How to Make a Website: Free and Best Value Options

In the current economic climate, scaling back costs has become a non-negotiable for many. Fortunately, business owners planning on building an online presence are now able to create a polished, professional-looking website without spending a dime, thanks to the help of free website builders.

While the best website builders for small businesses cost a premium, free website builders let you build, design, and edit basic sites without fussing around with code. They have their limitations, however. So if you want a custom domain name, or have specific site requirements, we’d still recommend investing in a paid builder or outsourcing the task to a professional.

Our top recommendations for tools to make a website with are:

• Wix – best overall website builder, with time-saving AI tools
• Squarespace – best for beginners and brilliant for design
• Shopify – best for selling online, with plans from $1/month

For those of you intent on building a website for free, stay tuned – we outline how this can be done in simple steps in this article, from selecting the perfect software to making the final tweaks. We also round up the perks and pitfalls associated with each method, to make sure you’re beginning your online journey with 100% confidence.

In this guide:

• 3 Easiest Ways to Make a Website
• How Much Does it Typically Cost to Build a Website?
• What Are the Best Paid Website Builders?
• How Do We Test and Rate Website Builders?
• Verdict: Is Using a Free Builder Right For You?

3 Easiest Ways to Make a Website

If you want to build a website, there are three main ways you can go about it:

1. Use a free website builder – If you’re willing to make sacrifices, you can build a website for free
2. Use a paid website builder – The best do-it-yourself solution if you want to build a professional site on a budget
3. Hire a website designer – Ideal if you’ve got more money than time – or want something completely unique

In the guide below, we’ll walk you through each of these main ways to create a website, and explain why we feel that a website builder is the smartest choice.

1. Use a Free Website Builder

In 2024, a website has the potential to make or break a small business. But rest assured, heaps of tech experience isn’t necessary to create a high-performing site, thanks to the user-friendly nature of drag-and-drop builders.

Whether you’re creating a simple portfolio site, or a fully-fledged ecommerce store, learn how to make a business website for free by following the simple steps below:

• Step 1: Create an account and setup
• Step 2: Create a domain
• Step 3: Choose a website template
• Step 4: Design your site
• Step 5: Add products if necessary
• Step 6: Publish your site

Step 1: Create an account and setup

After you’ve decided on a free website builder, you’ll have to create an account with your chosen platform. This should be a super simple step – all you’ll have to do is enter your email and create a strong password.

Before you start creating your free site, you need to sign up with your chosen website builder. Source: Tech.co

Then, the platform will guide you through its setup process. Most website builders will ask you basic questions about the requirements of your site, including its primary purpose, its target audience, and any must-have elements you want it to feature.

Because Wix is the best free website builder we researched, we decided to use the platform to set up a sample site. When creating a website with Wix, you’ll be able to choose whether to set your site up manually or to streamline the process with its AI chat feature. The AI chat is easy to use, and stores information you enter about your site, helping you to complete tasks faster later down the line.

Wix’s manual setup process is just as intuitive as straightforward, however, and there’s still AI-powered support at hand in the form of Wix ADI – which means it’s pretty hard to get stuck.

Wix’s AI chatbot feature asks you questions about your website to help streamline the site-building process. Source: Tech.co

Step 2: Create a domain

As part of the setup process, you’ll have to create a custom domain for your site. When we talk about a website’s domain, we’re basically talking about the website’s address. For example, Tech.Co is the name of our website, and the domain is https://tech.co.

You’ll typically want your website’s domain to correspond with the name of your business, blog or whatever purpose you’re running it for – just so you don’t confuse people. Try writing up a list of possibilities and pick the best.

Most free website builders will give you a free domain to get started with – but they’ll often have the name of the website builder shoehorned in. For example, if I created a website on Wix with the chosen domain name of cakesncardsbycathy, your free URL would be username.wixsite.com/cakesncardsbycathy. It’s not exactly catchy, and you probably wouldn’t want to have your Wix username at the front of it either.

When creating a website, you’ll need to come up with a unique domain name. Source: Tech.co

In order to remove this paraphernalia from your domain name – you’ll have to pay. Fortunately, with most website builders, including Wix, this comes as part of the cheapest plan. Alternatively, should you already be the owner of a domain, you’ll be able to connect a pre-existing domain to the website builder. You’ll find the option to do this on the site settings page. This feature isn’t universal for website builders, however, so it’s worth investigating beforehand.

Step 3: Choose a website template

Once you’ve entered your business details, it’s time to choose the visual layout of your site. The template you choose will have a considerable impact on the overall look and feel of your site it’s important that you don’t rush through this stage, and consider a few options before locking one down.

You want your chosen template to complement the goals of your site, and your business type. For example, if you’re showcasing a design portfolio, you’ll want a template with strong visual elements, and if you’re creating an online store you’ll want a template that corresponds with your business’s branding and product offering.

