wittysister1901Google Sites has always been perceived as that one random website builder that no one cares about except for students who use Google Sites as an easy way to create their projects. But I believe that Google Sites is a a lot more than that, and should definitely be given a chance when it comes to top website builders. Here’s why:
- Google Sites is easy! (Like REALLY easy)
The first time using one of the leading website builders today, was difficult for me. Being someone with absolutely no experience, I had a hard time figuring out where to put things, how to control the display, how to make things a little less box-like. It almost took me a month to figure things out. Here’s how my first time with Google Sites went: *Logs on….*Presses a couple Buttons….*Viola! A beautiful website right in front of me. The format is practically done FOR you, leaving only a couple things left to edit. I might be exaggerating a little bit, but when it comes to how beginner-friendly Google Sites is, I don’t think there are many web builders that can even compare!
- Domain Features
One of the biggest things in a website for me is the domain. I don’t want my website to be called www. 5yh126idj26ydutryf8e.com, or www. myblog.online/1233hfdj8.com- I want it to be what I want, not some robot’s randomized picking! When I went on Google Sites, I was sure that it wasn’t going to let me pick my domain, or it would add /googlesites at the end. Just to make sure, I did a little online research, and found that you actually CAN customize your domain. (As long as you own it) The only downside is that its a long and complicated process, so be ready for an evening fueled by technology Youtube videos, and a cup of coffee.
- Templates and Themes
Templates and themes are always fun to have, since they can give you any type of look you want. The first Google Site I made looked quite boring, simple, and totally not what I wanted. Soon, after more exploring, I found that Google Sites had ready-made templates right in front of me, where the create new site button is. They had a couple different themes that showed a different vibe in each one. There’s a salon template, a photo portfolio template, a classroom template, and many more. Once you have chosen the template of your choice, you can move onto the theme, which basically just controls the color and font of the text.
- Settings and Sidebar
Google Sites has two very helpful sections that will help you create a better site. The sidebar is the first one. The sidebar has things like layouts, dropdown menus, table of contents, videos, and more that can all be added to your website with one little click. The sidebar is kind of like the “dashboard”, since Google Sites doesn’t actually have a proper dashboard. You can also control the pages and themes from the sidebar. The settings button is on the top, and that’s where you can change a lot of the technical things in your site, like adding a domain, logo, or even an announcement banner.
- Examples
Here are some of the Google Sites that I’ve made in the past, along with a few by other people!
Duet Overload was a website that my friend and I had made to display some of our original duet music. She plays the flute, and I play the violin, so we just combined the two.
PHW, Professional Handbook Weekly, was a website I had made with Google Sites to display many careers, and publish one career every week.
Google Drawings, JP, is a REALLY cool website ( unfortunately, not made by me) where a very talented artist/artists uses Google Drawings to make these MASTERPIECES!!!
THE FINAL WORDS OF WIT: Google Sites is pretty cool, and has a lot of different features that can be explored. Yes, it’s pretty simple, but sometimes the most simplest things are the best things.
Agreed!! I’ve used google sites for so many school projects!