Free how-to

How to make a free business website that gets found.

A website does two jobs: it gets found by the people looking for what you do, and it convinces them to get in touch. Here is how to do both, step by step, whichever builder you use.

Step 1Pick a starting point made for your kind of business

Start from a starter or an example look built for your kind of business rather than a blank page. It gives you the sections customers of that kind of business expect (a price list for a salon, a menu for a café, areas you cover for a trade), so you are filling in, not designing from scratch.

Choose the look by how easy it is to read, not only by colour. You can change colours, fonts and layouts later without losing your words.

See what each starter includes for your kind of business.

Step 2Write a header that says what you do and where

Your main heading carries the most weight, for visitors and for search engines. "Mobile dog grooming in Austin" tells both far more than your business name alone.

Under it, one sentence on who it is for and one clear button that says what happens next ("Book a visit", "Request a quote").

Step 3Give each page one job

Most small businesses need four pages: Home, Services or Prices, About, and Contact. Give each page one job; focused pages are easier to read and easier for search engines to understand than one long page about everything.

Pages with a few hundred useful words usually do better than near-empty ones. The easiest words to write are answers to the questions customers already ask you. Replace every piece of starter text; placeholder words look unfinished and tell search engines nothing.

Step 4Use the words your customers use

If customers say "holiday lets", do not only say "short-term accommodation". Name your town or area in your heading and search description, because people search for "plumber in Leeds" as well as "plumber near me".

Step 5Use your own photos, and describe every one

Real photos of your work, your place and your people build more trust than stock images. Describe each photo in a few words ("balayage on shoulder-length hair", "new patio in Riverside"). It helps people using screen readers, and image search can send you visitors.

Step 6Write a search title and description for every page

The title is the blue link in search results: keep it under about 60 characters so it is not cut off, and lead with what the page is about. Give every page its own title.

The description is the grey text under the link: one sentence of about 120 to 155 characters saying what the page offers and where. Without one, Google picks text from the page itself.

Step 7Claim your free Google Business Profile

For local searches, your Google Business Profile is often seen before your website. It is free: claim it, choose precise categories, add real photos and your hours, and link it to your website.

Our free industry guides go deeper on Google Business Profile, reviews and answering leads for your industry.

Step 8Keep your name, address and phone the same everywhere

Write your business name, address and phone number the same way on your website, your Google Business Profile and any directories. If you go to customers rather than the other way round, list the areas you serve instead of a street address.

Step 9Ask for reviews, the honest way

Fresh reviews help people choose you. Ask every happy customer the same way, at the moment the job is done. Never pay for reviews or write your own. On an EpicTech site, visitors can leave a review in the reviews section, and nothing shows until you approve it.

Our free industry guides go deeper on Google Business Profile, reviews and answering leads for your industry.

Step 10Make buttons say what happens

"Book a visit" and "See prices" get more clicks than "Click here" or "Learn more", and they are clearer for everyone. Put your phone number where a phone user can tap it.

Step 11Publish free, then check it on a phone

Confirm your email, press Publish, and your site goes live on its own name.epicte.ch address with HTTPS. The address and its security certificate usually take a few minutes to start working.

Before you share the link, run the site checkup in the builder: it flags starter text you missed, photos without descriptions, missing search descriptions, titles that are too long and buttons that do not say where they go. Then open the site on your own phone and try every button.

Step 12Keep it fresh

Write a short blog post when something changes: a new service, a seasonal offer, a project you are proud of. New pages give search engines more reasons to visit, and give customers something to read.

Step 13Know when to upgrade

The free website is a complete site. Upgrade to the website plan ($29 a month) when you want your own domain (easier to remember and to print on a van or a card), online booking, event RSVPs, newsletters, members-only pages or a download of your site, or to remove the "Made with EpicTech" line.

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