Top 9 Google Business Profile Website Alternatives

Google is sunsetting websites built via Google Business Profiles. Migrate your website before the deadline to avoid disruptions to your businesses! Review our top 9 recommendations for your business' website.
Written by
Kim Le
Published on
January 31, 2024

Google has been on a spree sunsetting, merging, and spinning off various segments of its business. Latest on the chopping block are websites built via its Google Business Profiles.

Google Business Website Shut Down

Migrate Your Website before March 2024, Latest June 10, 2024

Google Business Profiles are the listing about businesses that come up on the right side panel next to Google search results on Chrome. They are the equivalent of the internet age's Yellow Page Book. Each listing includes basic information about the business for customers to view such as the business' physical address, Google reviews, hours of service, website URL, phone number, and email. They are an increasingly useful way of helping local businesses to be organically discovered by new customers. Therefore, the deprecation of any website built via the Google Business Profile can directly impact the business' lead source.

For businesses affected by this, more information is available via Google's help center here with details on the timing and migration options for business owners.

It's important for business owners to find an alternative and migrate their site before those key dates to prevent any disruptions to their end users. Here’s a curated list website providers as alternatives for Google Business Profile websites to help you make an informed decision.

Top 10 Google Business Website Alternatives

Why top 9 and not top 5 or 10?

Because Google recommended 6 which we provide more detail below, and we added 3 free options from newer software platforms. Hubspot thinks it should be Top 5 only, and for good reason (because business owners are busy).

Use an Established Website Provider

The following list of alternatives come from Google's information for migration. We're outlining them here with additional information on the company you'll be evaluating as well as basic information on pricing, features, templates, and domains.

1. Wix

Founded in 2006, Wix boasts over 250M users worldwide. Wix's no code focus sets it apart from other competitors on this list during that time such as Wordpress. Wix enables anyone to easily build websites in its easy to use drag and drop user interface. Wix's drag-and-drop interface, extensive template library, and a range of powerful features have made it a go-to solution for businesses and individuals seeking to build a robust online presence.

  • Pricing: Free basic plan; premium plans start at $13/month.
  • Features: Highly versatile with hundreds of customizable templates and rich app market.
  • Templates: Extensive library of modern templates for every sector.
  • Domain Options: Free Wix domain with paid plans available for custom domains.
Wix Home PAge

2. Squarespace

Founded in 2003, Squarespace was conceived out of a personal need. As a student at the University of Maryland, Casalena had struggled to find a platform that allowed him to create a sophisticated, high-quality website without having to write code. From his dorm room, he began developing what would become Squarespace; a single, integrated platform that allows any individual or business to build a professional website with ease. Headquartered in New York City, Squarespace has grown significantly over the years and serves millions of customers worldwide.

  • Pricing: Free trial only; no Free version; Starts at $12/month.
  • Features: User-friendly platform with robust design tools and built-in analytics.
  • Templates: Wide range of sleek, professional templates suitable for all industries.
  • Domain Options: Free custom domain with annual purchase; custom domains available.
SquareSpace home page

3. GoDaddy

GoDaddy was founded in 1997. The unique name GoDaddy came as a result of a brainstorming session among the team, seeking something more memorable and fun. With headquarters in Scottsdale, Arizona, GoDaddy has grown to become the world's largest domain name registrar, managing over 82 million domains for more than 20 million customers globally. The company expanded its offerings over the years to include web hosting services, website builders, email marketing tools, and more.

  • Pricing: Basic plans start at $10/month; no Free version.
  • Features: Offers a variety of tools including domain registration, website builder, hosting services, and email marketing tools.
  • Templates: A good selection of templates that cater to various business needs.
  • Domain Options: Includes a free domain with annual plans.
GoDaddy Home Page

4. Google Sites

First launched in 2008, Google created Sites to help anyone on Google Workspace to create a team wiki where various people and teams could collaborate and share information. Since then Google has iterated on sites and expanded the use case to allow for users to create publicly facing websites. To compete with other website builders, Google has added new templates, a drag and drop UI, and most importantly, easy embedding of other Google Suite products like Docs, Sheets, and Calendar. Google Sites is a simple and cost-effective solution, especially for those already using Google Workspace.

