How to Make a Website for a Small Business for Free in 8 Steps

Integrating effortlessly with WooCommerce, Jetpack CRM automatically gathers customer details and orders on your online store. You can also manage them from the WordPress dashboard.

To identify your target audience, consider these factors:

Without further ado, let’s dive right in.

Search engine optimization (SEO) boosts the visibility of your free website on search engine results pages (SERPs).

Before publishing your website, check it thoroughly and give the final touches to ensure it’s as ready as it can be. Here’s a general checklist:

How to Make a Website for a Small Business for Free

11min Read

Some free themes also come with a range of eCommerce features to suit various business needs. These features include shopping cart buttons, contact forms, and integration with third-party payment gateways.

Search Engine Optimization

A website can serve as your business’s online storefront, so you can reach wider audiences and increase your credibility. It’s a vital tool for sharing information, showcasing products or services, and engaging with customers.

Small businesses can use a website to establish a strong online presence and generate more sales. However, setting up a website may require initial costs, which can burden new business owners.

1. Plan Your Website

But if you’re seeking advanced tools and support, the paid plan is available at 9/year/site. It has real-time traffic monitoring, WHOIS lookup for identifying malicious actors, two-factor authentication for improved login security, and a web application firewall.

On top of all, ensure intuitive navigation from your homepage to other web pages. This way, visitors can easily find what they’re looking for on your website.

000Webhost also integrates seamlessly with WordPress. You can use its one-click installation feature to have your WordPress site up in just a few clicks.

Since WordPress is a self-hosted platform, small business owners can create a website using a free hosting service.

• Who they are. Identify their age, profession, location, educational background, and income level. This data can provide insight into who your ideal audience is, which helps tailor your business’ tone, style, and content to match their expectations.
• What they like. Knowing your audience’s interests allows you to create content that captures their attention and addresses their needs.
• What they’re looking for. Understand what your visitors might look for from a site like yours with a tool like Sitelike. Aligning your products and content with your audience’s intent helps make your site more effective.

2. Choose WordPress and 000Webhost for Your Small Business Website

000Webhost is a dependable, free website hosting option. The free platform is ad-free, which allows for a more effective brand-building strategy for small business owners who are just starting out.

Understanding your target audience is also crucial. This process will ensure your small business website resonates with its intended visitors and serves their needs.

Fortunately, with 000Webhost, you can easily upgrade your small business website hosting to Hostinger once it outgrows the available resources.

Linda is a seasoned Content Writer specialized in website creation. With her passion for the written world and obsession with helping others, her goal is to deliver resourceful content pieces for all skill levels. When she’s not writing, Linda likes to cross stitch and watch films. Follow her on LinkedIn.

Let’s address some frequently asked questions about creating a small business website for free.

1. Visit the 000Webhost website and click Create free website.

Use the plugin’s seamless integration with Google Search Console to get traffic insights.

The free version includes contact management and an integrated email marketing campaign tool. It also has paid extension support for invoicing, as well as PayPal and MailChimp integrations.

This eCommerce plugin equips your WordPress website with an intuitive dashboard for handling sales, customer data, and store statistics. Once activated, set up your online store and start to sell products, manage inventory, and process online payments, all within your website.

3. Select a WordPress Theme

For more insights, check out our article on the best web hosting options for small businesses.

2. Fill out the Sign Up form with an email address and password.

Google Analytics or Google Search Console.

• Regular updates. Choose free website themes that are regularly updated. This due diligence ensures compatibility with the latest standards and WordPress versions, keeping your site secure and functional.
• Responsiveness. Choosing a responsive theme is non-negotiable. A theme that adjusts smoothly across different devices will provide a seamless experience for all site visitors.
• Customizability. Choose a template or theme that allows you to tweak layouts, colors, and fonts to mirror your brand’s style.
• Plugin compatibility. The free website theme should work well with your plugins so that your website’s features run properly.
• WordPress version support. Your chosen theme should support the latest WordPress version. This compatibility is key to taking advantage of the latest WordPress features and maintaining website security.

4. Customize Your Website

Free hosting services also come with limited bandwidth and storage, which can affect your site’s performance and growth potential.

The plugin simplifies security jargon and includes a Help button for feature explanations, alongside email alerts for any suspicious activities.

You may also want to consider paid advertising through platforms like Google Ads or social media. Targeted ads can help significantly expand your reach so that your message reaches the right audience.

ThemeForest and Elegant Themes offer a wide range of professional website template options.

Security

Google Business Profile is a great local marketing strategy, as it can increase your visibility on Google Maps and local search queries. When registering your business on Google, include your website link, business hours, contact information, and photos.

5. Start Creating Content

Customer Relationship Management

• Create a strong impression on your home page. A concise headline and supporting content that highlights your unique selling points can entice visitors. Also, add clear call to action (CTA) prompts to guide them into taking the next step, like exploring your products, booking a service, or contacting you for more information.
• Add visual elements. Be sure to use high-quality, optimized images or videos to improve user engagement, which can result in higher conversion rates.
• Showcase products or services. When presenting your products or services, clarity and accessibility are critical. Each product or service should have its own page with detailed descriptions, benefits, and pricing information. Showing images or videos that demonstrate your products in action can also make them more appealing.
• Write an engaging About Us page. Tell your small business’s story and highlight your unique selling points. This page should also include information about your mission and values.
• Introduce the team. Highlighting the people behind your small business adds a personal touch. Remember, people connect with people, not anonymous entities.
• Include a contact page. Your contact page connects you and your potential customers. Add a contact form and display your email address, phone number, and your business’s address with a map.

AIOSEO offers advanced SEO features like auto-generated sitemaps, on-page optimization tips, and local SEO improvements to boost your site rankings.

6. Optimize for SEO

Begin by adjusting your theme’s core design features, such as colors, fonts, and layout, to align with your brand identity.

Hostinger’s Premium plan, for example, comes with a free domain name, which is necessary to build a more professional website. You can also connect a free SSL to ensure secure data input and online transactions.

Plugins can extend your site’s functionality to suit your needs. Let’s go over essential WordPress plugins to install on your small business website:

• Conduct keyword research. Research keywords related to your small business and incorporate them into your content naturally. Use them in your headings and throughout your text, but avoid keyword stuffing, which can penalize your website.
• Write high-quality content. Write informative content that addresses your audience’s questions and needs. Search engines favor content that is valuable to users.
• Optimize your meta tags. Each web page should have a unique title tag and meta description that includes relevant keywords. They are crucial as they appear in search results and can determine whether someone clicks on your website.
• Use headings properly. Organize your content with headings to make it easier for readers and search engines to understand the structure of your page.
• Earn backlinks. Create content that other reputable sites want to link to, such as in-depth guides and original research.
• Don’t forget the user experience. Search engines also consider user experience factors like load speed, mobile responsiveness, and ease of navigation. A site that performs well in these areas is more likely to rank higher.