[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”What\u2019s Google Sites?” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n
What\u2019s Google Sites?<\/h2>\n
Google Sites<\/a> is Google\u2019s answer to the need for easy-to-use tools for the creation of websites. It\u2019s a content management system (CMS) and drag-and-drop website-building platform that enables anyone, even thoughts with zero experience designing or developing websites, to create a functional website<\/a>.<\/p>\n Like the rest of Google\u2019s solutions, Google Sites lives in the cloud<\/a>. This means there\u2019s no need to download software of any kind to use the builder. As a cloud-based platform, it can be accessed and used from anywhere, and on any device, as long as you have an internet connection.<\/p>\n It has a lot of the hallmarks of Google products that users will recognize and appreciate: simplicity, ease of use, and integration with other Google products, for example. Creating a Google site will feel familiar enough to most users even if they\u2019ve never interacted with its interface before, just from having used other Google products. Let\u2019s take a closer look at what\u2019s included in Google Sites.<\/p>\n Google Sites has a pared-down, simplified list of features. While this makes the platform undeniably breezy to use, it also seriously hampers the possibilities of what can be created. When you first open up Google Sites, you\u2019re greeted with a basic screen allowing you to select either a blank site for one of 14 templates available in the template gallery.<\/p>\n Since there is nothing else on the screen to distract you, it\u2019s clear that the first step is to click on one of these options. Here\u2019s what an opened template from a selection of small business templates looks like.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s take a closer look at how to make a website for free on Google. The basic features of Google Sites are visible in the right-hand menu under the \u201cInsert\u201d tab. You can add or edit text boxes, images, embedded elements, and files from Google Drive. You may also add pre-created content blocks consisting of combinations of text and media boxes in different configurations to speed up the design process.<\/p>\n In addition to the basic design elements listed above, you can further customize your Google site with navigation elements like collapsible groups, a table of contents, and buttons. You can also change the look of the site and improve readability with spacers and dividers, and embed items from other Google products such as Google Maps, YouTube videos, Sheets, Slides, Calendars, and more.<\/p>\n Some more simple features can be found next to the \u201cInsert\u201d tab. Under \u201cPages\u201d, you can add new pages to their Google site, add a menu section, insert a link, or embed a full page of content.<\/p>\n Under the \u201cThemes\u201d tab, you can make some basic changes to the fonts and colors used in the template. Clicking the suggested theme options instantly updates the site, so you can see how the change looks in real time.<\/p>\n Clicking the gear icon in the header menu opens up a few more settings beyond the customizations found in the right-hand menu. These include the ability to change the location of the website\u2019s navigation menu, the ability to add basic brand images (a logo and a favicon), and the option to enable Google Analytics.<\/p>\n Believe it or not, this has been a pretty thorough walkthrough of creating a Google site, and of all the features available to small businesses using the platform to build their home on the web. Now that you have an idea of Google site builder\u2019s features, let\u2019s get into the pros and cons of this super-streamlined solution.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Pros of Google site builder” _builder_version=”4.20.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Part of the story of how Google became so integrated into all of our lives is the ease of use of its products. You don\u2019t have to be especially tech-savvy to figure your way around Gmail, Google Search, and Google Docs. Plus, since they\u2019re all part of the same ecosystem, using one Google product means you can intuitively figure out how the next one works. With that in mind, creating a Google site is a quintessentially Google experience.<\/p>\n Here are some things to like about this website builder.<\/p>\n Creating a Google site doesn\u2019t require much more than dragging a few elements around, changing the placeholder text, uploading some images, and hitting publish. As a Google product, the menus and general feel of the platform will feel reasonably familiar to anyone with a Google account (that is, just about everyone).