  • Pricing: Free with a Google account; additional features available for purchase.
  • Features: A simplistic, user-friendly drag-and-drop interface ideal for beginners.
  • Templates: Limited but functional templates for basic use.
  • Domain Options: Use your own or get a free Google subdomain.
Google Sites Home Page

5. Shopify

Shopify, renowned for its e-commerce platform, was founded in 2006. The idea of Shopify was born out of their personal frustration in finding a user-friendly e-commerce platform for their online snowboard shop. The lack of options prompted the trio to create their own, thus leading to the birth of Shopify. Headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, Shopify has become a leading name in the e-commerce sector, serving over a million businesses across 175 countries. Today, Shopify stands as a comprehensive platform that provides solutions to both small businesses and large enterprises looking to sell products online, in-store, or on social media.

  • Pricing: 14-day free trial; no Free version; Basic plan starts at $29/month.
  • Features: Comprehensive e-commerce solution with an easy-to-use platform, numerous add-ons, and excellent customer support.
  • Templates: Professionally designed themes tailored for online stores.
  • Domain Options: Provides a free myshopify.com subdomain or buy a custom domain through Shopify.
Shopify Home Page

6. Wordpress

WordPress, founded in 2003, was built to be a robust, all encompassing personal publishing system. Two decades later, WordPress remains the dominant self-hosted blogging platform used and seen by millions worldwide. Unlike other website builders, Wordpress is designed to serve the broader purpose of a Content Management System (CMS) as opposed to just blogging or being a digital storefront. Because of this, despite Wordpress' older and clunkier user interface, it's still a favorite amongst website builder because of its focus as a CMS and highly customizable set-up. It's headquartered in San Francisco, California, and is traded on the New York Stock Exchange.

  • Pricing: Free version available; paid plans from $4/month.
  • Features: Best known for blogging. Powerful platform with thousands of plugins, widgets, and themes, which allows a high level of customization.
  • Templates: Wide array of both free and paid templates to choose from.
  • Domain Options: Free WordPress.com domain with premium plans available for custom domains.

All of these players in the website building market have established themselves, but being established can also mean being out of date. Most were founded before 2010 when the SaaS boom changed how the software ecosystem worked. One of the major drawbacks of these solutions is they are designed as a one stop shop (like Shopify and Squarespace) or requires more extensive technical capabilities (like Wordpress or Google Sites). Software has been advancing faster than companies can adapt, the newer entrants have emerged with even easier to use drag and drop interfaces, more integrations, and different specializations.

Wordpress Home Page

Try Newer, Easier Ways to Build a Website

7. Canva

Originally started in Australia in 2012, Canva is a graphic design tool that's aimed at making design simple for everyone. Perkins came up with the idea for Canva while she was at university and found it difficult to use more complex design software. She decided to create a tool where users could easily create professional-grade designs. Canva has since grown into a billion-dollar company with over 15 million users across 190 countries. The platform offers a multitude of templates for web and print media design and graphics. It also provides access to a stock library, which includes photographs, graphics, and fonts. Canva's easy-to-use design interface makes it a popular choice for both beginners and professionals.

  • Pricing: Free version available; Pro plan starts at $9.95/month.
  • Features: Direct and simple, great for designing websites with rich visual content.
  • Templates: Wide selection of design elements and ready-to-use templates.
  • Domain Options: Free Canva subdomain available. Domain hosting not directly provided.
  • How-to Article on Free Website: Canva's Website Builder
  • Why we like Canva for a free website: Although it's not a traditional website builder, the many graphic design options (including free images) and easy user interface means a website can be spun up in a matter of minutes. This solution is perfect for creators who frequently use Canva's other features such as Instagram or Facebook video maker. This will allow creators to re-utilize assets from their IG reel on their website to showcase their portfolio of work. It's hard to beat having all of your visual assets all in one place.
Canva Home Page

8. Webflow

Webflow was founded in 2013. The company was born out of a shared frustration with the complexities of traditional coding and the limitations of other design tools. Before founding Webflow, Vlad was a software engineer at Intuit where he saw firsthand the challenges of building for the web. This experience fueled his desire to make web design more accessible, leading to the creation of Webflow. The San Francisco-based startup has since grown remarkably, providing a visual web design tool that allows designers to design, build, and launch dynamic, responsive websites visually, while writing clean, semantic code for them. Today, Webflow empowers designers and developers in over 200 countries to create for the web.

