If you run a small business (or want to start one), building a website fast for under 300 dollars can be a priority. You want it quickly because the sooner you have it, the sooner you can grow your online presence and gain more customers. You want it for under 300 dollars because, well, why not?
We’ve looked at building websites before, including finding domain names, hosting, and developing content. Following SEO guidelines is important, but the big questions remain – can you do it quickly, and at the right price?
What is a Google small business website?
A Google small business website is a site created with the help of Google’s tools and available features. Google helps you build out your site, from creating pages and managing content to optimizing for search engines. With a few clicks, you can have your own website in no time.
Fortunately, it is indeed possible to build a Google small business website fast for under 300 dollars. You will need to take some time to understand the tools and how they work, but it is doable. Google offers an array of features that can help you create a professional website quickly, without breaking the bank.
With Google, you can use their free templates to get started, and then add pages and customize the design. Google has tutorials that make it easy to learn how to build a website with their tools here.
Google also offers advanced SEO tools so you can optimize your site for search engines. You can easily access these tools and make sure that your website is visible to potential customers.
The problem arises with how this all works together. You can get a domain name for under $20, and even host your website through Google Drive. However, load times can be slow, which is a crucial SEO ranking factor.
Similarly, you can get your site online easily, but it will likely be very plain. Site development using only Google tools and templates can lead to uninspiring slow websites. It’s cheap and fast to do, so meets the criteria, but the end result for your customers can be somewhat lacking.
Building a website fast
Getting a web designer onboard can take time and might take you well above your $300 budget. You can find designers cheaply on sites like Fiverr, but results can vary, and it is often easier to take the reins yourself.
Using a website builder to create your business website can be a good idea. Sites like Wix and Weebly offer many professional-looking templates, and can be set up to load faster than Google sites.
You’ll get the benefits of a drag and drop interface, and with features like Wix’s AI text creation, you can even get your basic content on there quickly.
The initial cost is $10-$20 for a domain name, and then a recurring monthly fee that varies based on your requirements. Expect to pay $10-$20 per month, giving a total of under $260 per year.
Building a cheap website
If that’s not to your liking, you can get hosting for $3-$10 a month from HostGator, FastHosts, and other sites. You can use WordPress to build your site, or use the visual designer that many web hosts provide. These visual designers are not necessarily as feature-packed as Wix or Weebly, but get the job done.
Using this method, you could half your costs to around $130 per year.
Getting content for your website
You will need images and text to fill out your website, and if you aren’t using AI text creation from Wix, there are a few other options.
For images, try sites like Pixabay, where you can find royalty-free images to use. If you want to add some text to your images, Canva offers a library of templates which you can customize and use for free.
For the text-based content of your site, you can:
- Write it yourself
- Hire a professional writer to do it for you
- Use separate AI writing tools like Jasper (free trial) or even ChatGPT
AI writing tools are not a direct replacement for humans as they often cannot effectively incorporate emotion or inspire readers to sign up for a service or buy a product. However, they can be a good source of inspiration and help you create a framework that simply needs a little tweaking to read well.
A professional web content writer will also be able to make effective use of keywords, which is something that AI writing can struggle with.
In conclusion
Yes, it is possible to build a Google small business website fast for under 300 dollars. You will need to take the time to understand how the tools and features work, but you will be able to get your website up and running quickly. You can also make use of images and text from free sources, as well as AI writing tools, to create a professional-looking website in no time at all. With some effort, you can have a great website for an affordable price.