Wix helps you along this process by letting you filter website templates by business type and website functions. You can also refine your search by entering targeted keywords in the search bar, like ‘chocolatier’, ‘minimalist’, or any other term that describes the intended function or aesthetic of your site.

Wix let me filter its selection of templates by theme and business type. Source: Tech.co

For instance, since I’m building a cake and card shop, I searched ‘cake shop’ in the search bar, and Wix provided me with a great selection of templates that were more suitable for my type of business. Once you’ve picked your template – and it might take a bit of playing around before you find your winner – you can go straight into editing your site.

Step 4: Design your site

So now you’ve picked your template, it’s time to move on to the actual website development part of the process. The template will be pre-loaded with stock words and images which you can chop and change to your liking. This is the time to unleash your creativity and make the site feel personal to you and your business.

Don’t worry, you don’t need tons of technical expertise to customize your site. Most website builders use a grid-based, drag-and-drop system for page editing. This makes it straightforward to keep each element on your page in line and when you want to add a new text box, image, or any other type of element, you’ll be able to see, at a glance, how to fit it onto your page.

If you’re looking for granular levels of control, Squarespace’s Fluid Engine lets you customize the design of your site down to the pixel – making it a great choice for businesses with a very specific vision in mind.

Here’s a breakdown of the main steps you’ll have to take while customizing your site:

Adding images

Uploading an image couldn’t be easier with platforms like Wix. All you need to do is select ‘Upload & Import’ under the Image tab, before selecting your chosen photos for upload, and making any necessary edits.

If you don’t have any to include, most website builders give users access to stock image galleries as well. Wix even includes free access to its AI Image Creator, which lets users create custom AI images using targeted keywords.

Wix’s free plan let me create AI-generated image to use on my website. Source: Tech.co

Editing text

Changing the text is, again, pretty straightforward – all you have to do is click on the bit of text you’d like to change and you’ll be able to type straight into the text box. You can also adjust the size and style of each bit of text, but it’s worth remembering that each font will generally be consistent with the template, so making radical changes might make it look a bit odd.

Wix let me edit the content, color and style of the text on my website, and move it wherever I wanted on my page. Source: Tech.co

Extra tools and function

You’ll also be able to add elements beyond text boxes and images with Wix and other website builders. These might include, for example, restaurant menus, contact forms, or social media feeds.

Again, you’ll be able to drop these onto the page and line them up using the gridlines. You might find that some apps and functionality are reserved for paid-for plans but typically this is for ecommerce functions such as stock tracking and shipping costs.

Step 5: Add products if necessary

If you’re building an online store, uploading your products will be a central part of the web-building process. Luckily, with Wix and other leading website builders, this process should be very straightforward. All you need to do is create a web page where you’re going to display the products (if you aren’t showcasing them on the home page), and upload the product information.

Wix let me upload images to my site, and trim and edit them to my liking. Source: Tech.co

For example, you’ll need to add the product name, price, and type, as well as a brief description. If you’re struggling for inspiration when coming up with product descriptions, builders like Wix, Shopify, and Hostinger have an AI text generator feature that provides you with lists of example paragraphs to include based on the details you enter.

This is also when you’ll need to upload your product photos too. We recommend using large and sharp images to show your product in the best light possible. It’s also a good idea to add a wide selection of product images, as well as product variants, so your audience can get an accurate idea of the products you’re selling on your site.

Step 6: Publish your website

That’s it, with all your content loaded up and the design perfected, a registered domain and a completed sign-up for the perfect payment plan – you’re ready to publish your site.

Before you do, though, it’s probably worth getting someone you trust to take a look over the site. An errant spelling mistake might be the difference between a sale, a booking or a commission!

The fun isn’t over, though. You’ll be able to – and you should – go in and update your website in case anything changes, or you just fancy changing some of the content. This will keep your site looking and feeling fresh for anyone who visits.

Wix let me publish a website for free, but I have to pay extra to unlock a custom domain. Source: Tech.co

Limitations of Making a Website For Free

Free website builders provide a lifeline to small business owners who want to establish a site presence without denting their budget. However, while free website builders are perfectly adept at creating basic business sites or online stores, most businesses will struggle to meet all their requirements without investing in paid alternatives.

For example, websites created with free website builders will be covered with adverts, making your site look less professional and comprising the user experience for your audience. Most free builders won’t allow you to have a custom domain name either, which will impact your brand’s credibility and make it harder for users to find your site.

Free plans also offer limited storage options and lack advanced web-building, SEO, and design features. This means that users in need of specific capabilities will need to make up for these shortfalls with integrations and software add-ons. More times than not these extra tools come at a premium, resulting in business owners spending even more money on the service than if they opted for a paid plan in the first place.

