Website Builder

A free website builder is software that allows you to quickly create a free website online. These programs work in your browser, so you don't have to download additional software on to your computer – you just have to log in and design your site. The best free website software out there is designed for you to create a simple website as quickly and easily as possible. Typical features include:

• A WYSIWYG editor ("What You See Is What You Get"), which lets you work with a real image representation of your site.
• Drag-and-drop editor and other step-by-step solutions, with ready-made text boxes and pre-designed images to help simplify the creation process.
• No installation needed – the storage space is provided via an external database.
• Simple, intuitive operation.
• Free website creation and use.

Hosting

Free site builders enable you to create simple ease-of-use websites even without any previous knowledge. The downside is that these site builders rarely offer hosting services as standard and it is quite expensive to add hosting to the package or to enlist the help of an external web hosting provider. The few free ones that do offer hosting often do so at the expense of some features or with extra restrictions. Others offer hosting in exchange for placing ads on your site, which barely generate any revenue.

Templates

Templates are especially helpful for beginners who want a professional looking website, but don’t know much about programming or designing a website. This may sound great at first, but there are several drawbacks when it comes to free website builders. Since the template is fixed, there’s little flexibility if you want to change anything. There may also be other websites using the exact same template, making it difficult to stand out from the crowd.

Email

Many companies prefer their employees to have uniform email addresses, usually containing the company name for extra professionalism. However, free domain-specific email addresses aren’t possible with free website builders and some don’t even offer them for a fee. You may need to use a plugin, add an email function, or use an external service.

Yes! People assume that it costs a lot of money to build a website, but that's simply not true. Our user-friendly website builder is designed to help small business create their personal website fast and without previous knowledge. IONOS makes it easy and affordable. Here's how the process works:

Step 1: Choose a package and a domain

If you already own a domain with your domain name, transfer it. If you don't have one yet, we'll help you find one. IONOS hosting packages, which include a website builder, offer extremely competitive pricing for budget-conscious business owners.

Step 2: Create your website using our website builder

Using our setup wizard, choose from one of our hundreds of website templates, which include options for many different industries. All of our templates are mobile-friendly, which means your customers can visit your site using their smartphones and tablets.

Step 3: Use Web apps for a customised visitor experience

Using our web apps, you can integrate social media, images you've stored in the cloud, and even online payments into your website. Let customers book appointments, track orders, watch YouTube videos, read content, and much, much more.

Bottom line: You don't have to spend a lot of money to create a beautiful, feature-rich, and surprisingly affordable website. It's not about how much you spend on a website - it's about how well it works for you and your customers.

Yes! You can handle the transfer a couple of different ways. Transfer the site yourself, backed by IONOS's tech support team, or let our professional web team take it to the next level.

Do-it-yourself

If you've already built a website for your online business, we make it as easy as 1-2-3 to transfer your site to IONOS. You are able to test our website builder for yourself for 30 days with a money-back guarantee.

1. Choose a package.

Browse our packages and choose the one that fits your business. The website builder packages differs in the number of pages which you can create, the number of built-in designs to choose from and a few other features. Pick the contract terms and payment schedule that work best for your business.

1. Move your website to IONOS.

We make it easy to move your content to our servers and to fit it into one of our free website builder templates. If you need support during the move, we're available 24/7.

1. Transfer your domain.

Transfer your existing domain to us, and terminate your old contract. Your website is now hosted by IONOS.

If you'd prefer a custom design to one of our templates, let a IONOS professional website creator transform your existing website into a knockout showcase for your business. After creating your unique website design, the IONOS team will:

Optimise your website so that customers can find it on the Internet

Your website always gets the attention it deserves when you choose a custom web design.

No. With our website builder, you don't need any previous experience with HTML or HTML5 code, CSS, PHP, JavaScript, jQuery or any other programming language in order to build your website. In fact, our developers have created the website builder to guide you through the process step-by-step. Web designs and images are available for more than 200 industries – allowing you to make your own website suitable for your specific requirements.

To simplify the administration of our website builder technology, the backend view largely corresponds to the frontend view – meaning there are no complicated menus or navigations and you can always see what your changes will look like. A versatile text editor is included that allows you to easily edit font size and deal with other formatting tasks whilst images, video and links can also be integrated easily. Professional website building has never been so simple. And when you use our mobile-optimized website builder, your site will be consistent with W3C standards.

When you build your website with our website builder, you can expect unparalleled safety and security. Your website will be safe for visitors and your data and software will be secured against hackers and other types of data loss. What's more, you will also be safe from viruses, malware and other threats.

Our high-performance data centres are subject to German data protection standards which are among the strictest in the world. In addition to this, your website data is secured using georedundant servers, to ensure maximum protection. When transmitting data through our fibre optic connections, we ensure multiple security measures through encryption and the data is passed through an external firewall.

Of course, when you are building a website you will need to consider the legal requirements for professional websites. IONOS can provide a template for the necessary legal texts. Finally, should you have any further questions or issues regarding security or legal operation, our experts are on hand 24/7 via phone or email.

In recent years, creating a blog or a website has become more accessible through software, platforms and organisations. Traditionally, websites are used for more static content such as business and contact information as well as more detailed features like online stores, reservation portals or contact forms. Blogs on the other hand are used for more topical or changing content such as news and updates and perhaps photo or video content.

Users opt for both a website and a blog because they provide both individuals and businesses with a complete digital presence. While a website acts as a reliable and informative reference point, a blog provides content directly to your customers and allows you to regularly update them on business developments. A blog not only keeps customers and consumers in the loop, but it also increases your website traffic and therefore your services or products.

Blogs also provide a social and interactive aspect; they allow you to comment and follow other blogs and create a supportive and connected digital community. For social media also, blogs provide more shareable content and engage users, encourage social interaction, and therefore add value to your website. Aside from maintaining and fostering healthy relationships with your customers, a business blog will improve a company's Google ranking and provide visible benefits all around.

Yes! IONOS offers valuable tools for lead nurturing and generating repeat business. Here's how we help our customers build relationships with their customers:

Step 1: Build website

Create a website with our website builder and host it with IONOS. Use IONOS Site Analytics tools to learn more about your customers. Do customers find your site using Google, or do you get a lot of referrals from Facebook? Which of your webpages are most popular? Where do your customers live? With IONOS, you'll learn the answers to these questions and more.

Step 2: Find and nurture leads

Create content for your customers, including blog posts, downloadable e-books, and more.

Step 3: Make the initial sale

Our web apps allow customers to book their first appointments or make their first online purchases from your business.

Step 4: Maintain the relationship

Keep customers coming back by sending them coupons and notifications about new products or services. Connect with them on social media. Offer a section on your website featuring the latest industry news and trends. With IONOS, you're always providing value and staying connected with your customers.

Yes! IONOS isn't just in the business of offering websites and affordable hosting. We offer several different options for attracting new customers to your site.

Get traffic from Google with search engine optimisation (SEO)

Along with our website builder, IONOS offers a set of tools. They're easy enough for beginners to use but powerful enough for SEO experts. In addition to optimising your site when you first build it, you'll get notifications about your search engine ranking. Our SEO tools provide ongoing analysis of your site's text and structure to improve your Google rankings.

Attract visitors from social networks

Whether you're active on Facebook, X, Google Currents, Instagram, LinkedIn, or other social networks, our web apps connect your social media accounts to your business website. If you own a restaurant, register your business with Foursquare so that guests can check in and find each other.

Take advantage of local search

IONOS can register local companies with Google Business Profile so that you're easy to find on Google Maps, Search, and Google Currents. You'll be able to display the same address, phone number, opening hours, and more across all of Google's services.