Getting your website online can seem like a daunting task – but if you follow the right steps, it can be easier than you might think. You don’t need to be a web design expert with years of experience to build a great-looking website. It doesn’t have to cost a fortune, either!
I’ve been building websites for over ten years and reviewing web hosts and website builders for almost as long.
There are two ways you can build a website. The first option is to use a website builder – a platform that’s designed to make it easy for anyone to build a website, even with no previous experience or technical skills.
The second way is to use WordPress. This can take a little more work, but it’s still pretty easy if you are technically inclined, and it gives you more flexibility.
If you’re short on time, you can hop over to Fiverr and hire a professional web designer to build you a WordPress website for as little as $5.
I’m going to be exploring both options in this guide, so keep reading to find out which is the right choice for you.
Option 1: Using a Website Builder
Website builders make it super easy to build a website. These online tools require no coding or technical skills, and they’re particularly aimed at beginners – although web developers often use them, too!
You can use a website builder to create a website that looks great, in a matter of hours – or even minutes, in some cases. Most website builders are budget-friendly, and many of them offer free plans or free trials, so you don’t even have to enter your credit card details to get started.
Website builders come with pre-designed templates that set the style, layout, and color scheme of your site. All you have to do is pick one and add your own content and images.
Different builders offer different methods of building and editing your site. I personally prefer drag-and-drop editing, as it gives you more control over the layout. You can position elements wherever you like, or add new elements by simply dragging them into place.
Some builders offer a selection of apps to choose from. This is an easy way to add functionality to your site – you can have a newsletter, an appointment booking system, a live chat box, or pretty much anything else you can imagine, usually at no added cost.
There are plenty of website builders out there, although some are much better than others. My personal favorite is Hostpoint, as it offers hundreds of templates and great flexibility, with lots of free (and paid) apps.Check out our guide to the best
website buildersfor some other excellent choices. Using a Website Builder: Step-by-Step Guide 1. Decide what kind of website you want to build With a website builder, you can create pretty much any type of website you can imagine. You may want to create a personal website, a blog, an online portfolio, or a resumé/CV. You can create a website for your business, or build an online store to sell your products or services. Of course, a website doesn’t have to have a single purpose. For instance, you might want to create a website for your business that also has a portfolio of your work and an online store. With the right website builder, the possibilities are endless. 2. Choose the right website builder for your needs Some website builders specialize in certain aspects of site building, so you need to know that the builder you choose offers everything you need. For example, while most builders will let you have an online store on your website, a builder like Shopify is specifically designed for e-commerce. On the other hand, its general-purpose features, such as blogging, are very limited. The most flexible website builder is Hostpoint, as it can do anything! It has excellent e-commerce features, tons of apps, and its drag-and-drop editor gives you complete control over how your website looks. It’s our no.1 recommendation, and I’ll be using it to demonstrate the steps to building your website in this guide. Most website builders have a similar site-building process. Our Website Builder Recommendations Not sure which builder to choose? Here are some recommendations for different purposes. If you’re building a site for a small-to-medium business, Hostpoint is my go-to recommendation for its sheer flexibility and functionality. It has an excellent free plan you can use to build a fully functional website (although there are some limitations). If you’re looking for the easiest way to build your website quickly, SITE123 is super beginner-friendly. If you’re a creative – a photographer, designer, creator, or writer – then Squarespace is the top choice, with high-quality templates to showcase your work. If you have no technical experience and you want to do a bit of everything – blog, showcase your work, or even sell online – Weebly is a solid all-rounder with great e-commerce features. If you want to take your online store to the next level, you can’t go wrong with Shopify. This easy-to-use platform has hundreds of apps and tons of tools to help you get more sales. Try Hostpoint for Free >> 3. Choose a plan Most website builders have a free plan, or at least a free trial period. If you’re just getting started with your website, or if your budget is tight, a free plan can be the best solution. Free plans give you the chance to try out a website builder without investing upfront, and you don’t lose any money if you decide it’s not for you. The downside to free plans is that they come with a lot of restrictions. If you’re using your website for business, you really need a custom domain name (yourcompany.com) that’s easy for your customers to remember, and free plans restrict you to using a subdomain (e.g., username.wixsite.com/yourcompany). Also, using a free plan means your website will display the builder’s branding, and this can look unprofessional. Free plans also usually restrict the amount of traffic you can get, and you may not be able to install apps or access e-commerce features. If you’re serious about your website, it’s likely that you’ll need to upgrade to a paid plan. When it comes to choosing your plan, knowing the type of website you want to build can help you select the best plan for both your budget and your needs. For example: If you want to sell online, choose a designated e-commerce plan (or a plan that supports e-commerce, at the very least). Hostpoint has general and business/e-commerce plans to choose from, but you can only accept online payments on one of the business/e-commerce plans. If you want to host a lot of videos on your website, you’ll need to choose a plan with a lot of storage and bandwidth. It’s a good idea to choose the lowest-priced plan that gives you all the features you need for now, as you can always upgrade to a higher-priced plan in the future. 4. Get started: Choose a template Choosing a template for your new website is always the first step in the process. All website builders use templates (some call them themes, but the terms mean the same thing) as the building blocks of your website. Templates are professionally designed to look great on all kinds of devices, and they let you get your website online in a relatively short amount of time. The template sets the style and general layout of your website (although you can customize it later), providing you with a framework that you can easily add your own content to. Most website builders have template libraries that you can browse even before you sign up. Templates are arranged in categories, as you can see in the screenshot from Hostpoint’s template gallery. You can choose any template that you like, but the categories contain templates that are styled specifically for different types of websites, such as photography, business, music, or portfolios.
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