Embedded Files
I have been using Sites daily for years, and been blogging using Sites for 5 years (that went fast!). Here are some thoughts on where it is going.
The good
The good
It is REALLY EASY. I can't stress this enough - Sites has a flatter learning curve than Slides. Sites does a better job at keeping content gorgeous from the beginning, which is a plus for people like me. Recently, there have been big upgrades to give you layouting flexibility while maintaining ease of use, so that if you are good with design, you are able to make your site stand out (and have others edit it and stick to your design).
Sites is free with your Google Workspace subscription.
Being part of the Cloud Fortress that is Google Workspace, you do not have to worry about security and hosting as you do with popular alternatives. It follows all the normal Drive sharing rules. Google perks such Versioning and Search are built in.
Improving what could be better
Improving what could be better
Things can always be improved! Being "really easy" means that Sites can look the same if everyone uses the same 6 standard themes. Luckily, you can now copy themes you like.
Like most site editors, Sites creates static websites. Nothing whizzes around and there is no "post" feature that updates things. But you can embed code and I have seen people do amazing things with it: Sections that change depending on your identity (or the time of day). One-touch subscribe buttons. Full-screen pages from somewhere else. And animations - people do so much with graphics.
Are we creating websites or presentations?
Are we creating websites or presentations?
Before we go into use cases: You can look at Sites two ways. As evergreen websites, intranets, wikis, blogs - or as the fourth Google editor: Docs, Sheets, Slides and Sites to produce many Sites, competing with pageless Docs and Slides. Some people in organizations see it as the former and even mistrust that others publish "websites" that are not in accordance with policies. The features in Sites, especially what's not there, tell me that Google views it as more of an editor. If you can see it as both, you have an advantage.
Where Sites shines
Where Sites shines
More versatile than intranets: Content presentation
More versatile than intranets: Content presentation
Sites was made for making content look good, period. Present your content! Your project sites, team sites, galleries, blogs (did you see this one coming?) should all be on Google Sites and be richer than any presentation could ever be.
If you can look past "intranet" for a moment: Presentations to clients could also be on Sites. They can explore content and additional material on their own terms after you have left the room.
Guide audience better than Drive: Meta content
Guide audience better than Drive: Meta content
Sites serve as a means to provide context around your Drive content. Sharing a folder may not be enough - you may want to comment what you do, structure and curate. Sites are ideal for document repositories, explaining processes to follow and to facilitate learning. You do this by embedding documents and folders next to text boxes.
More dynamic than presentations: Engagement
More dynamic than presentations: Engagement
I said Sites are static - but they don't have to be. They can contain forms, scripts and calls for action. If you can program, you can embed scripts that make your Site come alive with applications, subscriptions, submissions of content and ideas and surfacing information from other services, such as tickets, news and updates.
Real-life use cases
Real-life use cases
Team sites: Present your team and what you guys are working on. Help other teams get in touch with you. Publish frequently referenced resources and the great deliverables you have produced.
Project sites: Create a project site just for your team by limiting the publication. Have everything on an easily editable canvas. Or make your project site available to other teams. Or use a Site to archive your project work once the project wraps, so that others can benefit from what you did.
Event sites: Got a great event coming up? Put up guest lists, pre-reading material, how to get there, RSVP forms, opt-in to distribution lists... Afterwards, it is your natural place for thank-you notes, photos, past editions, materials produced and announcements about the next event.
Help centers: Your Site can be a place for FAQs, tutorials and help about how to open tickets. And, of course, links into your ticketing systems.
Intranet landing pages: Yes - Sites can be your intranet landing page. Have a comms team own a Site, feel free to make it the users' home page and send newsletters about changes there.
Wikis: Give your team edit rights and start collaborating on a page - that is more dynamic and more integrated than your average Docs file. Plus it looks great.
Client proposals: Sites are easier to maintain, are easily created and a way to stand out.
If there is one lesson learned: Do not stand in the way of deciding "who can create a site".
How this blog is maintained
How this blog is maintained
I get many questions about how much automation is involved in publishing this blog. The embarrassing answer is: Almost none, because it would take me too long. (I also want this page to be a model for what can be done in pure Sites.)
Before posting, I update the home page and the archive manually and link existing posts. Subscribing is done via a Google Form that feeds into a Sheet. This sends an automated Welcome notice to new subscribers. Mails are sent from Gmail. Part
There you have all my secrets. Together, we have reached lots of milestones last year - 5 years of blogging, doubled subscribers, made the blog with its entire archive publicly accessible, rebranded it and finally gave it a fresh, new layout. I couldn't have done it without you! As the future takes off and Google Workspace becomes infused with AI, I can't wait to see where we will go next. Thanks for reading!
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