Quick Overview
Google is shutting down the website builder tool available through Business Profiles. This has allowed small businesses to easily create basic sites since 2017. Existing sites will stop working on March 1st, redirecting only to profiles until June 10th. Then they’ll be deleted. This short notice period has businesses scrambling to update before losing their online presence. Many argue more time is needed for the transition given the reliance on the free builder service.
In an unexpected change, tech giant Google announced this week that it will be discontinuing support for websites created using its free website builder tool integrated with Google Business Profiles. The move has sent shockwaves through the small business community who relied on the simple site builder to establish an online presence.
The website builder feature launched in 2017 as a way for local businesses to easily create a basic informational site directly from their Business Profile listings. With just a few clicks, businesses could generate pages showcasing services, contact info, hours and more – all without any technical skills or website development experience required.
It was a popular option for small operations like independent retailers, contractors and service providers looking for an affordable first step online. Over the past few years, thousands of these Google-built sites have gone live across various industries.
But now Google says engagement with the sites was low, prompting the decision to remove the builder entirely. Existing sites will stop working on March 1, 2024 and will only redirect visitors to the corresponding Business Profile for a limited three month period until June 10th.
After that, any attempts to access the URLs generated within the tool will result in an error message – essentially deleting the online presence with little warning for businesses. While profiles will still allow basic info listings, it’s a major disruption.
Business owners are now scrambling to adapt. Many feel the three month redirect window is too short notice given how long it can take to design a new custom site or evaluate alternative solutions. There are also concerns about retaining traffic and backlinks built up over time on the Google sites.
“It really puts us in a bind,” says Amy Chen, who owns a small bakery. “We don’t have a big marketing budget and it will take time to redo everything. Three months just isn’t enough for businesses to properly transition.”
Others argue Google should allow redirects to be pointed to custom domains, giving businesses more control over their online presence. While Google says the change won’t affect profiles themselves, the loss of free basic sites removes an important entry point for many local businesses still getting started with digital operations.
As the March 1st deadline approaches, small companies across industries will now have to work diligently to update profiles, design new sites, and redirect traffic – all while continuing daily operations. For Google, it’s a major shift that pulls support from the small businesses who relied on their tools for an affordable online foothold.
