Can Google Sites be used for business?

Yes, Google Sites can be used for business, but whether it is wise to do so depends on certain factors.
Here are some considerations to help you determine if Google Sites is suitable for your business:

Advantages of Using Google Sites for Business:

1. Ease of Use:
Google Sites provides a user-friendly interface with drag-and-drop functionality, making it easy for non-technical users to create and manage a website without coding knowledge.

2. Integration with Google Services:
Google Sites seamlessly integrates with other Google services such as Google Drive, Google Calendar, and Google Docs. This allows for easy collaboration, file sharing, and embedding of various content types into your website.

3. Cost-effectiveness:
Google Sites is included as part of Google Workspace (formerly G Suite), which offers a range of productivity tools for businesses. If you are already using Google Workspace, there is no additional cost to use Google Sites.

4. Collaboration and Sharing:
Google Sites allows multiple users to collaborate on the same website simultaneously, making it convenient for teams to work together on website content, design, and updates.

5. Mobile-Friendly Design:
Google Sites automatically creates mobile-responsive websites, ensuring that your content is accessible and displays well on various devices, including smartphones and tablets.

Disadvantages of Using Google Sites for Business:

1. Design Limitations:
While Google Sites offers some customization options, it may not provide the level of design flexibility and customization capabilities offered by other website builders or content management systems (CMS). If you have specific design requirements or need advanced customization, Google Sites may not be the best fit.

2. Limited Functionality:
Google Sites is primarily designed for creating simple websites or intranet pages. If your business requires complex functionality such as e-commerce, advanced forms, membership systems, or extensive database integration, Google Sites may not offer the necessary features.

3. SEO Limitations:
Who would have thought it, but although Google Sites provides some basic SEO features, it may not offer the same level of SEO optimisation options and flexibility as dedicated CMS platforms. If search engine visibility is a crucial factor for your business, you may need to consider other solutions.

4. Branding and Domain:
With Google Sites, your website URL will include “sites.google.com” unless you have a custom domain. This may not present a professional image for some businesses. Customizing the domain and branding options in Google Sites is limited compared to other platforms.

5. Scalability:
If your business anticipates significant growth or has complex website requirements, you may outgrow the capabilities of Google Sites. In such cases, migrating to a more robust CMS or website builder might be necessary.

6. Unprofessional Unattractive looking Websites:
There is no getting around it, unfortunately Google Sites websites generally look cheap and nasty. This can and will put many customers off as it reflects on your company.

Ultimately, the decision to use Google Sites for your business depends on your specific needs, budget, technical requirements, and long-term goals. It’s important to evaluate the features, limitations, and scalability of Google Sites in relation to your business requirements to make an informed decision.

Google Sites is a safe and user-friendly website builder, but it has some limitations in terms of features and design and customisation options. It’s a great tool for creating simple websites, portfolios, project pages, or internal team sites, but not really recommended for business websites. If you need a good looking website for your business or company and would like a professional website to be designed and built for you, please contact us.