Full Transcript of the video:

In two previous videos I showed you how to get your organization online for just $12 then we went through the process of buying a domain name through Google’s Domain Name service and forwarding it to a free location like a social media site (A business Facebook page for example) or a linktree page.

In this video I’m going to walk you through another free option which is included in your Google Domains purchase, and that’s to set up a Google Website using the custom domain you purchased.

As a point of clarification, Google does not give any sort of precedence to websites built on their platform. But this is a great way to get a simple website setup for free. I guess technically it’s not free, you have to buy a domain through Google and then keep paying to maintain that domain as active. But still, no other domain seller offers this option.

Now, let’s dive into it!

You’re going to return to the same place you bought your domain in the first place, domains.Google.com

You will see your domain name listed, if you have more than one you’ll see all of them. Click on the domain you want to build a website for.

You’ll be brought into the configuration and settings area.

On the left hand side click on the item that says Website.

You’ll see it say “Build a new website” then click the link below there which says “Build Website”

There are several options presented to you on this screen, like a site through Wix, or Shopify or even my favorite a WordPress website (Pro Tip: Do NOT host a website with BlueHost, or HostGator of HostMonster or any other hosting company owned by EIG. But that’s for another video.)

We’re going to scroll down to the bottom where it says Simple Site: Powered by Google Sites.

Click Continue.

Next click Start New Site.

You are brought to a really simple website builder interface. This will become the homepage of your new site.

On the right you can see all the content you can add. You can choose an individual Text Box, Image, or even code embedding.

Below that is the option to insert pre-built content blocks which are incredibly helpful.

You can choose to go through the tour, but we’re going to skip that.

The first thing we’re going to do is change the website’s main title. This should likely be the name of your organization, but it could also be a short phrase about who you will service like “Web Design Columbia, MO” or “Helping Missouri Families.”

Next we’re going to change that background image. Click Change Image and then Select. Google makes available some free, stock photograph in the Gallery section. There aren’t a lot of options, but for just getting started one might work. I’m going to choose this blue one, then click Select. You’ll now see the image you chose behind your Website Title. You can also upload a custom photo that you’ve taken. Be very careful about downloading images from the internet and using them without permission. You want to make sure you ONLY ever use internet images marked as royalty free.

Let’s get some content on this site!

Click and drag on the content block you want to use. I’m choosing this one with a simple image, title and text block.

Hovering over the image area, click Upload, Select Image. Click on Google Images and you can search for what you want, but remember my warning. I’m not going to make this site public, so I’m not worried about which one I choose.

The image will load in the box.

Now we’re going to set a title. You want to keep titles short and sweet. Think of it like an overview to summarize what you’re going to discuss below. Titles that directly answer questions people might have can be great. You could also just say “Our Services” or “About Us.” The only thing you can really do wrong is do supre long titles.

Below the title is a text block where we can put more content.

You can add as many of these blocks to the page as you want, utilizing the different layouts to make your site.

At the top of the screen now we’re going to hover over “Enter site name” and click Add Logo. You’ll see two items, Logo and Favicon.

A favicon is just the tiny picture that shows up in a browser’s tab beside the name of the page you’re currently on. It’s super little so you either want to put nothing there or choose something that will look okay super small.

Under Logo click Upload 

Don’t Have a Logo? No Problem!

If you don’t have a logo that’s okay. You don’t HAVE to have one at this stage. If you need help with creating one, you know who to call, right?

We’re going to put something in the Alt text which is short for Alternative Text and let’s Google know what the image is, plus it helps with Accessibility for the blind or those whose device don’t load the image. You can click the X and all your changes will be saved.

Now we’re going to change the site name. Put your organization’s name here.

Finally, let’s make this website LIVE!

Click on the Publish button.

You’ll see a web address at the top, but no one is going to see that, they will only see your Custom Domain.

We do not want to click the “Request public search engines to not display my site.” That’s the exact opposite of what we want to accomplish.

The last thing you have to do is click the Publish button and POOF! your website will be live to the world!

Now, that does not mean your site is going to immediately rocket to the top of Google. Search Engine Optimization is a huge topic and something we offer at Floating Ax. But for now, you have a website where people can find information about you and you can easily update it with new information.

My name is Ellis Benus, owner of Floating Ax Technologies. We are a digital marketing agency whose motto is “We Do Small Miracles For You.” If you need anything contact me at the information below. Have a blessed day!

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My name is Ellis Benus, owner of Floating Ax Technologies, a Web Design Company in Columbia, Missouri. I’ve been helping organizations with their online presence for 15 years, 20 years, or something like that, but honestly who’s counting?

If you have further questions you can find me on FloatingAx.com

You can email me at info@FloatingAx.com or give me a call (or text) at 573 777 8800

If you do this exercise and pick a domain name please give me a shout. I would love to hear about what you’re doing.