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Creating a Website Using Google Sites

Google Sites is fast, free, easy and mobile friendly. Ideal to get your business online and when combined with Googles other applications, the results are awesome.

You don't need to be a tech geek to build your first Google Site. If you have a Google Gmail or a "Google G Suite" account, you are ready to start.

Get Google G Suite

Step 1 - Sign in to your Google account

Simply sign in https://drive.google.com/ to access Google Drive. This is where your website will be stored as a files on Google Drive.

Step 2 - Creating your website

Watch this easy to follow video by Jeffrey Bradbury at TeacherCast. It covers most of what you will need to build your Google Site.

Step 2 Optional Online store

While Googles Sites does not have a built-in shopping cart or payment gateway, Ecwid E-Commerce has a really nice plug in for Google Site. It's free for small stores and offers great savings for larger online stores over its competitors.

View Ecwid for Google Sites

Pricing is in Australian Dollars so no unwanted exchange rate surprises.

Step 3 - Site Settings

Select the gear icon located top right of the page.

This is where you can edit the look and feel of the website and add analytics

We suggest creating a Google Analytics address for the website to measure site usage. With the Google Analytics address ID, Eg. UA-XXXXXXXX-1, copy and paste into the Analytics section.

Step 4 - Site Name and Publishing

Select the Publish button located top right of the page.
Enter a unique name for your website.

Gmail Account - If you have a Gmail Google account, the name will need to be unique to any other website name created on Google Sites. Your website URL is shown under the web address entry field. Eg. https://sites.google.com/........../name

G Suite - If you have a G Suite account, the domain only has to be unique in your domain so for most businesses this will be the only website. At this stage your website URL is shown under the web address entry field. Eg. https://sites.google.com/{yourdomainame}/name. However, G Suite account holders can set a custom URL as outlined in Step 6 below.

Once the name has been verified as unique, go ahead and publish your website. You can publish and view the site as required and it won't become publicly visible until the next step has been completed.

Step 5 - Share Your Site

Select the "Share" button near the top of the page.
Under "Link" select "Change"
Set Draft to "Restricted" as you don't want anyone to edit your website.
Set Publish site to "Public". This will publish the site for anyone to view the content. If the site is intended to be restricted as an internal team site, select one of the other options.

For Google G Suite Users

You can ask the AHBC to help you with Step 6

Get Google G Suite

Get Help With Step 6

Step 6 - Add Custom URL to website

This section can only be performed with a Google G Suite account and by an administrator of the account.

To add a custom domain name access G Suite's Admin Console

Select the "Apps" icon
Select the "G Suite" icon.
Select "Sites" from the list of applications
Select "Custom URL"
Select "+" to add your Custom URL

Select "New Sites"

Enter the URL from step 4. Do not include "https://" and ensure no space exist in the URL

Provide a host name for your website. This is normally "www" but could be "blog" etc.

Now the slightly trick bit. Access your domain hosting service and add a CNAME address that is that same as the custom URL. Click here for further details on DNS or request tech support assistance.

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