friendly interfaces that require little to no coding knowledge, making it easier for beginners to create their own sites.
- Exploration: If you’re unsure about the type of website you want or are testing a new idea, a free website can serve as a trial platform before investing in a paid plan.
Paid website:
- Professionalism: A custom domain (e.g., www.yourwebsite.com) rather than a subdomain (e.g., yourwebsite.wordpress.com) can lend your website more credibility and professionalism, which is important for businesses and serious bloggers.
- Advanced Features: If you need advanced features like e-commerce capabilities, membership areas, custom plugins, or a unique design, a paid website builder or a self-hosted solution might be more suitable.
- Branding and Control: Paid plans often allow for more branding customization and control over your website’s appearance and functionality.
- No Ads: With a paid plan, you can typically avoid having ads from the website builder displayed on your site.
- Scalability: As your website grows and your needs evolve, a paid plan can offer you scalability and flexibility to accommodate your changing requirements.
- Customer Support: Paid plans often come with better customer support options, which can be crucial if you encounter technical issues.
Choose a Website Building Platform
First of all, you need to choose a website-building platform.
There are several free website builders available, each with its own set of features and user-friendly interfaces.
Following are some of the popular website builders:
- WordPress.com: It is known for its versatility and ease of use and offers a range of customizable templates to suit your needs.
- Wix: With its drag-and-drop editor, Wix makes it simple to create a visually appealing website without any coding knowledge.
- Weebly: Weebly is another user-friendly website creation platform that offers responsive templates and a straightforward website design process.
- Blogger: If you’re looking to start a blog, Blogger by Google provides a very easy and straightforward way to publish and share your content.
Why you should choose WordPress.com to create your free website
43% of the web is built on WordPress. So if you choose to use WordPress.org platform in the future then it will be easy for you to learn and manage your website on WordPress.org platform as you have already used basic WordPress website settings.
Top 15 Reasons to Choose WordPress for your Business in 2024
How to Create a Free Website on WordPress.com
Sign Up and Choose a Domain
- Step 1: Open the WordPress.com website. Now click on the “Get started” button.
- Step 2: Now create an account using your email id or you can simply continue with your Google account (by clicking on “Continue with Google” on the right side).
- Step 3: I recommend signing up using your Google account. Once you click on “Continue with Google“, it will ask you to select your Google account. Select your Google account to create an account.
- Step 4: After selecting the Google account, it will ask you to choose a domain name.
- Step 5: Search for available domain name (website name).
Most free website builders offer a free subdomain (e.g., yourwebsite.wordpress.com). Here I have selected “mywebsitename70.wordpress.com” to create a free website.
Note: For free website, you can select a domain name that ends with “wordpress.com“. If you want a domain name without “wordpress.com” then you have buy a domain name.
If you want to buy a domain name then here are the best domain name providers that offer domains starting from $0.99 for the first year. (You can also search best domain names according to your requirements using domain name generators)
- Step 6: After selecting the free domain name, it will ask you to pick a plan. Simply click on the “Start with Free” button.
- Step 7: In the next step, choose the goal for which you are creating a website. You can simply click on “Skip to dashboard“.
- Step 8: Again click on the “Skip for now” button in the next step.
Now you have entered the backend of your WordPress website where you can manage everything about your website.
- Step 9: Now select a theme according to your requirement.
If you want to create a blogging website then choose a theme from the blog section. There are also many other themes for different purposes like business, portfolio, online store, health, author, fashion, etc.
- Step 10: After selecting a theme, activate it by clicking on “Activate this design“.
You have now successfully installed a new theme.
Customize Website Setting
From the settings tab, you can update your website title, site tagline, language, post count on the blog page, comments, newsletter, etc.
Publish Pages
Create important pages like about us, contact us, services pages (if you provide any services), privacy policy, etc, and publish them.
Publish Posts
From here, you can write and publish new blog posts. By default, you will see “Hello World” post. You can delete it.
Preview and Publish
Before you make your website live, take the time to preview your changes and make sure everything looks and functions well. This is your opportunity to catch any errors.
Once you’re satisfied with your website, click on “Visit site” and then hit the “Launch site” button!
Congratulations, your free website is now live on the internet for the world to see.
Optimize Website for Mobile
In an era where many users browse the web on mobile devices, ensuring your website is mobile-friendly is essential.
Fortunately, most website builders automatically optimize your site for mobile responsiveness.
However, it’s a good idea to preview and test your website on various devices to ensure a seamless experience for all visitors.
