I create and look after a number of local groups websites. In my own time and totally with out charge.

I have used various software to do this and here are my thoughts  and experiences.  

This website is created with and hosted by Google Sites. Its very easy to use and to update pages and edit.  It is all for Free. 

Many thanks to Mike Curtis of The Wirral History & Heritage Association for  introducing me to Google Sites.

Downsides

It does mean your website will have a long name

In this case

https://sites.google.com/view/treesofthewirral/fruit-trees-of-dibbinsdale

also if you want to reuse elements or settings on numerous pages, you cannot do this.

Another Example I created is a History of Port Sunlight River Park  https://sites.google.com/view/portsunlightriverpark-history

You can I believe buy a domain name and use it for you google site.    Or if you already have a paid for website that you have to pay every time you wish to update it you could keep the paid for site and have a link from there to your google site.

.

All you need is a @gmail address. Go to Goolge Drive, click in the icon in the upper right that is 3x3 little black squares, scroll all the way down, to more, then all products, look for SITES. 

For another website I use a free version of software called Mobirise and pay for this to be hosted by a local company. Webreger of Southport.  Under £50 per year for hosting and website name registration.

Again Mobirise is really easy to use.

Wirral Ancient Egypt Society   https://www.waes.org.uk/

You can create and reuse "user blocks" elements you may want to repeatly reuse on your website

I do also use Wordpress. 

Its a nightmare to use and requires you to be able to update things you do not have access to.

 A Wordpress site I look after  The Friends of Port Sunlight River Park         http://www.friendsofpsrp.org/

It is just a pain to up-date and get rid of old pages. The software also keeps telling me to install the latest version. 

"your site is running an insecure version of PHP (5.6.40), which should be updated. 

Updating your PHP version should not be a problem, but we can’t guarantee that it’s not. "

You can also not be sure of the random (some very dubious) adverts that can be inserted into your website.

And looking at many small groups websites, including the one I look after, I find it really off-putting to see really old events listed, and various other forgotten areas of the website. As is is really hard to update. 

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