Google Web Hosting – Google Sites Review

Google web hosting is part of Google services to let its customers, especially those who don’t have technical knowledge know how, to build and have a website. This service previously provided by Google Page Creator, which not closed and all migrate to Google Sites. All Google Page Creator users still able to maintain their sites since all sites have been migrated to Google Sites. In short, Google web hosting is Google Sites which allows users to build website using all provided widgets and tools. However, acquire independent hosting service is preferred especially if you want 100% control on your sites and manage your sites for professional portfolios, there are many web hosting providers offer reliable and cheap web hosting packages with one click Wordpress installation and require no technical requirements.

Now back to Google Sites. Creating website using Google Sites is pretty straight forward and very easy. You don’t need any HTML or any technical knowledge. In fact, you can build your own site in about 30 minutes and all you need is Google Account. You can simple go to Sites.Google.com and click the Create Sites button.

It will redirect you to setup page where you have to give your site a name and create custom URL under sites.google.com/site/[name of your site] domain. Choose your site template and themes, fill in the capcha and your standard website is set.

We start with all benefits you will get to use Google Sites:

• It is free. Like other most Google services, you don’t need to spend a dime to have a website. Since Google provides this service as part of their strategy to give access to most people creating a website so they can use it as part of the Google Adsense channels.

• Requires no technical, very simple you just pick and check the item in the menu you want or just simply drag and drop the box positions and then click save.
• Unlike many free webhosting which require limited ads, Google Sites by default do not put advertisements on your site
• Monetized your site with Adsense. Want to make extra income? You can easily configure ads for your site and earn 100% of the Google AdSense revenue. Whenever you are ready and if you think your traffics is high enough you can apply for Adsense account to let Google Ads appear inside your webpage or on side page.
• Integrated Google analytics tracking and Google Webmaster verification. You actually only require to put your analytics code to let these two services to track your visitors and Google Webmaster tool code to know how Google indexed your website. Very easy and straightforward.
• Everybody know, long web address like: sites.google.com/site/[name of your site] is not a good SEO practice, it also tells people that host your website in free Google web hosting. The goog things, Google let give ability to map the site to your own domain without any additional cost. However you need to buy your domain from domain registrar. And depending on your domain registrar, you may need to make changes to your CNAME record in order for your site to be mapped.
• Since this service under Google, it should be indexed pretty fast and very visible for Google search.

Now the Cons when using Google Sites:

• Limited 100MB storage and maximum size of the appendix is 20 MB. If you have Google Apps account, you’ll have bigger 10 GB of Storage quota. More than enough for enterprise level website.

• No database and access to root folder.  This will limited your access to customized and do necessary changes. However Google provides easy process to backup your content.

• Limited tools to make your website more SEO friendly.

• Limited template to use, although there are many template you can choose most of them are not too attractive.  

n my opinion, current Google web hosting service is suitable for those who just start to learn to build website or just to blog for free. In fact, blogger.com (also owned by Google) is more attractive for blogging platform. It has almost all features that Google Sites has; including ability to monetized your site and better template.

There are many third parties offer this kind of services as well. I highly recommend checking these services:

• Host Gator – Premium web hosting with top notch support. Host Gator is main stream web hosting provider that still maintain reliability, fast server and top support handling. It’s little bit pricey compare to most web hosting provider, but if you running professional sites they are the best. Use this HGCUTOFFHUBS coupon code to get $9.95 off.

• Fatcow.com – Paid web hosting with site builder with very affordable unlimited package (unlimited storage, unlimited domains, and unlimited bandwidth). Fatcow claim to host more than 1 million websites in their servers. Fatcow powered by 100% wind energy.
• Hubpages - although it's not a web hosting provider but it provides free space to blog and write. Hubs (articles) usually will perform better in term of Search engine ranking compare to regular sites. Hubpages also allows you to monetized your hubs using Adsense, Amazon affiliate and eBay, you may check some success stories.
• Weebly.com – Weebly has powerful, drag and drop website editor, text, videos, image, and maps are added by simply dragging them to your website (you may check the video how to build website using Weebly platform). They offer free package with an opt to buy a pro account upgrade for a small fee.

• Bluehost.com – A company that rewrite the hosting industry with their hosting package. They redefine hosting competitions with their cheap unlimited web hosting package. One of the leaders in shared web hosting industry.
• Webs.com – offer free web hosting as well as paid version. The paid versions start as low as $3.75/month. With 300+ customizable templates with various categories including online store, a non-profit, a sports, restaurant or dining, and photographer.

Some providers offer Windows web hosting, this services provide ASP.Net Platform but usually it cost slightly higher compare to Linux/Unix hosting.