You can check your website if it is mobile responsive or not using this tool.
If it is not mobile-friendly then you should change the theme because you can’t do anything else with a free website. So the only option is to change the theme.
Promote Your Website
Creating a website is just the beginning. To get visitors from around the world, you’ll need to promote your website through various channels like social media platforms, SEO, different forums, etc.
FAQs on How To Create A Free Website
1. Is it really possible to create a website for free?
Yes, it is entirely possible to create a website without spending any money. Many website builders offer free plans with basic features and templates. However, keep in mind that some advanced features or customization options might require upgrading to a paid plan.
2. Do I need coding skills to create a free website?
No, you don’t need coding skills to create a free website. Most website builders provide intuitive drag-and-drop interfaces that allow you to design and customize your site without any coding knowledge.
3. What’s the difference between a domain and a subdomain?
A domain is the web address that visitors type into their browser to reach your website (e.g., www.yourwebsite.com). A subdomain is an extension of a domain that comes before the main domain name (e.g., yourwebsite.wordpress.com). Free website builders often offer free subdomains, but you can also use a custom domain if you have one.
4. Can I switch to a custom domain later if I start with a subdomain?
Yes, many free website builders allow you to switch to a custom domain later on. This can make your website look more professional and branded. Usually, you’ll need to upgrade to a paid plan to connect a custom domain.
5. Can I create an online store on a free website?
Yes, some website builders offer e-commerce features even on their free plans. You can create a basic online store, list products, and set up payment gateways. However, advanced e-commerce functionalities might require a paid plan.
6. Can I monetize my free website with ads?
Some free website builders allow you to monetize your website by displaying ads. However, the options and revenue-sharing models vary. Be sure to check the terms of the website builder you’re using to understand their advertising policies.
7. How do I ensure my free website looks good on mobile devices?
Most modern website builders automatically optimize your site for mobile responsiveness. As you customize your website, make sure to preview it on different devices to ensure that it looks and functions well on both desktop and mobile.
8. Can I create a blog on a free website?
Absolutely! Many free website builders offer blogging features. You can create and publish blog posts, organize them into categories, and engage with your readers.
9. Is my free website secure?
Free website builders generally provide basic security features, but if you’re collecting sensitive information from visitors (such as through contact forms or online payments), it’s a good idea to prioritize security. Some website builders offer SSL certificates for secure data transfer.
10. How can I promote my free website and attract visitors?
Promoting your website involves using various strategies, such as sharing on social media platforms, optimizing your content for search engines (SEO), participating in online communities, and engaging with your target audience.
11. Can I upgrade to a paid plan later for more features?
Yes, most free website builders offer the option to upgrade to a paid plan when you’re ready to access more advanced features, customization options, and better support. This can be a good choice as your website grows and your needs evolve.
12. What’s the catch with free website builders?
While free website builders offer a great starting point, they often come with limitations such as fewer design options, branding from the website builder itself, and restricted access to certain features. Additionally, some builders might place ads on your site or have limited storage space for media.
Conclusion
Creating a free website has never been more accessible, thanks to the user-friendly platforms available today.
With a bit of creativity and effort, you can have your own corner of the internet to showcase your passion, business, or ideas.
Other Important Tips For You,
- 7 Mistakes That You Should Avoid While Setting Up a WordPress Site
- 14 Important WordPress Maintenance Tasks To Do Regularly
- 10 Reasons Why You Are Not A Successful Blogger (And How To Be!)
- Wix vs WordPress – Which is Better to Create a Website?
- WordPress vs Blogger – Which is better for Blogging?
- How to Prevent Your AdSense Account From Getting Banned
- 5 Best Highest Paying Google Adsense Alternatives in 2024
I appreciate how you broke down each step with clarity, especially the part about choosing the right domain name – something I’ve always struggled with. The tips on customization and the recommended plugins were spot on. It’s like you read my mind, anticipating all the questions I had along the way. Plus, the visuals you included really helped me visualize each step. Kudos on making what seemed like a daunting task feel like a breeze.
Wix, Weebly and WordPress are website builders that offer their services for free in addition to a subdomain.
Thank you for the important information you have given. This information will be very useful for us.
Fantastic guide! Super helpful tips on creating a free website in 2024. Love the practical advice and the latest tools mentioned. Thanks for making website creation so accessible!
Thank you and Welcome Jessica!
I’ve been putting off creating a website because I thought it would be too expensive. But this article has shown me that it’s possible to create a professional-looking website without breaking the bank.