Quick Summary
Creating a website for free on Google is made easy with Google Sites. Simply open new Google Sites, select a template, enter the name of your site, add content, and publish your site. You can also rename your site, add a title, make copies of your site or selected pages, delete sites or pages, and change or reuse your site’s URL. With these steps, you can create and customize your website on Google without any cost.
Introduction
Creating a website is an essential step for individuals and businesses looking to establish their online presence. Fortunately, Google offers a free platform called Google Sites that allows users to create websites easily without any coding knowledge or technical expertise.
In this blog post, we will guide you through the process of creating your own website for free on Google using Google Sites. Whether you’re starting a personal blog, showcasing your portfolio, or promoting your small business, these steps will help you get started with building an attractive and functional website.
So let’s dive in and explore how you can leverage the power of Google Sites to bring your ideas to life on the web!
Creating a Website for Free on Google
Using Google Sites
Step 1: Open new Google Sites
To create a website for free on Google, the first step is to open new Google Sites. You can do this by visiting sites.google.com and signing in with your Gmail account.
Step 2: Select a template
Once you have opened new Google Sites, you will be prompted to select a template. Choose from various pre-designed templates that suit the purpose of your website or start with a blank canvas if you prefer complete customization.
Step 3: Enter the name of your site
After selecting a template, enter the desired name for your site. This should reflect what your website is about and make it easy for visitors to understand its content at first glance.
Step 4: Add content to your site
Now comes the fun part – adding content! Use different sections provided by default in each page layout or customize them according to how you want information displayed. You can add text boxes, images, videos, links, buttons and more using simple drag-and-drop functionality within each section.
Additionally, you may also choose specific layouts such as single column, multiple columns, etc based upon requirements. You are not limited when it comes down customizing pages!
Remember that good design practices include keeping things organized, clean, and visually appealing. Use headings, bullet points, and appropriate font sizes/colors throughout all pages so users find navigating through contents easier.
Step 5: Publish Your Site
Once satisfied with creating & editing webpages, it’s time to publish live online. To accomplish this, click the “Publish” button located at the top right corner. This action makes sure everyone has access to view the published version without any restrictions.
That’s it! By following these steps, you’ve successfully created an attractive functional website completely free-of-charge utilizing Google Sites platform. Now anyone around the world can visit the URL assigned to your newly created site and explore its content.
Renaming and Adding a Title to Your Site
Renaming Your Site
Renaming your site in Google Sites is a simple process. Follow these steps:
- Step 1: Open new Google Sites
- Step 2: Find the site you want to rename
- Step 3: Click More and select Rename
- Step 4: Enter the new name and click OK
To begin, open the new version of Google Sites on your computer.
Locate the website that you wish to rename from your list of sites.
Click on “More” located next to the name of your site. From there, choose “Rename.”
Enter the desired name for your website into the provided field. Once done, click OK to save changes.
Adding a Title
Adding an attractive title can enhance both visual appeal and user experience for visitors accessing your website through Google Sites. Follow these steps:
- Step 1: Open New Google Sites
- Step 2: Click Enter sitename
- Step 3: Enter Name Of The Website
- Step 4: Press ENTER/RETURN key
To add or edit titles, first access ‘New’ Google Sites by visiting https://sites.google.com/new.
On the top left corner, click where it says ‘Enter sitename’.
Type in the preferred title/name which will be displayed as the heading/title at the front end.
Pressing either one would confirm and apply the entered text as the official header/title.
Making Copies and Deleting Sites
Making a Copy of Your Entire Site
If you want to create a copy of your entire site on Google Sites, follow these steps:
- Open the site you want to copy in new Google Sites.
- Click More located at the top right corner of the page and select Make a copy from the dropdown menu.
- Enter a name for your copied site under “File name.”
- Select “Entire site” under “Pages” to ensure all pages are included in the copy.
- Once everything is set, click OK.
This will create an exact replica of your original website with all its content intact.
Copying Selected Pages of Your Site
In case you only need specific pages from your existing website, here’s how you can make copies:
- Open the desired website in new Google Sites.
- Click More located at the top right corner of the page and select Make a copy from the dropdown menu.
- Enter a name for your copied site under “File name.”
- Select “Selected page(s)” under “Pages”.
- This option allows you to choose which pages you desire to copy.
- Click Next to select the pages you want to copy. You can hold down Ctrl (or Cmd on Mac) while clicking to select multiple pages. Once your selection is complete, click OK.
The chosen pages will now be copied over to the new website copy.
Changing or Reusing a URL
Changing Your Website’s URL
If you want to change the web address of your website on Google Sites, follow these steps:
- Step 1: Open your site in new Google Sites
- Step 2: Click the drop-down Publish settings next to “Publish”
- Step 3: Enter your desired URL under “Web address”
- Step 4: Click Save
To begin, open the new version of Google Sites and navigate to the site that you want to modify.
In order to access the publishing options for your site, click on the drop-down menu located next to “Publish” at the top right corner of your screen.
Once you have accessed publish settings, locate and enter your preferred web address into field labeled as “Web Address”. This is where you can customize how users will find and access your website.
After entering the desired URL, you need to save changes by clicking on ‘Save’. Your website’s web address will now be updated and reflect the customization you made.
Reusing an Existing URL That You Own
If you already own a specific URL that has been used for another Google Site, and would like to reuse it for a different site that you are creating, follow these steps:
- Step 1: Change The Address Of The Existing Site
- Step 2: Open The site With The Url You Want To Reuse
- Step 3: Click the drop-Down publish settings next to publish
- Step 4: Enter a different URL under “Web address”
- Step 5: Click Save
To start, rename or change the address of the existing site designed with the desired URL.
After changing the address of an existing site with the desired URL, open that particular site in the new version of Google Sites. This is the site to which you want to use the reused URL.
Once inside the new site location, navigate towards the right corner where you will find the drop-down menu next to the publish button. Click on it to access publish settings.
In the publish settings, locate the field labeled as “web address”. Here, you need to enter a different URL that you want to use for your new site. This is the URL you previously changed in step 1.
After entering the new desired URL for your new site, click on ‘save’ in order to apply changes. Your website will now be published with the reused URL and users can access the site using this customized web address.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I create a website for free on Google?
Yes, you can create a website for free on Google using the platform called Google Sites. It allows users to easily build and publish websites without any coding knowledge.
Can I change the template of my Google Site?
Yes, you have the option to choose from various templates when creating your site on Google Sites. However, once you select a template and start building your site, it is not possible to switch or change templates.
Can I add custom domain to my Google Site?
Unfortunately, adding a custom domain (e.g., www.yourdomain.com) directly within the new version of Google Sites is currently not supported. You can only use subdomains provided by sites.google.com as part of your URL structure.
However, if having your own unique web address with full control over DNS settings matters more than ease-of-use, then consider using the Classic Version of Google Sites, which still supports this feature until September 1st, 2021.
Can I collaborate with others in Google Sites?
Yes, you can invite other people such as team members, colleagues, friends, etc. to edit or view the content that has been created in Google Sites. To do so, follow these steps:
- Open up the desired project.
- Click the “Share” button located at the top right corner.
- In the pop-up window, enter email addresses separated by commas under the ‘Invite People’ section.
- Choose whether they should be able to make changes or have view-only access rights via the drop-down menu next to their name/email address entry field, respectively.
- Finally, click the send invitation link/button below the input fields area after filling out all the necessary information accordingly based upon what type of collaboration is needed between the parties involved.