<\/p>\n When you use the Google site builder, you don\u2019t have to worry about mobile responsiveness: every theme is already fully responsive, as are blank sites created using template sections and other drag-and-drop elements. Since responsiveness can be a sticking point with other website builders, requiring some design knowledge and experience, it\u2019s a plus that you don\u2019t even have to think about it when creating a Google site.<\/p>\n Basic themes and templates are built in, and for some very basic website needs, these options just might be enough to cut it. With a few clicks, you can have your basic website go live.<\/p>\n In short, the neat, simple interface, basic options, and familiar Googleness of the product all mean that, whatever else you may say about Google sites, it\u2019s certainly easy to use.<\/p>\n Like many of Google\u2019s products, Google Sites is free to use by anyone with a Google account. If you\u2019re already logged into Google in your browser and you head over to Google Sites, you can jump right into creating your first site.<\/p>\n Since small businesses generally have to be mindful of their budgets, they\u2019ll be interested in how to create a website on Google for free.<\/p>\n While the fact that creating a Google site costs nothing is definitely a pro, there are some caveats to that claim that Google sites is free.<\/p>\n Firstly, this doesn\u2019t include a custom domain. In other words, if your clients want to have a website like www.businessname.com, they\u2019ll have to pay for that separately. Similarly, since Google sites appear in your account\u2019s Google Drive, they\u2019re limited to a size of 15GB. Anything bigger than this requires you to purchase extra storage.<\/p>\n Finally, much like other website builders, there are paid Google site templates out there. These make creating a Google site even faster, but they do add some cost\u2014generally under $100\u2014to the price of a Google site.<\/p>\n Creating a Google site using their website builder means instant, straightforward integration with many of Google\u2019s other products. Other Google products that are integrated with Google Sites include:<\/p>\n For example, if you want to provide access to a Google Doc in the body of your website design, you can do so with a click. While you won\u2019t have control over the design of this link, it can be handy if, for example, you want to be able to add documents for visitors to download.<\/p>\n These integrations are possible on other website builders too, but with Google Sites, users don\u2019t actually have to do anything to set up the integration. It\u2019s all already done as part of the Google ecosystem.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Cons of Google site builder” _builder_version=”4.24.3″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n We promised you the good, the bad, and the ugly, so here we go. We\u2019ve covered the good, but there are clearly some glaring limitations when it comes to creating a Google site. These are serious enough that the website builder is unlikely to meet the needs of your SMB clients, even the most old-school, brick-and-mortar among them.<\/p>\n Learning how to make a website on Google is wonderfully easy, sure, but that ease comes at the expense of even slightly more sophisticated features that modern businesses expect\u2014and need.<\/p>\n The customization options available when creating a Google site are lacking. While other website builders can be used to create a vast array of different website styles with different functionalities and looks, Google sites all look like, well, Google sites. You\u2019re limited to only the most basic elements, and even these can\u2019t be customized too much.<\/p>\n For example, if you want to play around with the placement of your page heading, good luck trying to do that using Google Sites. When you drag it into a section, it will snap the center of the column in which it appears, without the ability to create more unique or unexpected layouts.<\/p>\n If you want to change the font to something other than the basic Google font options, you\u2019re out of luck again. This means that small businesses using Google Sites will be unable to use brand fonts in their design, making it harder to create a website that feels like a reflection of their brand. Instead, it will feel generic\u2014because it is<\/em> generic. There\u2019s no getting around that. Google sites are as generic as they come. With over 50% of consumers saying they wouldn\u2019t return to a website because of it\u2019s aesthetics, that\u2019s cause for concern (Vendasta<\/a>).<\/p>\n The limited template and customization options hinder the ability to create an original-looking website, but the problem goes beyond aesthetics. With many other website builders, third-party plugins can be used to dramatically expand the functionality of a site. If plugins were available through Google Sites, it might be possible to overcome some of the design limitations. However, since they aren\u2019t, what you see what you get when it comes to tools and elements.