If you are looking for a budget saving online marketing solution then you are in luck because there are loads of great options out there. From free hosting packages to free website templates, it has never been easier to get a website set up without paying a penny.
Before we go into how you can do this, you need to know the restrictions that you might end up with. Whilst free hosting options are great for many purposes, there are limitations on what you get. So you can expect to have a limit in terms of storage space provided, which essentially means that you could end up running out of space and hitting a dead end with your website. At this point you will either need to upgrade to a better package with your host or switch to a whole new host altogether. Companies such as SiteGround offer free transfers from your old host. Whilst shared hosting isn’t completely free it’s an option worth considering.
You also don’t own your website, so your web host can use your website however they wish to. So this may entail using it to display ads for example. Also, you are not entitled to customer service, so if something goes wrong, you won’t be able to pick up the phone and get advice from your host.
Okay so that is most of the disadvantages laid out. And now we can look at how you can start up your very own free website. First of all, you have a choice from different website companies. WordPress provide a free hosting solution and others like Wix and Weebly offer something similar.
Take a look at the various sites before you choose which one to go with. It can be a real pain to have to start over again if you spend ages creating content for your website and then realise you want something better that is offered by one of the others. There are lots of online guides and video demos that will help you to make your choice but don’t spend time uploading content until you know for certain that you are sticking with that website provider.
Once you have chosen your perfect free website solution, you can start building your website. Wix as an example, provides a free website builder tool that helps you to choose a template and upload your content easily. If you can find your way around designing powerpoint presentations then you should be fine using the website builder. Everything is clearly labelled and you can get tips on how to add your content.
Most website templates will have a standardised structure with pages like; home, contact details, testimonials, services and blog. You can easily add or remove or rename any of these and you can also choose your own brand colours and upload your own logo. It is important to have your logo well positioned at the top of your page and also have a clear Call To Action button such as ‘Call us now’ or a contact form link.
Your website’s visitors will make their mind up about your website in the first 20 seconds of their visit, so go all out to impress them with your content. Use images and other engaging features rather than just plain text, as they are more likely to do business with you if your content looks interesting and attractive. Once you have got all of your content set up, start using email campaigns to drive people to your website. MailChimp is a good free email campaign provider that you can use to create professional looking email templates and allows you to monitor the activity.