You heard right, Google is shutting down its website builder. Google has announced that all websites made with Google Business Profiles (which are basic websites powered by the information on your Business Profile) will be shut down in March 2024. After that point, websites made with Google Business Profiles will be gone and customers trying to visit your site will be redirected to your Google Business Profile instead. The redirect will only work until June 10, 2024.
This means that if your business website domain ends with “business.site” or “negocio.site”, your website will be removed from the website field on your Google Business Profile in March 2024. It’s recommend that you update your Google Business Profile to point to a new website and new domain so you don’t lose your customers.
How to find your Google Business Profile Website
If you’re not sure if your website is built with the Google Business Profile, or maybe you want to go edit it real quick, here’s how you can go find it.
- Go to your Business Profile. (Learn how to find your profile.)
- Select Edit profile.
- Under “Business information,” select Contact.
- On the right side of “Website,” click
.
- If you have a website made with Google Business Profile: You’ll find the website under “You have a website created with Google.”
- If you don’t have a website made with Google Business Profile: You can add a link to your website, but the “You have a website created with Google” section won’t show.
How to Create a New Website to Replace Your Google Business Profile Website
You have limited time to get a new website up and running before your Google Business Profile Website is taken down in March, so we need to go with the fastest route to getting you a new website.
Buy a domain for your website
If you’ve been relying on just the Google “business.site” domain for your company so far, we’ll need to go ahead and buy an official domain. There are so many places to buy domains, and they cost about the same everywhere. My favorite domain host platform is Hover.com. Hover is easy to use, and they provide free domain privacy (where others often charge).
Other great domain host platforms:
- Google (which is transitioning to being owned by Squarespace)
- Namecheap
- GoDaddy
Domains cost around $10-14 per year, so it’s really a low expense, which is good news for you. If you have the budget, I do recommend buying some alternative versions of your domain that are similar. For example, instead of just buying “googledomain.com” I might also buy “googledomain.co” or “googledomains.com” (plural), and so on. You can setup redirects where these alternate domains all forward people to your main website, so if they have a typo, they still end up on your actual website.
Choose a website platform
Now comes the harder part: deciding which website platform to use for your new business website. Most website builders cost around $10-20/month, so it really comes down to knowing what kind of website functionality you need. Coming from a Google business profile website, you probably have a fairly simple site, so Squarespace would be the next best option.
Squarespace is a very easy platform, which a lot of functionality for you to grow into. You can display restaurant menus, have blog posts, embed videos, and so much more. If you’re a business that also ships products, you can setup a store and they have integrations with shipping platforms to make it all easy to manage in one spot.
Here’s a great Squarespace template you could use to replace your Google Business Profile website:
If you’re looking for higher website customization or need a LOT of functionality, I would point you to Wordpress.org instead. Wordpress has ten times the functionality options (and design freedom) compared to Squarespace. It can be more complicated to learn and manage, but it’s worth it. You will need a Wordpress host, it’s not a self-hosted platform like Squarespace. Keep in mind, getting a Wordpress website is going to likely take longer (and be more of an investment), if you’re looking for this advanced functionality and customization.
I recommend and use both of these platforms with my clients, so either are a great option.
Other website platforms to consider:
- Shopify (this is for product-based businesses)
- ShowIt (can be very complex to learn)
- Webflow (again, can be be more complex to learn)
I do not recommend Wix or Weebly.
Gather your website copy and photos
You’ve got your domain and your platform, so now it’s time to start preparing to build your website. Since you’re creating a new website, this would be a good time to consider if the information you had on your Google Business Profile website was adequate enough, up-to-date, etc.
Every business website needs a Home and About page, and then a Services or Gallery page (depending on your business). Depending on the number of services you offer, you might need multiple Services pages to clarify the differences and details of each service. Of course, you’ll want a Contact page as well. You might need an FAQ page, or a Client Testimonials page as well.
How much does it cost to replace your Google Business Profile website?
This is a great question, that has a thousand different answers. I’ve talked before about how and why the price of web design varies. If you setup the new site yourself, you’re looking at several hours and just the cost of the technology.
If you want to hire a web designer to replace your Google business website, I would estimate $1,000 at the very bottom, all the way up to $10,000 if you’re working with an agency or need special functionality.
Transfer your Google Business Profile website to Squarespace
If you have a simple website with five pages or less, I can help you move your site to Squarespace inside my VIP day offer.
What’s included in this transfer package:
- I’ll connect your domain to your new website
- Setup Squarespace for you
- Setup and design the pages
- Copy over text and images
- Optimize for mobile
- Search engine optimization
- A library of Squarespace tutorials
My VIP days are a one-day project, and a flat fee of $2,200 USD. This takes all the hassle off of your plate, and gets your new website up and running in a snap. You fully own your website, you’re not tied to me or obligated to use me for ongoing maintenance or support in any way. (If you’d like to update copy, add more pages, etc., we can also discuss a full website package instead.)