  • Pricing: Free version available; Basic plan starts at $12/month.
  • Features: Advanced design tools catered to professional designers. Robust web design and CMS tools.
  • Templates: A niche range of high-quality, customizable templates. Free templates also available.
  • Domain Options: Free Webflow subdomain available. Custom domains are available with paid plans.
  • How-to Article on Free Website: Webflow's Free Website Builder
  • Why we like Webflow for a free website: We think webflow is going to be the next gen of Wordpress. Predominantly because it's been built to integrate with some of the best and latest software stack out there from Figma, Substack, to Hubspot. Webflow's website builder stands out for its integration prowess. Its biggest drawback is its steep learning curve. Webflow's free website option is great for serious business owners who anticipate scaling up their digital footprint with SEO, multitude of product landing pages, and implementing a sophisticated software backend.
Webflow home page

9. Notion

Notion was founded in 2013 with the vision to create an all-in-one workspace where you can write, plan, collaborate, and organize. The application gained significant traction due to its unique take on note-taking and organization, with features likened to a combination of Google Docs, Confluence, Trello, and Jira. The platform has transformed the productivity space and is now trusted by companies like Pixar, IBM, and McDonald's. Today, Notion continues to rise in popularity, with a growing user-base attracted to its sleek design and versatile functionality.

  • Pricing: Free version available; Personal Pro plan starts at $4/month.
  • Features: Versatile workspace with powerful tools for notes, tasks, wikis, and databases. Its drag and drop UI allowing a website to spin up in minutes.
  • Templates: Basic templates that are easy to use.
  • Domain Options: Free Notion subdomain available. Custom domain hosting not provided. However, you can bring your own custom web address/
  • How-to Article on Free Website: Notion's Website Builder
  • Why we like Notion for a free website: Like Canva, Notion isn't a typical website builder. However, traditional website builders aren't useful for everybody. If you're no fuss kind of business person, then Notion may be better than any other traditional website builder offering. Forget the pretty templates and stunning graphics. If you're goal is to get this out there and get back to business, you can easily type up all of your business information, upload a few background images and cover shots, add a few links for contact and other relevant information, and click publish. You don't even need to learn how to use a drag and drop UI. You just need to know how to draft a word document. It's so simple, you can probably do it in your sleep.

Note: The information listed here is simplified and is static as of January 2024. It's recommended to explore each service provider for current details and offers.

Just because Google is shutting down websites built via the Google Business Profiles, there are plenty of options to choose from. Some can allow you to spin up your webpage in minutes as an interim or permanent solution so no disruption occurs in your business.

What next?

Now that you know your options, be mindful of the timelines set forth by Google.

  • Google Business Wbsite are shutting down in March 2024
  • Redirects of the website to your Google Business Profile continues until June 10, 2024

Between now and then, to keep a website presence available, here are some recommended next steps:

1. Assess your time, budget, and resources available to spin up a new website

  • Can you afford hosting a custom domain or is a free subdomain from a website provider good enough?
  • Do you have 30 minutes to create a website or 3 hours?
  • Do you need a contact form on your website or store checkout front? This requirement will drastically change what provider you should use.
  • Do you have the software know how to quickly learn a new software platform?

2. Download a copy of your existing website including all subpages and assets to be reused in your new website design

  • Set up an account on the new website provider. If you'll be using a custom domain, set-up the custom domain.
  • Get building and re-publish your site.
  • Once complete, make sure your new site is properly linked to your Google Business Profile so no disruption occurs.

If you need help outsourcing your work, you can hire freelancers on Upwork, which is our preferred outsourced contracting network. However, quality varies from freelancer to freelance, so be sure to do your homework in vetting candidates before taking the plunge.

Key Takeaways

From traditional service providers to the latest software options, there is an abundance of choices available. Explore our meticulously curated selection of websites that have been successfully migrated.

Get started today on migrating your website. Google's decision to sunset the websites built with Google Business Profiles may be nerve wracking for owners, but it's also an opportunity to give your business a whole new look and feel. Happy building!

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