Ultimately, whether or not you should use a free website builder depends on your user intent. If you’re just starting out and are perfectly okay with creating a no-frills website, using a free website builder could be a good option for you. If not, it may be worth considering investing in a paid platform or outsourcing the job to a professional. We offer an overview of both of these options next – alongside their pros and pitfalls – to help you determine the best way to build your site.

2. Creating a Website With a Paid Website Builder

Paid website builders let you build fully functional sites that are capable of growing alongside your business’s evolving needs. Not only are website builders super easy to use, but they’re also kitted out with a raft of advanced features to help you along your site-building process without limitations.

To create a website with a paid builder, you follow the same steps that you would if you were using a free platform:

• Step 1: Create an account and setup
• Step 2: Create a domain
• Step 3: Choose a website template
• Step 4: Design your site
• Step 5: Add products if necessary
• Step 6: Publish your site

However, as paid website builders have more advanced features, we recommend getting your head around these capabilities to make your site look as professional as possible. For example, while some free plans may have basic reporting tools, advanced tiers will give you access to enhanced website analytics, which you can use to make better decisions by gaining a deeper insight into your site performance.

Paid website builder plans also give you greater control over your website’s SEO. If this is your first time optimizing your website for search engines, knowing your title tag from your anchor text will go a long way. However, most premium website builders guide you along this process and even offer SEO checklists that clearly outline each step you need to complete.

Improve your websites ranking by working through Wix’s SEO checklist. Source: Tech.co testing

Paid website builders are also more likely to offer advanced AI capabilities, in the form of stand-alone features – like text and image generators – or AI builders. AI builders let you get a site live in a matter of seconds, and they’re easy to use – especially if you have experience in using chatbots like ChatGPT or Gemini. All you need to do is provide information about the website you want to create, and the builder will create a mock-up based on your input. You can also make further changes to the website by entering additional prompts.

How much does it typically cost to build a website?

Most website builders will let you create and run a simple website for between $2-20 per month, but you might want a larger website or greater functionality. More advanced sites will cost another $5- 30 per month, but this will vary depending on your individual business’ needs.

If you’re just starting out though, it’s always worth investigating whether the website builder package you’re after offers a free trial or a free version. What free versions are good for is giving you a bit of leeway to get your site right before publishing it — otherwise, you might worry you’re throwing money down the drain.

Learn more about how much it costs to build a website, whether you’re outsourcing the task to a professional, or taking the DIY route.

What are the best paid website builders?

Based on our independent research and testing, we found that Wix is the best website builder overall, due to its impressive array of templates (700+), it’s advanced toolkit, which includes standout features like SEO checklists and custom code edits, and its affordably priced packages. Wix is also the best AI website builder we tested due to its useful chat-style feature and advanced AI toolkit – beating close runner-ups Hostinger and Shopify to the punch.

However, while Wix stole our top spot, Squarespace will be the best platform for beginners due to its low learning curve and intuitive software. Its professionally designed templates and granular website editor Fluid Engine make it a great choice for creative businesses like designers and photographers too. Shopify, on the other hand, is a natural fit for ecommerce stores, due to its stand-out sales and delivery features, and seamless POS integration.

Take a look at how the best-paid website builders compare side-by-side below:

3. Hiring a Web Designer to Create Your Website

If you don’t wish to take on the task of building a site yourself, then you can contact a design professional to do it for you. In fact, you can request free, non-committal quotes from highly rated web design agencies using our web design quote comparison tool – it only takes one minute to do – easy!

Web designers can be a fantastic choice for small or medium-sized businesses. You’ll get a completely unique website and you won’t lose any of your time building the site itself. It can also be handy to hire a web designer if you need bespoke features.

Instead of creating the site yourself from a template, you’ll brief the designer on exactly what you want your site to look like, and the features you need it to have. They’ll get on with creating draft versions of your site, while you can get on with running your business.

Pros of using a web designer

• You can get a completely bespoke site
• Saves you time and effort
• You benefit from creative expertise

Cons of using a web designer

• Much more expensive than using a website builder
• You might be locked into a long contract
• Risk of dependency on the same designer for all future updates

How much does it cost to hire a website designer?

However, with a web designer, it can feel slightly unclear exactly how much it’ll cost to get the site you want. We’ve researched web designer fees, though, and this is what you can expect for your money:

• $250- 650: Brochure-style website with 1-5 pages including a landing page and a contact page. This budget suits someone who is not looking to regularly update their site.
• $650-1,300: As well as the above, you get a content management system, integrated social media pages, Google My Business and Google Maps integrations, built-in analytics
• $1,300-3,250: All the above, plus ecommerce functions
• $3,250-13,000: A database-driven website with advanced functionality for local or regional audiences – great for sites with password-restricted user areas
• $13k+: A database-driven site for huge audiences, or completely bespoke functionality.

If these price points don’t put you off,  find out how to hire a web designer in simple steps.

How Do We Test and Rate Website Builders?