Google sites is a product built by Google to facilitate the creation of websites, portfolios, resumes, etc. Google products like Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms, etc are open source. Google Sites is also free.
We know that WordPress is an Open Source & free website builder but it has a cost associated with it in form of hosting, themes, plugins, etc. Is there a hidden pricing with google sites that might open up later? In this blog, We are reviewing google site’s website builder feature by feature.
Google Sites Domain & Hosting
The first step that needs to be done while setting up a website is to set up a domain & hosting. The domain acts as an identity for a website. Google sites can be published with subdomains e.g ‘https://sites.google.com/view/newpost’. This might not be a good option as it carries plenty of disadvantages. That’s why a custom domain is important which can be linked to a google site, or bought from google domains.
Google sites come with built-in hosting, which is managed by Google. The web hosting is free of cost but if you want to integrate google sites with other google apps then there is a license fee which is $50/user/year.
The hosting also includes storage. This is the same storage that is attached to your google account which houses google drive, google photos, etc. If the free space provided by google is not enough then you may need to purchase some more space.
Was the hosting & Domain free – No, there was a definite cost in the form of the domain which might range from $8-$14/year. The storage space is free which has also been used for other google applications so if the user requirement is more space then they might need to upgrade.
Templates for Google sites
Once the shop is set up next step is to add a theme to the website. Google sites have provided plenty of themes for creating personal, portfolios, and small business websites. The themes provided by google sites are free.
Google sites themes
These themes are super easy to customize. Google sites editor has some draggable blocks that can be inserted easily. It doesn’t offer advanced customization features.
There is a classic editor provided by google sites to perform greater customization. This classic editor can be found in the bottom right corner of google sites.
Google Sites Classic
Was google sites themes free – Yes all themes provided by google sites were free.
Google Sites Extensions
Most website builders provide flexibility by offering integrations with other services. Google doesn’t have third-party extensions but they do integrate with their own apps. This is probably the easiest way of integrating with apps.
Google Extension
Some of the website builders might need embedding of codes to display but not in the case of google sites.
Are google extensions free – Yes all the google apps associated with google sites are free
Ease of Use
Google sites website builder is free-to-use software. It is probably the easiest website builder with a lesser learning curve. The google sites application can be accessed as other google applications like docs, sheets, slides, etc. There is no trial period, and no free version, it is free forever software. All themes, extensions, and editor functions are accessible.
It Doesn’t Provide proper support. There is no one-to-one support, after going to the google sites help center search for the query and it will redirect to the community page.
Google Sites Support
Marketing Features
Google sites have very basic marketing tools & features.
Google my business – This is a tool provided by Google to list their products and sell them in the local marketplace. When shoppers from the same locality search for a product the business listings will be shown up.
Google Workspace – Google workspace is a very good tool for businesses that collaborate with teams & services. It helps in managing and operating businesses.
Blogger – Blogger is probably one of the oldest blogging applications. It may not be good as today’s blogging tool but is good for beginners.
SEO – Google has produced google sites but it provides very basic SEO. It doesn’t allow editing of the title/description. It doesn’t have sharing button to share the blogs.
Analytics – Google doesn’t have its own analytics dashboard. You can integrate with google analytics to access insights & Reports.
Are Google Sites free?
Google sites can be considered free. If you want to continue with the subdomain then it’s completely free. The hosting is also free & the storage is enough to create plenty of websites. All the google sites themes are free as well, and the extension offered by google are also free. The services & marketing features are also relatively free.
If you don’t a have domain then it needs to be bought. The domain can range from $8-$14/year. If storage exceeds then that can cost some extra bucks. If you want to use google collaborative workspace that can cost $6-$18/month.
Alternative to Google Sites
Zyro – It is an emerging website builder with very economical pricing. It has plenty of inbuilt features, automation, and tools to build personal, business & eCommerce websites.
Weebly – Weebly is another well-known website builder which houses all kinds of websites. The software has free plans as well as economic paid plans.
Wix – Wix is a popular & well-known Website building platform. It has a brilliant editor with plenty of features and plenty of apps. We have compared Wix vs GoogleSites in our detailed review.
WordPress – WordPress is the most popular and probably the oldest website builder. It is an Opensource, free platform with plenty of customization features.
Google sites examples
Google sites has currently more than 700k+ websites all over the world. Out of those 500k+ are hosted in the United States of America. We are going to list out some of the beautiful google site examples.
WatchMojo is one of the popular video Publishers on the internet. They have over a 23million+ subscribers on youtube. They have used google sites to set up their website.
2. Together learning is an online tutoring platform. They have set up their portfolio on google sites.
3. It is an organization that explores mars for human colonization.
Conclusion: Google Sites review
Google Sites Pros
It is easy to get started and use.
It is a completely free website builder
Easy integration with other Google Apps
Google sites provide inbuilt hosting & Storage
It has plenty of free themes for all kinds of businesses.
Google Sites Cons
Google Sites has a very basic customization editor.
Declan Kingston mainly works around strong Data to create powerful visuals, complex graphs to make the right decision for companies. He has been working in this field for over 8 years, has a strong knowledge of eCommerce platforms and website builders. He has worked with Ethereum and Looker Data Sciences, Inc. (now part of Google Cloud).
