When you’re starting a business, it’s tempting to look for a one-stop shop for all your technology needs. Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) is often one of the first platforms new business owners encounter. After all, who doesn’t recognize Gmail, Docs, Drive, and Calendar?
But here’s the catch: Google Workspace is an amazing productivity suite — not a website hosting company or website builder.
In this post, we’ll break down what Google Workspace actually includes, where it shines, and why relying on it for your website can leave you stuck. We’ll also compare it to popular website platforms like WordPress, Squarespace, Wix, Joomla, and Drupal so you can make smarter decisions for your business.
What Google Workspace Really Offers
Google Workspace is best thought of as your office in the cloud. Subscriptions include:
- Gmail with your domain name (you@yourbusiness.com)
- Google Drive for file storage and sharing
- Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides for collaboration
- Google Meet & Chat for video calls and communication
- Google Calendar for scheduling
- Admin tools for managing users, permissions, and security
These are ALL powerful tools. Millions of organizations worldwide depend on Google Workspace for daily productivity. If your priority is professional email, secure file sharing, and seamless collaboration, Workspace is a fantastic choice.
It’s also worth noting that “being found on Google” doesn’t require Google Workspace at all. While Google sometimes promotes Google Business Profile (GBP) alongside Workspace, it is completely free. Setting one up is one of the best ways to appear in local search results and on Google Maps. Many business owners mistakenly assume they need a paid Workspace account for visibility, but GBP stands on its own and is 100% free.
But What About Google Sites?
Tucked inside Workspace is Google Sites, a free tool that lets you publish a simple website. It’s fast, mobile-friendly, and integrates with other Google tools. For personal projects, internal company hubs, or school assignments, it’s handy.
However, as a business website platform, Google Sites is very limited.
Here’s why:
- SEO Limitations: Search engines can index Google Sites, but the platform lacks fine-tuned SEO controls (like structured data, advanced sitemaps, canonical tags, and customizable URLs).
- Design Flexibility: Layout and styling options are bare-bones compared to modern site builders.
- Third-Party Integrations: You won’t find native ecommerce, booking, or marketing integrations.
- Growth & Scalability: As your business grows, you’ll quickly outgrow Sites’ capabilities.
In short: you can technically connect your domain and have a working website, but it won’t be optimized to help customers find you or support long-term business goals.
Comparing Website Platforms
To put this in context, let’s look at how Google Sites stacks up against other popular website builders and content management systems (CMS):
| Platform | Strengths | Weaknesses | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Sites | Free, simple, integrates with Google tools | Limited SEO, poor customization, no ecommerce | Internal sites, hobby projects |
| WordPress (.org) | Free open-source, endless plugins, full SEO control, scalable | Annual plugin subscriptions for advanced features or requires developer, needs hosting plan | Small-enterprise business websites and nonprofits |
| Squarespace | Beautiful templates, easy drag-and-drop, good SEO basics | Less flexible, ongoing cost | Creative professionals, small businesses |
| Wix | Beginner-friendly, lots of templates, app integrations | Can get messy with advanced SEO, design freedom has trade-offs, less flexibility | Solopreneurs, small businesses |
| Joomla | Free open-source, Flexible CMS, multilingual support, good for custom structures | Fewer themes/plugins than WordPress, steeper setup, needs hosting plan | Custom niche sites, developers comfortable with open-source |
| Drupal | Free open-source, highly customizable, secure, powerful for complex workflows | Developer-heavy, steeper learning curve, requires maintenance, requires hosting | Enterprise systems, nonprofits, government, large organizations |
Why Choosing the Right Platform Matters
For most startups, the first year is all about two big goals: being found online and creating systems that make work easier, not harder. Choosing the wrong platform for your website can lead to confusion, wasted money, and unnecessary frustration.
I’ve seen this happen firsthand. Recently, two different startups purchased domains through Google Workspace thinking it included everything: hosting, email, and a professional website builder. On the surface, Google makes it sound like the website portion is all-inclusive and simple. But in practice, the process wasn’t intuitive for everyday business owners. Instead of launching quickly, both teams found themselves stuck, unsure of how to connect the pieces or move forward.
The Cost of Choosing the Wrong Platform
When you start with the wrong foundation, the setbacks can multiply:
- Lost time — struggling to figure out tools that aren’t designed for building websites.
- Wasted money — paying for subscriptions that don’t actually meet your core business needs compounded with cost to get it right the second time.
- Missed visibility — a website that isn’t optimized for SEO won’t show up where your customers are searching.
- Future headaches — migrating from the wrong system later can be more expensive and stressful than starting off right.
These missteps are common — and they can be discouraging in the critical early months of building your business.
The Benefits of the Right Website Platform
By contrast, starting with a true website builder or CMS sets you up for growth:
- Better SEO tools — platforms like WordPress and Drupal give you full control over how search engines read your site.
- Professional design — Squarespace, Wix, and WordPress theme builders like Divi offer templates that look polished right out of the box.
- Scalability — platforms like Joomla and WordPress adapt as your business grows, from simple pages to complex workflows.
- Streamlined integrations — connect your website with email marketing, social media, CRM systems, and ecommerce.
The difference is clear: Google Workspace is a suite of tools built for business productivity, not for website visibility. Pairing it with the right website platform ensures your business can be both efficient behind the scenes and findable online.
How Webspinups Helps Small Businesses
At Webspinups, I specialize in helping small businesses and startups avoid these common pitfalls. My role is to:
- Guide you through smart tech decisions before you commit to annual contracts
- Build websites on the right platforms (like WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, Squarespace, Wix or others — depending on your goals)
- Ensure your tools work together — domain, email, hosting, website, social media, and analytics
- Document the process clearly so you’re not left guessing how your tech stack works (this is so incredibly important)
Think of me as your trusted partner in the digital maze. My job is to prevent the messy, non-documented tech paths that so many new business owners fall into.
Final Thoughts
Don’t get me wrong! I want to reiterate the fact that Google Workspace is an excellent productivity suite. I highly recommend it for email, calendar coordination, document collaboration, and cloud storage. But as your website solution, it’s not the best path forward.
If your goal is to:
- Be found on Google,
- Build a professional online presence,
- Or streamline your systems for growth,
…you’ll want a true website platform and a partner who understands how it all connects.
Before making commitments with Google or any other website host or service, let’s talk. I’ll help you map out a clean, functional system that supports your overall business goals.