<\/p>\n If you need anything beyond a very simple, static webpage, you\u2019ll find Google Sites lacking.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re an agency offering website services, you\u2019ve probably already noticed some of the most glaring omissions left out of Google Sites: there\u2019s no ability to create a blog or an ecommerce store.<\/p>\n This alone will make Google Sites unusable for many SMB clients. Plus, without the ability to integrate with popular ecommerce platforms like WooCommerce, businesses have no options to turn a simple Google site into an online store. Any business relying on ecommerce sales, even those for whom it\u2019s a small part of their revenue, will be unable to use Google Sites as a website builder.<\/p>\n The inability to create a blog when using Google site builder is a serious omission for ecommerce and non-ecommerce businesses alike since blogs are a key component of SEO and provide a valuable way to keep a website fresh, encouraging visitors to return again and again.<\/p>\n And while we\u2019re on the topic of SEO: optimizing for search engines simply doesn\u2019t seem to be something Google\u2019s engineers had in mind when they built Google Sites. There are super-limited tools for helping your website be discoverable in search. Basically, all you can do is optimize the available on-page elements, like headings, copy, and meta descriptions.<\/p>\n Ecommerce businesses may need a website to facilitate selling, but for non-ecommerce businesses, driving traffic and building awareness is generally the primary goal of a website. Google\u2019s site builder simply isn\u2019t up to the task of helping businesses meet this goal.<\/p>\n Even Google’s John Mueller went as far as to not recommend using Google Sites for SEO purposes (Google Search Central<\/a>):<\/p>\n \u201cTo be blunt, while it\u2019s technically indexable, it\u2019s not ideal for SEO purposes, and can be complex for tracking in Search Console.<\/em><\/p>\n If SEO is your primary consideration, it might be worthwhile to explore other options and check the pros and cons before committing.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u2014John Mueller<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n If you run into any issues with the Google site builder, don\u2019t expect to be able to chat with a support person. Sure, given the platform’s simplicity, you\u2019re not likely to run into too many technical problems. But if you do, you\u2019re largely on your own to parse the documentation and figure things out.<\/p>\n Google Sites aren\u2019t immune from security risks, with data breaches<\/a> involving hundreds of thousands of business Google Sites having been identified in the past. These took the form of remote access Trojan (RAT) malware, which gives hackers remote access to computers.<\/p>\n It\u2019s worth mentioning that while some online guides to Google sites claim the platform doesn\u2019t include SSL certificates, this is no longer the case. Secure socket layer (SSL) certificates have become a key element of secure websites today, indicated by \u201cHTTPS\u201d instead of \u201cHTTP\u201d at the beginning of a website. These encrypt data that travels between browsers and website servers. Google sites created today do come with built-in and auto-renewing SSL certificates.<\/p>\n So, with all that out of the way, is Google sites good? It depends on who you ask, but if you ask the average SMB, they\u2019ll likely find it falls far short of their needs. Luckily, there are some much more robust alternatives available.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Vendasta\u2019s Website Pro vs. Google Sites” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n If you are drawn to the user-friendliness of Google Sites but require a more feature-rich solution for client websites, Website Pro<\/a> from Vendasta offers the best of both worlds. Even its free counterpart, Website Express, far outshines Google Sites for creating customized, highly functional websites.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s how they compare at a glance:<\/p>\nGoogle website features<\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nStart diversifying your revenue stream. Get your \u201c6-Step Guide to Selling Website Services to Local Businesses\u201d now.<\/a><\/h3>\n
Pros of Google site builder<\/h2>\n
It\u2019s easy to use<\/h3>\n
It\u2019s free<\/h3>\n
Integration with Google products<\/h3>\n
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Cons of Google site builder<\/h2>\n
Limited customization options<\/h3>\n
Limited features and functionality<\/h3>\n
No ecommerce or blogging<\/h4>\n
No SEO features<\/h4>\n
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Limited support<\/h4>\n
Security risks<\/h3>\n
Vendasta\u2019s Website Pro vs. Google Sites<\/h2>\n
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